As I already mentioned in my previous post, I replaced the heatsink/fan. I just experienced another freeze requiring a hard shut down. Since the computer is 6 years old I would like to test the other components. I would appreciate recommendations for testing memory, hard drive and power supply. I am at complete loss however on how to test the power supply. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I booted into the BIOS. I wanted to check the voltages of the memory. It is frozen in the BIOS. I cannot move around. Any insights will be appreciated.

Thanks

I have had freezes from hard drives going bad to faulty power supplies and ram usually causes blue screens but I would run Memtest just to rule it out anyways assuming you can get it going.Try disconnecting the hard drive first to see if it will post.

The second from the top iso(zip) burn it as an image file on a cd and boot from it.Or you can put it on a flash drive with the auto installer for usb key and boot from it if your mobo supports booting from usb.For testing the power supply you need a power supply tester or a digital multimeter or switch it out with a known good one.There are hard drive tests that can be downloaded from the manufacturer of the hard drive.

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

I ran the memory check. After 54 seconds it stopped running. It did not freeze, just stopped running.
I can really use some suggestions.

As always, thanks

Did this freezing problem start after you messed with the heatsink? If so, you need to remove it and make sure it is seated correctly and if it's a new heatsink, make sure it's the right type and that it is really making contact with the CPU.

Behind every good computer... is a jumble of wires 'n stuff.

I would have a close look at the motherboard and check for any swollen/leaking capacitors.I would also unhook the hard drive and see if it freezes during Memtest as well.

I removed the heatsink and put it back on. I think that I can discern a difference with this heatsink compared to the previous one. It took much less pressure to install it. I think that it is not making adequate contact.
I could use a recommendation for a heatsink for an AM2 socket.

Thanks

Which one do you have now?I have noticed that the newer heat sinks are easier to install than they used to be on AMD setups.

This is what I tried without positive results.
Re-seated heatsink/fan
took out Ram and tried individual sticks
unhooked HD, then ran Ubuntu from CD, Still froze

What do I try next?

To me it is either your power supply or the motherboard itself.Did you have a close look at the motherboard for any swollen or leaking capacitors?

The caps don't necessarily have to be leaking but they will have a bulging top that will need a close look to see sometimes.The volt meter will tell you if voltages are within range.You can start it up and check as it's starting using a molex connector to see if they drop out of range.I agree with not spending a lot of money on a 6 year old system and building a new one would be more cost effective.

Maybe someone here can suggest an inexpensive meter but on the molex the red is 5 volt and the yellow is 12 volt and the black wires are ground.Basically just put the probe into a ground and then the other probe into one of the others to test.
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/guides/testingPSU/
Guide is a little old but so is your computer .
I always have a spare kicking around to test so I don't use a meter.There are power supply testers as well that I know a few people here own so maybe they can suggest a decent one.

Voltages must be checked under load to be meaningful. The 5 and 12 volt rails can easily be checked under load at a 4 pin molex drive plug, But the voltage at the CPU can not be safely checked with a volt meter, the pins are too close together and easy to short and destroy the CPU, even if you knew where to look. It can be measured at the filter capacitors, again if you knew where to look. The voltage readings in the BIOS are sufficiently accurate to be useful for your purposes and should be at least +/- 10% accurate.

If you see a bulge in the top of any of the tall Capacitors next to the CPU socket (they should be perfectly flat), or a brown or gray discoloration on the top or around the base if any of them, they are bad.

Shelly

Have you tried Wipeing the Bios. There is usually a Jumper on the
board to reset it. It will put everything thing at default.
If a setting in it is causing the problem It can help.

Have been watching a video for about 1/2 hour without any freezes.

Please explain to me what I have done, and why did it help.

Thanks

That one I have no idea as I thought you had already set the bios back to defaults earlier in the thread.

I would bet it may be due to the Ram getting set up as "Auto"
Those type of motherboard/bios has many different settings.
One or more of them may have cause the freezing. Usually Ram and
Video I would check first.

Something was inadvertently set incorrectly in the BIOS before you set it back to the defaults. It didn't have to be the RAM timings or voltages. It could've been any of a number of different settings.

MSU

You may not have saved it when exiting the BIOS. That's not possible when using the jumper, it just does it.

MSU

I am sorry to report, it just froze again. It now wont even get to the Windows screen.

Tried to Boot into Safe Mode, It also froze in Safe Mode.Where do I go from here?

I guess now the fun starts

MSU

Take it down to the Basics. Hard drive 1 stick of Ram and CD rom.
if it has onboard ram try using that or a video card it it does not.

Bad Ram, Video Cards an hard drives can cause all kinds of funky things including freezing up.

make sure you used enough Cpu Thermal paste.
How old is the powersuppy?

3 beebs ususally signal a Video Card or Video problem. Try Removing it
and reseat it. Reseat the Ram also.

Depending on which brand of bios it can mean a ram problem as well.Just use one stick of ram and clear the bios again.How many sticks of ram do you have?

That does indicate bad video as I think Asus uses an Award bios.Yeah it is difficult when you don't have spares to try.Is there a local store that you can return it if that doesn't help?I know people have done that with Bestbuy or cheap from Craigslist.Since it's 6 years old it's liable to be AGP what motherboard is it?That would probably restrict you to CL.

Ahh that's different I bought an AMD 5450 I believe for 39 bucks not too long ago.So pretty cheap and on the plus side and if it is something else wrong you can return(check return policy) it or save it for a new build.I just looked and they have this at Newegg with free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131339

Yes they always maintain backwards compatibility where possible.

The card arrived today. I just installed it. Still one long beep and three short ones.

Suggestions Please!

Make sure it is seated correctly and there is no external power plugs on that model.What power supply?I am running that card in a friends computer and it only has a 300 watt power supply.

Essentially nothing different but perhaps you didn't save and exit as MSU mentioned.Never considered it as early on you said you had done that.Hopefully this isn't an intermittent problem that returns.Not sure why anything changed in the bios to cause a problem in the first place unless you changed something yourself.

Yeah, stuff shouldn't just randomly changed. That's why I said something may have been "inadvertently" set incorrectly. He may have been in there just looking around at one time and accidentally changed something.

MSU