Random lockups in games

[Paddy]

I am getting some random lockups in games.
XP is fine & dandy and will happily chug away for days/weeks/months at a time. However, as soon as I start a game the system becomes very unstable. I thought at first that it was the game 'Aurora Calling', but it would appear that I am having problems with all of them.

I noticed the following in Event Viewer:
Critical Error: ATI2MTAG
CPLIB :: Open Session - Failed to load the library

I've reinstalled the latest (5.7) softmod drivers for my AIW9800, but the problem is still there. I do not recall experiecing problems before I upgraded driverset so perhaps that is the issue.

In any case, the card itself feels very hot - I have noticed that I can play games if a fan is blowing directly over the card, but given the unpredictible nature of the lockups, I'm not sure if this is significant....

Any thoughts?

[GNEP]

My first thought before I even read the last sentence was that it could be heat related... especially as it's summer. What't the weather like for you at the mo?

[Paddy]

hot! I have the computer side panel removed, but it is in the smallest, hottest room in the house.
I am starting to get bad blocks on the HDs too

[GNEP]

Turn the computer off and go and enjoy the sunshine?

[ZokesPro]

Getting any other errors or just that one?

[cjolley]

HDD going bad?
I had something of the sort happen when a Deathstar of mine went out.
Got lockups when an app would try to read particular parts of the drive.
No HDD errors messages, just lockups.
I had to run the IBM disk checking tool to confirm it was the drive.

[The PIT]

hot! I have the computer side panel removed, but it is in the smallest, hottest room in the house.
I am starting to get bad blocks on the HDs too

Bad blocks. Well if the game is trying to read from that sector it's going to go oh err dunno what to do next the info's on the Hard disk try again crash.

If you got a spare hard drive try that. As for heat what is the temp of the room?? Saying it's the hottest doesn't mean anything. My room is the 2nd hottest in the house with the Windows open but that wouldn't be the reason why my machine crashed unless it got to something like 100F.

Let a programme like spinright have a chug over your disk.

[cjolley]

...

Let a programme like spinright have a chug over your disk.

And while it's having a chug, you might have one yourself.
Maybe even a Chugalug. Or two.

[Paddy]

I left the XP disc checking software run overnight, but it failed to get pass stage 4/5.
I've booted into UBCD for windows and I am running the Emsa disk check software there....

Its a Seagate 250GB IDE drive with a 5year warantee.... I'll download Seatools or whatever it's called.

[Paddy]

grrrr. SMART is reporting errors.
I contacted Seagate but they wont ship an advance replacement outside of the US!
I've got 250GB of data to try and backup somewhere AND be without the disk for ~2weeks

WD's service is much, much better.