I get the BSoD when I try to play games. Please help!

[Moto]

Hey helplife2.net

So here's the deal. I want to play some games on my old PC. I'm on a Macbook Pro right now and I'm kind of bored because there's nothing to do on it besides edit photos and videos, so yeah. The only problem is that my PC got really hammered before I switched to a Mac and a lot of applications no longer function. I just get sent to the Blue Screen of Death.

It's a mess. Pretty good computer for its time, too. It has an AMD 64FX, an ATi X800XT, all the good stuff from 2005 or so. It's great for HL2 and a lot of other games.

Anyway, here's the screen I'm getting which I'm sure you've all seen at one time or another.

I for sure have adequate disk space. I'm not really good with computers when it comes to messing with stuff in the BIOS and all that. I can't really accomplish much in safe mode either (that I know of). So does anyone have any suggestions for what I might be able to do? I'm pretty sure the computer has a virus, but all I want to do is play some games. There has to be a way.

I don't have any money for a new copy of Windows XP and I lost my old install disc (stupid, I know), so I can't reformat.

Any ideas fellas? Any help is appreciated.

Thank you,

Patrick

 

[Moto]

Actually I think I may have this figured out. I have a legitimate Product Key for Windows on the sticker on my case, so I'm downloading another copy of it. Then I'll make a boot disc for it, reinstall, use my legit CD key, reinstall the video card and sound card drivers, and then I should be good as new.

I'm excited. Should be like a new PC! Only with 3 year old hardware.

 

[Sedako]

Well, once you get XP freshly installed, we can see if the problem persists. If it does, we can go from there.

 

[Moto]

Thanks, man. I'll see what happens and let you guys know.

 

[Moto]

I'm trying to install Windows again, but it keeps telling me that there's no hard disk detected. I have an ASUS SK8N motherboard, so I downloaded one of their drivers for it, waited for Windows to start extracting files, and pressed F6 to install drivers from a floppy disk.

It said it recognized the drivers and the hard disk, so I hit enter and it proceeds to the first install screen. I press enter again to perform a clean install, but it says again that no hard disk is recognized.

I don't understand what the deal is. The computer recognizes the hard disk in Windows, but not outside of it. Anyone got any ideas?

I've looked all over for stuff I can do. I'm downloading a BIOS update now. Maybe that will work. The scary thing is that my computer gets the blue screen of death with almost all executables, so if that happens while I try to update the BIOS and it shuts down mid install, I'm ****ed.

God this is so frustrating. I spent hours and hours backing up all my pictures and stuff and now this is happening. I just feel like smashing the damn thing.

 

[Saturos]

Off-topic but what brand is that monitor your using? From the looks of the case/trim, it seems pretty old even for a CRT.

BTW, I'd offer some advice, but I don't know much about Macs tbh other than they run on the Unix kernel similar to Linux IIRC.

Do you use VM-ware for PC gaming? I've been curious as to how well it works. I've already asked others in the past, but I want some opinions from other Mac users.

 

[Moto]

That's a 17 inch viewsonic CRT painted silver.

This isn't a Mac problem, by the way. It's a problem with my old Windows PC.

 

[Saturos]

Although you aren't comfortable messing around with the BIOS, try these two things before we continue any further:

Boot into safe mode and run a thorough virus/malware scan. (If possible)
Load up the BIOS and select "Load optimized defaults" Then save and exit.

Whatever you do though, DO NOT select "Load fail-safe defaults" if you don't have a PS2 mouse and keyboard, or you'll be stuck with an expensive paper weight as this option disables USB support also.
At least the Ameri Megatrends version of BIOS does this anyways. I found out the hard way.

EDIT> Wait, you've already begun to re-install (attempt a re-install anyways) haven't you?

reformatting the HD should wipe any virus, so I guess we can rule this out if that is true.
If you have, then you probably have a serious HD mechanical problem. Is it a SATA?

 

[Moto]

Thanks for your help, Saturos, but I got it.

I was attempting to install RAID drivers when my HD is SATA.

Man, what a relief. I'll let you guys know what happens.

 

[Raziaar]

Stop playing games.

 

[Saturos]

Stop playing games.

In all honesty, Raziaar's right.

PCs aren't really meant for hardcore gaming. No matter what those guys at NVIDIA, Creative, and ATI would want gamers to believe.
Because they are a business and such a philosophy is bad for the PC gaming market.

As many times games has forced me to do a hard-reboot after a complete system lockup (which isn't good for the HD) CHKDSK has been ran on my PC countless times.

 

[Moto]

Well everything is completely fine. This is the first reformat/reinstall I've ever done. I'm so psyched to have a working PC again. Can't wait to play some Valve games.

I haven't played any games in way over a year. I've been doing school stuff non stop and using a Mac. I'm not a "hardcore" gamer anyway. Never was. Just casual.

And actually, I think Raziaar's comment was playing off the

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this."

"Well, don't do that."

thing.

 

[AiM]

In all honesty, Raziaar's right.

PCs aren't really meant for hardcore gaming. No matter what those guys at NVIDIA, Creative, and ATI would want gamers to believe.
Because they are a business and such a philosophy is bad for the PC gaming market.

So you're telling me consoles are the way to go for hardcore gaming right? I have absolutely no idea where you got that ridiculous idea from but it doesn't make any sense, at all. But I am curious, at how hardcore gaming is a bad philosophy for PC gaming market. Please explain.

 

[Saturos]

So you're telling me consoles are the way to go for hardcore gaming right? I have absolutely no idea where you got that ridiculous idea from but it doesn't make any sense, at all. But I am curious, at how hardcore gaming is a bad philosophy for PC gaming market. Please explain.

Don't get me wrong. I love PC gaming as much as the next HL2.netter, but there's no denying that dedicated consoles are better equipped for their dedicated task of gaming than PCs.
(Other than the keyboard and mouse, which is wholly a matter of opinion really.)

Which is why the console market is much more lucrative. Casual gamers don't like messing around with, patches, updates etc. In the mass majority of consumers minds, why bother with all that stuff when you can just "plug-and-play" with consoles? Futhermore, PC gaming is expensive. Plus, pirating is much more difficult for consoles. Which is why so many developers are either jumping ship to develop for consoles exclusively, or resorting to online activation services like Steam.

Let me rephrase what I said, PC gaming IS for hardcore gamers, and there are getting to be fewer and fewer of them it seems like to me these days.
I hate to say this, but it's true, the casual gaming market reigns supreme in this day and age and the PC market's not where it's at.

Doesn't change my opinion though that some games like FPSs, RTSs, and simulators play better on PC though.

 

[Raziaar]

I dunno man... for paying 1200 bucks on average for a new really good computer, that shit better be damned suited, better suited even to play videogames than consoles.

I think computers will always have a place for video games, and be a large part of what it means to own a personal computer. Otherwise computers are made solely work or hobby related, and that's no fun at all.

And yes Moto-x_Pat, that's exactly what I was conveying. :dork:

 

[Saturos]

I dunno man... for paying 1200 bucks on average for a new really good computer, that shit better be damned suited, better suited even to play videogames than consoles.

I think computers will always have a place for video games, and be a large part of what it means to own a personal computer. Otherwise computers are made solely work or hobby related, and that's no fun at all.

Of course not. That's why microsoft bundles it's OS with solitarie, minesweeper, and free cell.

Many PC ports do look and play better than the console counterparts. (Oblivion is a fine example of a game made infinitely better thanks to the PC's vast modding community) But tbh, I don't see how the majority of people could be arsed with modding. Like I said, for casual gamers that have a PC either soley for business reasons, and/or the internets, there's solitarie and minesweeper.

I'm looking from a different perspective about what most gamers want from a gaming machine and not just myself and other "hardcore" gamers really.

Even though in theory 1200 bucks for top-of-the line hardware nets better all-around gameplay imo,
the PC's biggest flaw is it's unpredictability (for those who aren't technically minded anyways) and limitless hardware/software configurations.

A "double-edged" sword that even though newer hardware released every few months means better performance for future games while the console's core hardware never changes, (and in time, we'll begin to see cutting-edge games that are PC exclusive only because the 360/PS3 hardware is too dated to run them) the above mentioned negative trade-off for this is the PC's own Cleveland Steamer. Much more complex and it's games are much more likely to have technical issues, not to mention the cost of upgrading.

PC's are too complicated for most people to care enough about games truth be told. After the third or fourth crash, many people will just get frustrated and give up while going about their lives do other things, never to play the game again. You've got to assume that we aren't "many people" though. This is a forum dedicated to video games after all.