Question : Problem: How to find what is causing system crash while downloading video

OS:  Win XP Pro
Processor:  Athlon 64 Dual Core 6000+  (zalman cooler)
Motherboard:  ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition
Problems:  chronic system crash when downloaded Netflix movies for instant viewing
                     occasional spontaneous, unexplained reboot.

A little over a year ago I purchased a PC from a small, but probably well-known PC boutique.  Before the warranty expired, I began experiencing the blue screen of death (BSOD) when downstreaming  Netflix movies (instant viewing).  The Netflix tech guys pointed to the first of my two hard drives since the C: partition housing win XP Pro would be receiving the downloaded video.  I ran tests on the system partition WD drive (and my other WD drive also) with WD diagnostic software and could find no problem.  I had an extra SATA drive around (Maxtor) so I replaced the C: partition drive anyway.  The problem remained.  By the way, I was getting a quirky system log error, also.  

I flashed the BIOS on my ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition motherboard and the quirky system log error quit, but the BSOD remained when using Netflix instant download service and showed up a time or two when downloading  you tube videos.  I contacted the vendor to point out that, although the warranty had just expired, the problem had begun while the PC was under warranty.  A tech support person was very helpful first suggesting I check the memory.  I did this thoroughly.  I wont bore you with the details but my four 1-Gb sticks of Corsair memory are OK.  The tech guy next suggested I reinstall XP.  I didnt want to do that as I knew it would take days to rebuild my system from scratch.  At his suggestion, I did repair the system from a win XP DVD.  It did not fix the problem, and ruined many settings in my system, so I recovered the C: partition from a backup to its original state.  

I forgot to say that the message MS offered when I sent the error reports after the BSOD events is that a driver (unidentified) had caused the problem.  Early on in this sequence of events, I updated the video driver (eVGA) to no avail.

I tried to ignore the problem by not downloading from Netflix, but occasionally I was getting an unsolicited reboot in addition to the BSOD problem.

Next I convinced myself my eVGA video card was at fault, bought an upgrade (xfxforce 8600 GT ) for over $100, and installed it.  NO help.  I now suspected the motherboard, but dreaded replacing it.  I decided to reinstall XP and did that.  (I still havent completely rebuilt the system to exactly where it was in terms of installed software-what a bunch of work.)  The BSOD lived on and I have experienced one unexplained reboot since the reinstall.  After that unexplained reboot, the error message file/dump I sent to MS was reported to me (by MS) as corrupted.  The response tagged this as highly unusual, indicating a serious problem with the PC.  (Probably a good joke should go here.)

At this time, I was ready to install a mobo.  I emailed the PC boutique, specifically addressed to the very helpful tech guy from a month or so earlier, and my emails have not been returned.  After an update of the recent events, I simply asked for a replacement mobo.  Really, I was at least hoping for some advice.
My next step is to choose a replacement mobo (the exact one is discontinued at Newegg, e.g.), buy it, and install it.  Before I do this, I thought to ask for an opinion from you experts.  I realize it could also be the AMD processor, but I favor the mobo as the culprit.

By the way, the system is quite stable (minus the occasional spontaneous reboot) other than when downloading the video.  The PC is in an air-conditioned room that is no warmer than any typical study with electronic stuff in an A/Ced home.  In fact I run a ceiling fan and a table fan to try to offset the heat generated from the PC and stereo equipment.  I dont have any temp info on the processor (that I know of).  The heat sink that is actually part of the zalman cooler is warm to the touch, but I assume this is typical at operating temps for the roughly 3-GH processor.

I would really appreciate advice/opinion on:

1. Do you agree with my next move  the mobo purchase?

2. Should my vendor pay for it, or was I wrong to ask this?

3. If you said yes to #1, do you have a suggestion for a replacement for my mobo?  I dont want to wait too long as it could become difficult to find a compatible board.  My AMD uses the socket AM2.  I have already replaced a bad Abit board in another PC a while back, so I am losing confidence in both Abit and ASUS.

Thanks for your help,
richarwi

Answer : Problem: How to find what is causing system crash while downloading video

1.- I know you tested your memory but if you have another PC you should try switching the RAM modules just to make sure. If this is not causing the error the most likely cause would be the mobo.

2.- if the problem is the Mobo I would suggest to ask you vendor to replace it.

3.- ASUS is a great choice, however I've had great experiences with MSI and Gigabyte mobos.


Good luck!