Need help from smart computer person

[LinusKS]

I bought a new laptop back in Dec - an Acer Travelmate. I'm very happy with it except for one small thing -

The Blue Screen of Death.

This screen pops up randomly, but most frequently when I'm multitabling with GT+ and PT (naturally, the absolute worst time for it to happen).

I've contacted Acer twice about it. The first time they had me run some kind of config utility, which took forever and seemingly accomplished nothing. The rep then sent me a new HD.

The new HD is nice (it's a little bigger than my old one), but didn't do anything about the BSOD problem.

The second time I contacted them, they told me to send it in for repairs. I reformatted the HD (again) since I'd added all kinds of account and password info by then and sent it in.

I got it back a few days later saying they couldn't find any problems.

Note: the BSOD occurs most frequently when I'm multitabling with GT+ and PT, but happens (less often) when I'm not using any of those programs.

After a GT+/PT crash, Windows tells me (on restart) that it's found problems with my file system.

Specifically, it says there's problems (something to do with file sizes) in certain temp directory files.

These files are located in Documents and Settings/Local folders/Temp files and they always start with the file name "JET".

I have no idea what these files are. There's tons of them in the Temp folder, and they range in size from 0 KB up to several MBs.

They seem to be created when I'm multitabling, I can't open them, and Windows seems to have no idea what they are.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, I will be enormously impressed with your tech savvy, and I'll consider transferring money (via PP or PS) if you can tell me what I need to do to make this problem go away.

Thanks,
LinusKS.

[Pinga]

These files are from the Jet database driver. PT/GT would use this. Since they would be open and active when the system crashes, it makes sense they would be corrupted.

Why is it crashing? It may be a bug in PT, GT or Windows. Run windows update until all updates are installed. Make sure you have latest version of PT/GT, check their sites for similar stories.

If it still happens, you may trying to push your system past its limits.

Does it crash if you run fewer tables? Try slowing down PT's import speed or not doing the 'observed hands', just the history files.

More memory may make the system run better if it is performance bound.

BTW, the first thing to mention when asking a computer question is the OS you are running. GT/PT does not work on Win98. I assume you have something newer as you said you just purchased it.

Best,
Pinga

[LinusKS]

Thanks for your response, Pinga.

I'm using XP Pro.

It sounds like the corrupted files are the result of the crashes, rather than the cause, right?

I've already updated Windows, and I'm running the latest versions of GT+ (Ver 1.3) and PT.

I'll be very disappointed if this computer can't handle multitabling. Like I said, it's pretty new, and I paid a good amount for it.

It's a TravelMate 8000 (if that means anything to you) with a Pentium M 1.6 chip. (The Pentium M is very nice, btw, since it runs very cool and quiet, and gives me a nice long battery life combined with a big, high-res screen and low weight). It came with 512 RAM.

In any case, my old computer, which is a piece of crap compared to this one, never crashes running GT+/PT while multitabling. Although it does run very slow when I try to surf at the same time.

Thanks again.

[ QUOTE ]
These files are from the Jet database driver. PT/GT would use this. Since they would be open and active when the system crashes, it makes sense they would be corrupted.

Why is it crashing? It may be a bug in PT, GT or Windows. Run windows update until all updates are installed. Make sure you have latest version of PT/GT, check their sites for similar stories.

If it still happens, you may trying to push your system past its limits.

Does it crash if you run fewer tables? Try slowing down PT's import speed or not doing the 'observed hands', just the history files.

More memory may make the system run better if it is performance bound.

BTW, the first thing to mention when asking a computer question is the OS you are running. GT/PT does not work on Win98. I assume you have something newer as you said you just purchased it.

Best,
Pinga

[/ QUOTE ]

[LinusKS]

Again.

I caught "BAD_POOL_HEADER" before the BSOD disappeared (whatever that means).

I swear, I'm beginning to think I need to buy some of that super-insurance they're always trying to sell, and throw the damn thing in the pool myself.

[Pinga]

LinkSys wireless by chance?

http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/BAD_POOL_HEADER.html

Google BAD_POOL_HEADER there's a lot of info out there.

[flafishy]

Look into that Linksys suggestion. It could be the problem and ultimately unrelated to any of your poker stuff.

But I also will suggest to check your video driver, as that was my first reaction before I read the Bad Pool post. Many times, it helps if you go directly to the Web site of the manufacturer of the video chip and download the most recent driver from there. Many times, driver through Windows update or even the one on the laptop manufacturer's Web site is not the most recent.