System crashing when swap hits 25%

[Todd Denniston]

Simon Slater wrote, On 03/16/2008 06:38 PM:
> 	Here's an update.  From this point I loaded some web sites with Flash &
> Java and things really started to slow down and KDE alone began to crash
> repeatedly.  I supposed a PII can only take so much so began closing the
> PDFs and OO stuff.  When the swap got down to below 100000 the system
> hung again.
> 
> 	So I started thinking perhaps it was the Java or Flash.  I used the
> Live Timing from www.formula1.com during the practice and qualifying
> sessions on Friday & Saturday for the Melbourne Grand Prix to test the
> idea.  The system would hang, but not in what I could find to be a
> repeatable pattern.  While watching the race on Sunday I was printing
> form letters and had the live timing up.  Every time my wife started the
> vacuum cleaner the system hung!
> 
> 	I'll check the power supply voltages over Easter, since this looks most
> likely. I won't have time till then, need to do an engine change in our
> van before Easter.  We have had a week of 40+ degree days (Celsius) so
> maybe the town supply has been stretched too.
> 
> 	Sorry if I led everyone on a wild goose chase.  Did learn some more
> though and have more to do homework on. Thanks again.
> 

If you have some money left over from the engine change, then it is probably 
time to look into a power conditioning Uninterruptible Power Supply, even a 
cheap one.

It's either that, or one of three other choices:
1) hide the wife's vac. 8()
2) when she finds it, help her do the cleaning fast and then go back to the 
computer. :)
3) get the vacuuming done ahead of time, and ask her to leave the vac, blender 
and microwave in the closet. :}

Of course you may still have other problems with the system, like the power 
supply not doing the power clean up it should be doing, or the hard drive may 
still have a bad bit or two. :(

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter