User's PC is unstable
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@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
@wrx7m said in User's PC is unstable:
Had an issue with Excel that I posted about here. Large portions of sheets were just greyed out and wouldn't re-paginate. Re-imaged the laptop twice. Once with a newer version of Windows 10. Updated drivers and BIOS. New RAM. Nothing ever fixed it. Replaced the laptop with another identical model/spec 2 weeks ago and it seems to have resolved it. Also had to get the mobo replaced on that older one, due to constant blue screens and fan malfunction errors. Maybe it won't have that problem now? Who knows.
yeah - sounds like my situation for sure - only I have replaced the computer at least 3 times already, and yet... the problems keep coming.
I'm wondering if @dafyre idea about power could be the issue?
There is a condenser for the IT AC unit right outside her office. I'm sure the power runs through the wall near where her computer sits. I moved the computer away from the outside wall a few years ago, requiring installing longer cables for monitors, keyboards, etc. Yet the problems continue, granted The computer only moved maybe 4 feet from that wall.
I could maybe get her computer 6 feet away if I completely reconfigure her desk, though I'm sure she won't like that, or likely allow it.
No wifi? At least to test?
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@wrx7m said in User's PC is unstable:
@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
@wrx7m said in User's PC is unstable:
Had an issue with Excel that I posted about here. Large portions of sheets were just greyed out and wouldn't re-paginate. Re-imaged the laptop twice. Once with a newer version of Windows 10. Updated drivers and BIOS. New RAM. Nothing ever fixed it. Replaced the laptop with another identical model/spec 2 weeks ago and it seems to have resolved it. Also had to get the mobo replaced on that older one, due to constant blue screens and fan malfunction errors. Maybe it won't have that problem now? Who knows.
yeah - sounds like my situation for sure - only I have replaced the computer at least 3 times already, and yet... the problems keep coming.
I'm wondering if @dafyre idea about power could be the issue?
There is a condenser for the IT AC unit right outside her office. I'm sure the power runs through the wall near where her computer sits. I moved the computer away from the outside wall a few years ago, requiring installing longer cables for monitors, keyboards, etc. Yet the problems continue, granted The computer only moved maybe 4 feet from that wall.
I could maybe get her computer 6 feet away if I completely reconfigure her desk, though I'm sure she won't like that, or likely allow it.
No wifi? At least to test?
LOL - actually, I bought a USB WiFi adapter for it to get it off the wired LAN in case that was the cause (again no change).
But for your mentioned test - that would only be doable if I was placing the whole computer in another room. I mean I suppose I could buy 20 ft long monitor cables and USB cables to put the computer as far away from the outside wall, yet leave the monitors where they are...
I will inquire about completely re-arranging her office and where she currently sits as a test to see if things are better..
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@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
There is a condenser for the IT AC unit right outside her office. I'm sure the power runs through the wall near where her computer sits. I moved the computer away from the outside wall a few years ago, requiring installing longer cables for monitors, keyboards, etc. Yet the problems continue, granted The computer only moved maybe 4 feet from that wall.
I could maybe get her computer 6 feet away if I completely reconfigure her desk, though I'm sure she won't like that, or likely allow it.This is a troubleshooting tip, but I don't think it is your problem. Make sure you are not on the same circuit as the AC unit, if you are worried about EMF, go to the hardware and a 36"x36" piece of sheet metal and place it beside the PC on the AC unit side, as a shield.
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@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
This time she's telling me that she feels the issue is 90%+ around Excel.
Do other users EVER access the SAME Excel documents?
If other people open the same file, do they have issues?
When you gave her a new machine, did she get a new user profile too?
Do you use Folder Redirection or Roaming Profiles?I have seen this many times. ALWAYS in Law Firms and sometimes in churches. It is usually MS WORD in Law Firms, and Publisher in Churches.
If happens when someone edits and saves as, repeatedly, forever. They created a document several years ago and saved it. Then they opened it, made changes, and saved it under a new name. then they open the new document, edit it, save it under a new name, and repeat this over and over.
It happens in law firms with trusts and wills, and it happens in churches with weekly bulletins, funeral programs, etc. Often these edit/Save as/ Repeat cycles will also span MS Office upgrades, so you then add those nuances into the mix.
In all cases, making them stop using the document over and over and creating a new one from scratch will fix the problem.
The issue is that MS Office apps keep all the revision history in the document, so it doesn't take long (especially if the document spans new versions) before the document is so cluttered with trash, that it causes all these flake issues.
I hope this is your issue, because it is easy to fix. Good luck!
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Common factors are: user and Excel.
Assuming other users use Excel for the same spreadsheets without issues, common factor is just the user.
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@wirestyle22 said in User's PC is unstable:
@dafyre said in User's PC is unstable:
It sounds like something in that particular office. How old is the building?
I've seen issues where you could plug up a UPS on one side of the room and the computer would spit and sputter and have all kinds of issues. Yet, when I ran an extension cord across the room to a different outlet, it was happy as a flea in a dog park.
Yeah but it's this specific user and he already installed a UPS for her
Yes, even over a UPS. If the voltage in the wall varies widely (but not widely enough for the UPS to activate), it can cause problems.
@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
@dafyre said in User's PC is unstable:
It sounds like something in that particular office. How old is the building?
Frankly - I think her office is haunted
The building is about 30 years old.That is a possibility. Especially if the building is in an area that's had anything major happen (folks dying in floods, etc, etc). However, it's more likely that the wiring in the building is also 30 years old and causing voltage fluctuations (see my response about that above).
I've seen issues where you could plug up a UPS on one side of the room and the computer would spit and sputter and have all kinds of issues. Yet, when I ran an extension cord across the room to a different outlet, it was happy as a flea in a dog park.
really? even over a UPS - OK I'm assuming a non active UPS then...?
Yes. I'm not talking about a $1,000 UPS though. We're talking about the $150 Walmart special designed to keep your computer alive for a 3 minute blackout.
Even the cheap UPSes these days have some kind of line filter on them that help deal with the voltage swings, but if it's swinging widely within a certain range, but not so far as to cause the battery to engage, that will definitely cause problems.
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@scottalanmiller said in User's PC is unstable:
Common factors are: user and Excel.
Assuming other users use Excel for the same spreadsheets without issues, common factor is just the user.
I blame Microsoft, and then the User... not always in that order.
I have seen ONE (and only ONE) case where we had to give the user a wrist strap that was grounded to their desk to keep their computer working right. (This was back in the late 90's / early 2000's.). I've never seen anything like it before or since.
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Blaming the user wont get @Dashrender anywhere. It's his boss. What I would do is set his boss up with a Mandatory roaming profile as a test. If she doesn't have any issues then it's her. it's an unarguable fact at that point.
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@wirestyle22 said in User's PC is unstable:
Blaming the user wont get @Dashrender anywhere. It's his boss. What I would do is set his boss up with a Mandatory roaming profile as a test. If she doesn't have any issues then it's her. it's an unarguable fact at that point.
Always blame the user... even if they won't accept responsibility for it.
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@Dashrender -- Is this building a doctor's office / hospital?
Edit: Fixed Typo
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@scottalanmiller said in User's PC is unstable:
Common factors are: user and Excel.
Assuming other users use Excel for the same spreadsheets without issues, common factor is just the user.
no, the Excel sheets are unique to her. Sadly.
I'd love to blame the user, but I just don't see her doing anything unusual. In fact, from a general perspective, she's one of the least likely people to be doing weird/bad things on her computer.
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@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
@scottalanmiller said in User's PC is unstable:
Common factors are: user and Excel.
Assuming other users use Excel for the same spreadsheets without issues, common factor is just the user.
no, the Excel sheets are unique to her. Sadly.
I'd love to blame the user, but I just don't see her doing anything unusual. In fact, from a general perspective, she's one of the least likely people to be doing weird/bad things on her computer.
I'd still test it with a Mandatory roaming profile
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Maybe this has been asked before but are you on 32 bit excel and have you tried 64 bit? I know you said they were small files but I have had problems with the 32 bit version not being able to handle some spreadsheets.
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Anytime I see "quirky" things like this I lean towards power and of all things RFI. Get a quality (not A Piece of Crap) online, or at minimum a line interactive UPS. Tripp-Lite Omni series used to be my go to for these issues. Ferrite wrap your cords in case there's any RFI possibly getting in (especially the Ethernet cable) from the AC unit.
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Have you tried using Libre or Open Office? Yes, I realize it's not the same.. and yada yada... but meh - why not try.
What about if she is wireless? Does anyone else have issues with the spreadsheet?
What about on Ubuntu rather than WIn10?
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It's been years ago, but the last time I dealt with excel issues. It was because of the Intel storage controller.
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@black3dynamite said in User's PC is unstable:
It's been years ago, but the last time I dealt with excel issues. It was because of the Intel storage controller.
I hadn't heard that before. I'll have to keep that in mind.
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@Dashrender said in User's PC is unstable:
Spinrite wouldn't report any issues
Sooooo that hasn't been updated in over 10 years. Also, who the hell is using magnetic drives for boot/applications?!?!
I'd expect office to pause/stutter, that's known behavior for running it from magnetic media.
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@wrx7m said in User's PC is unstable:
There is a condenser for the IT AC unit right outside her office. I'm sure the power runs through the wall near where her computer sits. I moved the computer away from the outside wall a few years ago, requiring installing longer cables for monitors, keyboards, etc. Yet the problems continue, granted The computer only moved maybe 4 feet from that wall.
Move her to a streaming instance for excel (RemoteApp, Citrix, Horizon, 365 streaming app). see if it blows up when running on a server.
