OK Win 7 gurus

[flipper35]

I have a Windows 7 x64 computer at home that refuses to stay connected when under a load on the network. It happens with the built in NIC and a PCI NIC.

For example, downloading a game from Steam or copying files over the network it will crap out after about 15 minutes. Reboot and it is fine again until it is under a load for about 15 minutes.

I did try this:

netsh interface tcp set global rss=disabled
netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
netsh int ip set global taskoffload=disabled

3. Disable SNP in Windows 7 by setting Registry as following:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters]
EnableTCPChimney=dword:00000000
EnableTCPA=dword:00000000
EnableRSS=dword:00000000

Any other ideas? With it happening on two separate NICs I can't see it as a hardware issue.

[nota]

load = heat

have you cleaned the fans / heatsinks / filters if any ect

[flipper35]

Sure have. This is a pretty decent case and it is clean. The front filter is clean. It has a 140mm fan in the front to cool the hard drives, but downloading a game they don't get warm. It has been this since it was built a year ago. It usually isn't a big deal. LAN parties it works all day long, just under a heavier load is when it croaks. She can watch movies such as the training videos from Sporty's Pilot Shop.

[stomachmonkey]

Copying files over the network implies you have multiple PC's in the house.

Connect them directly via ethernet, if they are both new enough you may not need a cross over cable, copy files and see if it craps out.

Eliminate the physical network, cabling, router, etc... as a source.

[madmmac]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Copying files over the network implies you have multiple PC's in the house.

Connect them directly via ethernet, if they are both new enough you may not need a cross over cable, copy files and see if it craps out.

Eliminate the physical network, cabling, router, etc... as a source.

This^^^^^^^

[stomachmonkey]

EDIT:

Have you tried installing STEAM on the other PC?

Same problem?

[Aragorn]

Seems like the same type of problem here: Streaming Video and downloads freezes Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums

that was a driver issue.

[flipper35]

I bought the same bundle for both kids and myself (Race 07 megabundle $7.99) so we can all race each other. It downloaded and installed properly on the other two systems. It isn't just Steam, it is anytime there is high traffic for a long time. I have tried it with a different cable, but not a direct connection. The computer I am transferring to and from are on the same switch.

I would think it has to be in the software as two separate NICs exhibit the same problem, but I could be wrong.

When we do multiplayer games we can play for hours and it won't crap out and we play different games so the transfer rate is different during multiplayer.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Seems like the same type of problem here: Streaming Video and downloads freezes Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums

that was a driver issue.

That could be the issue. It had the latest drivers for both NICs at the time Win 7 was installed but haven't checked recently. Two different chipsets though with different drivers. i will double check the drivers when I get home.

I know the one NIC worked without issue on an XP system a while ago.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by flipper35

I bought the same bundle for both kids and myself (Race 07 megabundle $7.99) so we can all race each other. It downloaded and installed properly on the other two systems. It isn't just Steam, it is anytime there is high traffic for a long time. I have tried it with a different cable, but not a direct connection. The computer I am transferring to and from are on the same switch.

I would think it has to be in the software as two separate NICs exhibit the same problem, but I could be wrong.

When we do multiplayer games we can play for hours and it won't crap out and we play different games so the transfer rate is different during multiplayer.

When you are playing multiplayer games you are not pushing anywhere remotely close to the same amount of data as a direct download.

Everyone plays a copy of their game locally and the sync involves little more than updates to the host.

Typically multiplayer games run over UDP, not TCP, so you can have a problem with one protocol and not the other.

UDP does not have the error correction, less important for multiplayer gaming, that TCP does, critical for ensuring uncorrupted transfers.

Could be as simple adjusting tickle to keep alive for TCP.

[flipper35]

Some that we play use TCP. I know it is a data rate issue, that's why i brought up light use all day doesn't break it.

The combat flight sims are bandwidth hogs, relatively speaking, compared to some of the others like a RTS. About 1Kbps is the highest we have seen, so pretty lightweight and those sessions are shorter unless it is a big furball.

Steam was averaging about 1.4Mbps which is nothing compared to a full gig Ethernet but both crap out about the same time, so I am guessing there is a threshold somewhere.

I will try the suggestions tonight. She has about 1.5GB left on the bundle so there is plenty to test with.

[flipper35]

Well, I didn't get to test much. She turned the computer on and logged onto steam when she got home from school so it could download and be ready. She isn't allowed to play games until after supper but wanted it to be ready. She said it crashed once but it had almost everything downloaded so she didn't restart. There was an update to a game though so there was a bit of data. I turned the power management on the NIC off and the flow control was disabled and I enabled it. Not much else to change on that one. It did have the latest driver.

It downloaded the rest and the update for another game fine but it finished in about the time it takes to crash, so who knows. I might transfer a large file over the network and see if it is fixed. Didn't have much more time last night.

Thanks for all the ideas.

[John Rogers]

One of my students said he had this issue and deleted all programs that started their name with "Creative" such as "Creative Audigy" and the problem went away? He also had his "C" drive getting filled up with ached files and he installed another drive just for games and their files and the issues went away. I have used the following Microsoft website to help troubleshoot issues in the past: Diagnostics - Windows app development

[flipper35]

She has a separate drive for her games and such already and hers uses the on board sound. My wife's computer has an Audigy and it works great.

Actually, all our computers for games have a boot drive and app drive.

I will take a look at that website.