Can't fix random freeze/lockup problems

[phdarch]

Hello all. I have cross posted this to the WinXP forum so sorry fo
the duplication. I am having problems with random freezes on my (
year old) WinXP machine with P4-1.6. It will just suddenly hang, n
blue screen, no error message, and will not respond to the mouse
keyboard, control-alt-delete, nothing, and I have to hard reboot. I
has gotten very frequent lately and there is no pattern to what I'
doing at the time (sometimes when idle, sometimes when moving th
mouse etc.). It seemed like it might have begun after I installe
Roxio Creator 8 although I'm not sure about that, but I hav
uninstalled it and the problem persists. It is possible that Outloo
'02 is always open when it happens, but I'm not sure about tha
either. I have tried to run Outlook Detect and Repair, but for som
reason every time I try to run it, it appears to install but refuse
to run (just "reinstalls" again). Occasionally there ar
some display oddities (small areas of pixels go weird) so I though
it might be the display driver but I have updated that. I have don
practically everything on this excellent site
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/DiagnoseXP.htm
including scanning for spyware and viruses, defragging, memory test
updating all drivers etc. but nothing has helped. Any suggestion
(including how to get Detect and Repair running) would be greatl
appreciated. The computer is too old to justify taking it in fo
service, but I don't want to throw it away either as it takes s
frickin long to set up a new one. Thanks

 

[Bob M]

Hello all. I have cross posted this to the WinXP forum so sorry for
the duplication. I am having problems with random freezes on my (4
year old) WinXP machine with P4-1.6. It will just suddenly hang, no
blue screen, no error message, and will not respond to the mouse,
keyboard, control-alt-delete, nothing, and I have to hard reboot. It
has gotten very frequent lately and there is no pattern to what I'm
doing at the time (sometimes when idle, sometimes when moving the
mouse etc.). It seemed like it might have begun after I installed
Roxio Creator 8 although I'm not sure about that, but I have
uninstalled it and the problem persists. It is possible that Outlook
'02 is always open when it happens, but I'm not sure about that
either. I have tried to run Outlook Detect and Repair, but for some
reason every time I try to run it, it appears to install but refuses
to run (just "reinstalls" again). Occasionally there are
some display oddities (small areas of pixels go weird) so I thought
it might be the display driver but I have updated that. I have done
practically everything on this excellent site:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/DiagnoseXP.html
including scanning for spyware and viruses, defragging, memory test,
updating all drivers etc. but nothing has helped. Any suggestions
(including how to get Detect and Repair running) would be greatly
appreciated. The computer is too old to justify taking it in for
service, but I don't want to throw it away either as it takes so
frickin long to set up a new one. Thanks.

Sounds like a heat problem to me. When was the last time you opened
the case up and cleaned out all of the dust. Check the fans and make
sure they are all clean and running well too.

Bob

 

[JAD]

Hello all. I have cross posted this to the WinXP forum so sorry for
the duplication. I am having problems with random freezes on my (4
year old) WinXP machine with P4-1.6. It will just suddenly hang, no
blue screen, no error message, and will not respond to the mouse,
keyboard, control-alt-delete, nothing, and I have to hard reboot. It
has gotten very frequent lately and there is no pattern to what I'm
doing at the time (sometimes when idle, sometimes when moving the
mouse etc.). It seemed like it might have begun after I installed
Roxio Creator 8 although I'm not sure about that, but I have
uninstalled it and the problem persists. It is possible that Outlook
'02 is always open when it happens, but I'm not sure about that
either. I have tried to run Outlook Detect and Repair, but for some
reason every time I try to run it, it appears to install but refuses
to run (just "reinstalls" again). Occasionally there are
some display oddities (small areas of pixels go weird) so I thought
it might be the display driver but I have updated that. I have done
practically everything on this excellent site:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/DiagnoseXP.html
including scanning for spyware and viruses, defragging, memory test,
updating all drivers etc. but nothing has helped. Any suggestions
(including how to get Detect and Repair running) would be greatly
appreciated. The computer is too old to justify taking it in for
service, but I don't want to throw it away either as it takes so
frickin long to set up a new one. Thanks.

first guess PSU

try running in safe mode to see if it locks up there or even DOS

 

[phdarch]

Just thinking aloud...Maybe it started when I installed that new har
drive and the power supply is now overloaded. I don't know how muc
I have--is there any way to check? How much should I have?
Peripherals include the usual

2 HD's (one just added
CD-R
CDRO
Flopp
Network card (to DSL
SD drive (USB
Pocket PC connector (USB
Battery backup (USB
Speakers (powered
15" flat panel monito

Thanks again guys

 

[phdarch]

Thanks everybody, I'll try. I did sort of clean out the case a little
while ago when I added a new internal HD, but I wasn't really
focusing on that, I just got rid of the most obvious dust. It would
be difficult to know for sure if safe mode was OK, because you never
know when it's going to happen.

 

[phdarch]

OK, I cleaned out the fan next to the heat sink last night. It wa
almost completely blocked, so I thought maybe that was it. Then
ran the Prime95 stress test overnight with no problems, so I thought
maybe it's really fixed. Well, no luck...just had another lockup.
noticed that when it was locked up, the CDROM would open and clos
and spin, but the CD-RW would not, which kind of makes me think agai
that it was that install of Roxio Creator 8 which is causing th
problem. Any new ideas anybody? Thanks again for your help, it i
much appreciated...I am learning more about my computer at least :

 

[JAD]

nero loaded also with IN CD installed?

 

[phdarch]

No Nero, never have had it. Since uninstalling Creator 8, the onl
burning software I have (or need, I guess) is Win Media Player an
Sonic DLA