Pinto1uk said:
Hi, i have windows xp running on my computer. Since last week, the
computer keeps freezing up. i cannot move the mouse or the keyboard.
the only thing i can do restart the computer. I have no recently
installed programs.
I have run spyware, adware, anti virus, chkdsk / r - but the problem
keeps happening.
could it be anything to do with my wireless laptop, as i did receive
it last week. and i do share files and print from it?
but i dont see how this could be the problem, as i also had a wireless
laptop 2 months ago with no problems.
regards and thanks in advance.
That really isn't quite enough information to get focused
troubleshooting. If you are sure the computer is virus/malware free,
then perhaps you have a hardware problem. BTW, it doesn't have anything
to do with your laptop. You should also check in Event Viewer to see if
there are any clues.
Start>Run>eventvwr.msc [enter]
Here are some general hardware troubleshooting steps:
1) Open the computer and run it open, cleaning out all dust bunnies and
observing all fans (overheating will cause system freezing). Obviously
you can't do this with a laptop, but you can hear if the fan is running
and feel if the laptop is getting too hot.
2) Test the RAM - I like Memtest86+ from
www.memtest.org. Obviously, you
have to get the program from a working machine. You will either
download the precompiled Windows binary to make a bootable floppy or
the .iso to make a bootable cd. If you want to use the latter, you'll
need to have third-party burning software on the machine where you
download the file - XP's built-in burning capability won't do the job.
In either case, boot with the media you made. The test will run
immediately. Let the test run for an hour or two - unless errors are
seen immediately. If you get any errors, replace the RAM.
3) Test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr. Download
the file and make a bootable floppy or cd with it. Boot with the media
and do a thorough test. If the drive has physical errors, replace it.
4) The power supply may be going bad or be inadequate for the devices
you have in the system. The adequacy issue doesn't really apply to a
laptop, although of course the power supply can be faulty.
5) Test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Sometimes this is useful, and sometimes it isn't.
Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out suspected parts
with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing yourself and/or are
uncomfortable opening your computer, take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop (not your local equivalent of BigStoreUSA).
Malke
