Constant Crashing/Freezing

[Guest]

Hi,

My daughter's computer crashes and freezes several times a day, whether it's
in use or sitting idle. What can be done to fix this? Are there any
diagnostic programs that can diagnose or pinpoint the problem? She has
Windows XP Home Edition, Compac Presario. If you need any additional info,
please let me know.

Hart

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Perform the following maintenance:

New! Windows Live Safety Center! (beta)
http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/?­id=827315

Download Ad-aware SE and scan your PC for the presence of sp­yware:
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=RRJXPKXYSHMSPCSIZME

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

Here's what you can do to enhance the security on your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxpsp2/Default.mspx

Antivirus software: Frequently asked questions
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/antivirus.mspx

4 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Performance
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getstarted/speed.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi,
|
| My daughter's computer crashes and freezes several times a day, whether it's
| in use or sitting idle. What can be done to fix this? Are there any
| diagnostic programs that can diagnose or pinpoint the problem? She has
| Windows XP Home Edition, Compac Presario. If you need any additional info,
| please let me know.
|
| Hart

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Please check Event Viewer for Warning / Error Reports in the System and
Application logs for the last day and post copies.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Administrative Tools, and
Event Viewer. When researching the meaning of the error, information
regarding Event ID, Source and Description are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308427&sd=tech

Part of the Description of the error will include a link, which you should
double click for further information. You can copy using copy and paste.
Often the link will, however, say there is no further information.
http://go.microsoft.com/fw.link/events.asp
(Please note the hyperlink above is for illustration purposes only)

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double click
on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a button
resembling two pages. Double click the button and close Event Viewer. Now
start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of the message. This
will paste the info from the Event Viewer Error Report complete with links
into the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from Event
Viewer.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

there are several soloution to your problem let us start step by step:
step 1 : well the first thing u need to do is to put your computer in a mode
called "safe mode"you can get to that by restarting your machine and holding
the f8 key,a menu will apper, you will need to chose "safe mode" from the
menu -this action will disable all drivers on your machine.
step 2 : go to device driver right click on my computer icon choose "manage"
a menu will apper on the left hand side choose "device manager",here we need
to cheack if you have any question marks,or any minues on the menu (right
hand side)
if you see any changes in that menu you will need to contact your computer
vendor
step 3 : go to add\remove programs and remove all the software that you do
not need/use/di'dnt know that is there/(start-control panel-add\remove
programes-)
step 4: run your anti-virus and spyware programes (microsoft antispyware is
recommended)see if they track anything.

 

[Guest]

Hi Carey,

Thank you for the links you provided. The Self Support Center is filled
with helpful information. I've saved the url to my favorites and I'll
probably be using it often. I've run two of the programs that were found at
one of the links and no viruses have been found, which I'm happy to know.

Hart

 

[Guest]

Hi Gerry, Thanks for you reply.

When I attempted to open Event Viewer, I got no further than the Start
button. There is no link for Administrative Tools. When I went to the URL
that you posted, it said Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance.
There is also no Performance and Maintenance icon in Control Panel.

Hart

 

[Guest]

Hi Jacob, I appreciate your reply.

I went into Device Manager as you suggested. The only item that has a minus
next to it is under Network Adapters. The SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
has a red x on it. My daughter used to have a different isp so that may
account for that. Another adapter under Network Adapters, Netgear FA311 Fast
Ethernet Adapter, does not have a red x or question mark.

Hart

 

[Guest]

Hi Carey,

As I said in my previous post, I visited the urls that you provided. I
downloaded and installed Windows OneCare. I thought it was an excellent tool
so I also installed it in my computer. Since installation though, my
computer runs slugishly. Is this an expected result? When I open Windows
Task Manager, it isn't a program that is running, unless Task Manager doesn't
list programs that run in the background. There is no "exit" option when I
right click on the icon in my system tray.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?

Hart

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Try Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

Hi Gerry,

There is no Administrative Tools in Control Panel on my pc or my daughter's.

Hart

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Hart

Administrative Tools Folder Does Not Appear on the Start Menu
After You Install a New Program
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291732/en-us

If you still cannot find it please advise your specific version of
Windows XP. As far as I am am aware it is in all versions.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~