Astro_Boy12345 said:
Well basically, the computer runs fine for a while ( the time that i
runs fine for changes all the time.) then at some unprescribed moment,
the program that is running just crashes. Usually it comes up with the
message - 'Program' as encountered a problem and needs to shut down'
and then I have to shut it down. This happens constantly- and seems to
get worse and occur more frequently the longer that the computer
remains on. I just dont know what the hell im supposed to do. Any
ideas? any way to fix this - or even find out what the problem is. It
seems to effect all programs indiscrimantly....
From your description of the problem it sounds like you are having
hardware failures. Here are general hardware troubleshooting steps. I
would first look to overheating and RAM.
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 extended period of time - 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. Usually
you will download the file and make a bootable floppy 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
