System malfunctions

[Dick Holmes]

I have been plagued recently with my computer screen
going blank and "Operating System Not Found" messages
coming up. Sometimes I can start it with the CD, other
times it seems to fix itself. I have run the disk check
that appears when Windows shuts down without going thru
the "Quit" program, and it shows no hard drive problems.
One time when starting with the CD, I was asked if I
would like to check for problems and repair them if
possible. I did this,XP started, and 15 minutes later
the "Operating Ststem--" message once again appeared.
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[MGGP]

It would be helpful to know how old the system is, what
CPU, what hard drive, is it updated with the Windows
service packs, do you run anti-virus and anti-spyware
programs, etc.

It sounds like either the hard drive is going bad or you
have a pest of some type. I would backup important data
on removable media (CD, flash drive, etc.), check for
spyware, remove programs that auto-start (except anti-
virus and anti-spyware).

If you have a spare hard drive, clone the current drive to
the spare and see if the problem persists, using the spare
instead of the primary. That'll tell you if you have a
hard drive problem.

Good Luck !