First, be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and
run a virus scan.
Second, download, install and run Ad Aware:
www.lavasoftusa.com
Note: you should always be well backed up before running an application
of this type.
If your system is clear of viruses, open Control Panel, open System, go
to the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, remove
the check from "Automatically Restart" under System Failure. This will
cause the system to blue screen instead of restarting on errors and the
information on the blue screen may give a clue as to the source of the
issue.
Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look
for errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the
information contained within may give a clue as to the
source of the problem.
Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in the
drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System
Compatibility," the report it generates may point to problem hardware
or software on your system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can
download this application known as the Upgrade Advisor from the
following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.
Check for the latest drivers for your hardware, especially your graphics
card and soundcard and all peripherals connected to your system. Do
not use Windows Update for this, go to the device manufacturer's web
sites and if you install updated drivers, ignore the message about
drivers being unsigned by Microsoft.
