XP freeze under load

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Guest

XP Home, P4 2.4, 512M RAM, 80G HD. When my computer is running a number of programs, opening a new window or running another program will cause it to slow to a crawl. It isn't entirely stopped, but it might as well be. Sometimes I can eventually close a window, and sometimes I regain control. Other times I may get a 'memory unable to be read' error. Usually I have no choice but to reboot. The trigger can be as simple as a website popping up a window.

It's not faulty memory as I just tried a brand new stick. I'm unable to determine a pattern except that approximately the same load will cause the problem, and it will always happen. Outlook and 3 IE windows is enough to cause the problem. Apart from this, all aspects of the computer work perfectly.

Any thoughts or useful suggestions appreciated.
 
Wayne Mc said:
XP Home, P4 2.4, 512M RAM, 80G HD. When my computer is running a
number of programs, opening a new window or running another program
will cause it to slow to a crawl. It isn't entirely stopped, but it
might as well be. Sometimes I can eventually close a window, and
sometimes I regain control. Other times I may get a 'memory unable
to be read' error. Usually I have no choice but to reboot. The
trigger can be as simple as a website popping up a window.

It's not faulty memory as I just tried a brand new stick. I'm unable
to determine a pattern except that approximately the same load will
cause the problem, and it will always happen. Outlook and 3 IE
windows is enough to cause the problem. Apart from this, all aspects
of the computer work perfectly.

Any thoughts or useful suggestions appreciated.
Click to expand...

Unlike AMDs that will self-destruct and maybe burn the surrounding
motherboard, Pentiums will reduce their duty cycle to reduce temperature
and eventually freeze. So check the fan on your CPU. Also check if the
jobber ever bothered to use thermal paste on the heatsink (and didn't
goop it on like putty since the point is to fill in the air gaps rather
than use the paste for thermal transfer since it won't transfer as well
as metal-to-metal contact). Make sure the heatsink is securely in place
and clamped down on the CPU. While you're inside, check all the other
fans also spin when powered up.
 
What are your virtual memory settings? Have you scanned for the usual
worms, Trojans, viruses and other malware/spyware?

Wayne Mc said:
XP Home, P4 2.4, 512M RAM, 80G HD. When my computer is running a number
Click to expand...
of programs, opening a new window or running another program will cause it
to slow to a crawl. It isn't entirely stopped, but it might as well be.
Sometimes I can eventually close a window, and sometimes I regain control.
Other times I may get a 'memory unable to be read' error. Usually I have no
choice but to reboot. The trigger can be as simple as a website popping up
a window.
It's not faulty memory as I just tried a brand new stick. I'm unable to
Click to expand...
determine a pattern except that approximately the same load will cause the
problem, and it will always happen. Outlook and 3 IE windows is enough to
cause the problem. Apart from this, all aspects of the computer work
perfectly.
 
I will look, but I don't think it matches the scenario. I can use the
computer all day long without a problem, one window under the critical point.
One popup window isn't going to raise the temperature after hours of
operation. Likewise I can cause this to happen within a minute of switch-on
in the morning.
 
I have experimented with virtual memory. At one point I set it to 1G (twice physical), another to 512M, presently 767M (system managed). It had no real effect. The slow-down occurs while there is still > 200M of physical memory available.

A while ago I went mad on malware. I have Spybot running and it removed a number of things. I'm never sure I'm clean, but I must be close. I run Pc-cilin and stay up-to-date with updates. I'm sure I have no viruses, and I don't believe I have had any (is it bad luck to say that?)

Kevin said:
What are your virtual memory settings? Have you scanned for the usual
worms, Trojans, viruses and other malware/spyware?

Wayne Mc said:
XP Home, P4 2.4, 512M RAM, 80G HD. When my computer is running a number
Click to expand...
of programs, opening a new window or running another program will cause it
to slow to a crawl. It isn't entirely stopped, but it might as well be.
Sometimes I can eventually close a window, and sometimes I regain control.
Other times I may get a 'memory unable to be read' error. Usually I have no
choice but to reboot. The trigger can be as simple as a website popping up
a window.
It's not faulty memory as I just tried a brand new stick. I'm unable to
Click to expand...
determine a pattern except that approximately the same load will cause the
problem, and it will always happen. Outlook and 3 IE windows is enough to
cause the problem. Apart from this, all aspects of the computer work
perfectly.
Click to expand...
 
I don't know about the no virus or malware. My pc started to crawl, so I
ran Norton Av, came up with 1 infected file, but it was repaired, however,
the pc still was very sluggish, so I followed the link provided with the NAV
info, which suggested that a scan be run in Safe Mode, which I did. It came
up with 4 more pesky little critters, 2 were repaired, 2 were quarantined
then deleted.
Wayne Mc said:
I have experimented with virtual memory. At one point I set it to 1G
Click to expand...
(twice physical), another to 512M, presently 767M (system managed). It had
no real effect. The slow-down occurs while there is still > 200M of
physical memory available.
A while ago I went mad on malware. I have Spybot running and it removed a
Click to expand...
number of things. I'm never sure I'm clean, but I must be close. I run
Pc-cilin and stay up-to-date with updates. I'm sure I have no viruses, and
I don't believe I have had any (is it bad luck to say that?)
 
I'm not sure I'm clear of malware. I hadn't heard of safe mode being a
better place to check than normal mode. I'll try that out this afternoon and
post again. Ta.
 
Wayne Mc said:
I will look, but I don't think it matches the scenario. I can use the
computer all day long without a problem, one window under the
critical point. One popup window isn't going to raise the temperature
after hours of operation. Likewise I can cause this to happen within
a minute of switch-on in the morning.
Click to expand...

Are you always using IE as one of the windows already open or the new
one opened when the freeze occurs? Have you checked what BHOs (browser
helper objects) are installed, or AX controls that have been added?
Spybot will tell you those although I like BHO Demon for the BHOs. If
it happens but only when IE is in the mix, does it still happen if you
use an alternate browser, like Mozilla?

Doing any overclocking? If so, overclocking the memory, too? Although
putting in a new stick might indicate that the problem isn't with the
memory sticks, have you tried running Memtest386 to test your memory
subsystem?

As a last resort, and if the other suggestions don't pan out, you could
try doing a Repair of the install by booting from the Windows install
CD. That's a bit drastic. Have you checked the Event Viewer to see if
anything in the logs shows an error at the time the system froze up?
You could clear it all, reboot, and set it up to freeze again to then
check the event logs.
 
That was a great list of suggestions ... thanks. Let me work through them.
IE does not have to be in the list of apps.
I grabbed BHO Demon and disabled a couple of download managers, but nothing
bad was listed.
I checked for updates to Spybot (there were none) and ran it in safe mode,
which found a couple more. This did not change my problem.
I am not overclocking anything.
I can't find memtest386 anywhere for download. www.memtest386.com is
mentioned somewhere but the site doesn't seem to exist.
I checked the event viewer, and nothing is added in the freeze. There are 2
system (NAT) errors added during bootup which I'm hoping to track down.
Reading about that error doesn't give me much hope that it is the issue.
Your other idea is drastic, but perhaps not as drastic as reformatting and
complete reinstalling which is my present fallback position if I can't find a
solution.
Is memtest386 still out there somewhere?
 
Spybot found a couple more in safe mode, but it didn't fix my problem. Just
to clarify, it's not just slow - it's full speed one moment and virtually
frozen the next.
 
Got memtest86 and tried it. Reported 3,000+ errors on my existing system.
Put the trial 256M stick, reported 0 errors. So, aha! But the machine still
grinds to a halt in the same way with the 256M stick - nothing in the event
log, no error message. Do I assume that the 512M stick is faulty so it has
to go, try the new one and see what happens? It may still malfunction, but
there's no point trying to trouble-shoot with faulty memory.
 
Wayne said:
XP Home, P4 2.4, 512M RAM, 80G HD. When my computer is running a number of programs, opening a new window or running another program will cause it to slow to a crawl. It isn't entirely stopped, but it might as well be. Sometimes I can eventually close a window, and sometimes I regain control. Other times I may get a 'memory unable to be read' error. Usually I have no choice but to reboot. The trigger can be as simple as a website popping up a window.

It's not faulty memory as I just tried a brand new stick. I'm unable to determine a pattern except that approximately the same load will cause the problem, and it will always happen. Outlook and 3 IE windows is enough to cause the problem. Apart from this, all aspects of the computer work perfectly.

Any thoughts or useful suggestions appreciated.
Click to expand...

Could be a weak or failing power supply. Try a new one, especially if
it doesn't have the ATX 2.03 4-pin ATX12V connector on it. For a
configuration like that, I wouldn't go less than 400 Watts, more if you
have a power-sucking video card.
 
Wayne Mc said:
Got memtest86 and tried it. Reported 3,000+ errors on my existing
system. Put the trial 256M stick, reported 0 errors. So, aha! But
the machine still grinds to a halt in the same way with the 256M
stick - nothing in the event log, no error message. Do I assume that
the 512M stick is faulty so it has to go, try the new one and see
what happens? It may still malfunction, but there's no point trying
to trouble-shoot with faulty memory.
Click to expand...

Is the BIOS configured to auto-detect the memory timings via SPD (serial
presence detect), or are specific values set (and do they match your
memory sticks' specs)? Hopefully you have been using anti-static
measures to ensure you don't zap the memory sticks or the motherboard.
Have you tried the memory in different slots? Sometimes the manual will
specify in which order the slots are to be used.

Have you tried using msconfig.exe to disable all startup programs,
rebooted, and checked if the problem continues? Does the problem
continue if you boot into Safe mode?

Have you tried to delete your pagefile(s) in Recovery Console mode,
reboot, and have them recreated anew? Before doing this, defrag your
drive(s), set min=max in virtual memory for each pagefile, then delete
the pagefile, reboot, and check for the problem. See
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255205.
 
With some other help, you have got me there. Safe mode worked fine. Guest
account worked fine. Taking out all prcoesses that auto-load at login worked
fine. Putting them back + trial and error found that the NVIDIA drivers were
the problem. Machine works fine using Windows drivers and the problem is
gone. Thanks heaps - you gave me heaps of great suggestions and busted a
problem that I was sure was going to end in a complete reinstall.
 
Wayne Mc said:
With some other help, you have got me there. Safe mode worked fine.
Guest account worked fine. Taking out all prcoesses that auto-load
at login worked fine. Putting them back + trial and error found that
the NVIDIA drivers were the problem. Machine works fine using
Windows drivers and the problem is gone. Thanks heaps - you gave me
heaps of great suggestions and busted a problem that I was sure was
going to end in a complete reinstall.
Click to expand...

I'd suggest to uninstall the nVidia software, reboot into Safe mode,
reboot into normal mode, and download and install the latest nVidia
drivers (some drivers won't install in Safe mode but you want to
uninstall the old ones and force using the Windows-supplied drivers in
the interim).

However, if disabling all startup programs in msconfig.exe got the
system working correctly, the problem wasn't with the drivers as you
would still be using the same drivers as before. Drivers are not
included as disable-able startup programs. More likely some utility
that was included with the drivers got installed and that caused the
problem.
 
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