XP Freezing Up

[John Banks]

I have a 2.6 Intel Processor, my PC is only 9 months old.
I run Windows XP.

My PC developed a habit of freezing up when I was playing
music files through either media player or Winamp. A
short screech came from the speakers and then nothing
moved and the reset button was the only way out. At first
I presumed it was the sound card, but then dismissed that
as when playing sound through videos on the PC it ran
fine. Last week my Sound card stopped working so I
replaced it with another one. The problem has started to
get worse with the PC frequently freezing, quite often
when I am not playing music at all, but when I am playing
music it freezes whilst letting out a continuous screech
from the speakers.

I have tried using different speakers and even unplugging
the speakers altogether, but playing music still
frequently (yet, inconsistently) causes the PC to freeze.
I have got the correct drivers installed for the sound
card.

In addition, even at times when it has not frozen and has
been shut down properly, nearly every time I boot it it
up it comes up with the blue screen saying the "disk
needs to be checked for consistency". This often freezes
as well, causing me to press the reset button. Sometimes
it may repeat this check two or three times and
occasionally finds some problem files in my "My
Documents" folder.

I have virus checked the PC. But for months, running a
virus check has caused the PC to freeze up so I have to
do it a directory at a time. It's an up to date McAfee
virus checker and it finds the system to be clean.

The disk has been checked and defragmented.

I have noticed that it seems to do it more when the PC
has been on a while. The chip has a cooler on it, the
same that it always has so I am not sure if the CPU is
the problem.

The main problem with the PC is that it is inconsistent
and therefore very difficult to isolate the problem and I
fear it is hardware rather than software but I don't know
which part of the PC is causing it.

If anybody recognises this problem or thinks they can
offer some advice, please reply either here or to my
email address - I'm at the point of dispair!

Yours hopingly,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

 

[wojo]

I have a 2.6 Intel Processor, my PC is only 9 months old.
I run Windows XP.

My PC developed a habit of freezing up when I was playing
music files through either media player or Winamp. A
short screech came from the speakers and then nothing
moved and the reset button was the only way out. At first
I presumed it was the sound card, but then dismissed that
as when playing sound through videos on the PC it ran
fine. Last week my Sound card stopped working so I
replaced it with another one. The problem has started to
get worse with the PC frequently freezing, quite often
when I am not playing music at all, but when I am playing
music it freezes whilst letting out a continuous screech
from the speakers.

I have tried using different speakers and even unplugging
the speakers altogether, but playing music still
frequently (yet, inconsistently) causes the PC to freeze.
I have got the correct drivers installed for the sound
card.

In addition, even at times when it has not frozen and has
been shut down properly, nearly every time I boot it it
up it comes up with the blue screen saying the "disk
needs to be checked for consistency". This often freezes
as well, causing me to press the reset button. Sometimes
it may repeat this check two or three times and
occasionally finds some problem files in my "My
Documents" folder.

I have virus checked the PC. But for months, running a
virus check has caused the PC to freeze up so I have to
do it a directory at a time. It's an up to date McAfee
virus checker and it finds the system to be clean.

The disk has been checked and defragmented.

I have noticed that it seems to do it more when the PC
has been on a while. The chip has a cooler on it, the
same that it always has so I am not sure if the CPU is
the problem.

The main problem with the PC is that it is inconsistent
and therefore very difficult to isolate the problem and I
fear it is hardware rather than software but I don't know
which part of the PC is causing it.

If anybody recognises this problem or thinks they can
offer some advice, please reply either here or to my
email address - I'm at the point of dispair!

Yours hopingly,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

Intermittent "freezing" as you are describing is almost always either a heat
problem or a memory problem.

Things to try:
Open up the case and clean any dust from the interior, also making sure the
vents on the power supply fan are clean and free of dust / lint.

Check that the Power Supply fan is working when power is turned on as well
as the heat sink.

If your system has 2 memory chips installed and is not an older machine
(some older Mobo's require 2 chips of equal sizes to work) then try to
remove one and see if the problem is better. Then try the other one. Or if
you have a spare chip use it instead to see if this solves the problem.

If these don't work it may simply be a software problem that a XP repair
install will solve. The only reason I didn't suggest this as the first step
is that it is more likely to be heat since it is intermittent.

Post back and let us know even if your problem is solved so others can
benefit.


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[Guest]

-----Original Message-----



Intermittent "freezing" as you are describing is almost always either a heat
problem or a memory problem.

Things to try:
Open up the case and clean any dust from the interior, also making sure the
vents on the power supply fan are clean and free of dust / lint.

Check that the Power Supply fan is working when power is turned on as well
as the heat sink.

If your system has 2 memory chips installed and is not an older machine
(some older Mobo's require 2 chips of equal sizes to work) then try to
remove one and see if the problem is better. Then try the other one. Or if
you have a spare chip use it instead to see if this solves the problem.

If these don't work it may simply be a software problem that a XP repair
install will solve. The only reason I didn't suggest this as the first step
is that it is more likely to be heat since it is intermittent.

Post back and let us know even if your problem is solved so others can
benefit.

Thanks very much for your response. I have opened the box
and cleaned as much dust away as I can. All fans seemed
to be working but my 512Mb RAM chipboard had a fair
amount of dust around it as it is near the CPU and the
CPU fan was blowing dust straight at the RAM. I am
testing now and will post back in a couple of days to let
all know if this has been successful.

John

 

[wojo]

Thanks very much for your response. I have opened the box
and cleaned as much dust away as I can. All fans seemed
to be working but my 512Mb RAM chipboard had a fair
amount of dust around it as it is near the CPU and the
CPU fan was blowing dust straight at the RAM. I am
testing now and will post back in a couple of days to let
all know if this has been successful.

John

That definitely sounds like it COULD be the problem. Let us know the
results.

 

[John Banks]

Hi,

Thanks for your helpful reply. I have cleaned out as much
dust as possible from the inside of the PC but
unfortunately I can't get to the CPU as the heatsink and
fan won't come away.

Unfortunately, the PC still froze. However, I attempted
to run it with the side off and a desk fan on full power
right next to it - this seemed to stop it freezing which
seems to prove you were right. However, it's not very
practical to do that all the time so have you got any
other ideas (baring in mind all the fans seem to be
working fine) like, are there any changes I could make to
the bios?

Thanks,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

-----Original Message-----

I have a 2.6 Intel Processor, my PC is only 9 months old.
I run Windows XP.

My PC developed a habit of freezing up when I was playing
music files through either media player or Winamp. A
short screech came from the speakers and then nothing
moved and the reset button was the only way out. At first
I presumed it was the sound card, but then dismissed that
as when playing sound through videos on the PC it ran
fine. Last week my Sound card stopped working so I
replaced it with another one. The problem has started to
get worse with the PC frequently freezing, quite often
when I am not playing music at all, but when I am playing
music it freezes whilst letting out a continuous screech
from the speakers.

I have tried using different speakers and even unplugging
the speakers altogether, but playing music still
frequently (yet, inconsistently) causes the PC to freeze.
I have got the correct drivers installed for the sound
card.

In addition, even at times when it has not frozen and has
been shut down properly, nearly every time I boot it it
up it comes up with the blue screen saying the "disk
needs to be checked for consistency". This often freezes
as well, causing me to press the reset button. Sometimes
it may repeat this check two or three times and
occasionally finds some problem files in my "My
Documents" folder.

I have virus checked the PC. But for months, running a
virus check has caused the PC to freeze up so I have to
do it a directory at a time. It's an up to date McAfee
virus checker and it finds the system to be clean.

The disk has been checked and defragmented.

I have noticed that it seems to do it more when the PC
has been on a while. The chip has a cooler on it, the
same that it always has so I am not sure if the CPU is
the problem.

The main problem with the PC is that it is inconsistent
and therefore very difficult to isolate the problem and I
fear it is hardware rather than software but I don't know
which part of the PC is causing it.

If anybody recognises this problem or thinks they can
offer some advice, please reply either here or to my
email address - I'm at the point of dispair!

Yours hopingly,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

Intermittent "freezing" as you are describing is almost always either a heat
problem or a memory problem.

Things to try:
Open up the case and clean any dust from the interior, also making sure the
vents on the power supply fan are clean and free of dust / lint.

Check that the Power Supply fan is working when power is turned on as well
as the heat sink.

If your system has 2 memory chips installed and is not an older machine
(some older Mobo's require 2 chips of equal sizes to work) then try to
remove one and see if the problem is better. Then try the other one. Or if
you have a spare chip use it instead to see if this solves the problem.

If these don't work it may simply be a software problem that a XP repair
install will solve. The only reason I didn't suggest this as the first step
is that it is more likely to be heat since it is intermittent.

Post back and let us know even if your problem is solved so others can
benefit.


--
kwoyach[SPAM]@yahoo[SPAM].com
TO Email: Remove [SPAM]
If I can help you I will.
If you can help me thanks.

--

**Useful Links**
AdAware:
www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
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www.safer-networking.org/
Check for Parasites/Worms:
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http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp
TweakUI and other PowerToys:
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp



.

 

[wojo]

Hi,

Thanks for your helpful reply. I have cleaned out as much
dust as possible from the inside of the PC but
unfortunately I can't get to the CPU as the heatsink and
fan won't come away.

Unfortunately, the PC still froze. However, I attempted
to run it with the side off and a desk fan on full power
right next to it - this seemed to stop it freezing which
seems to prove you were right. However, it's not very
practical to do that all the time so have you got any
other ideas (baring in mind all the fans seem to be
working fine) like, are there any changes I could make to
the bios?

Thanks,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

-----Original Message-----

I have a 2.6 Intel Processor, my PC is only 9 months old.
I run Windows XP.

My PC developed a habit of freezing up when I was playing
music files through either media player or Winamp. A
short screech came from the speakers and then nothing
moved and the reset button was the only way out. At first
I presumed it was the sound card, but then dismissed that
as when playing sound through videos on the PC it ran
fine. Last week my Sound card stopped working so I
replaced it with another one. The problem has started to
get worse with the PC frequently freezing, quite often
when I am not playing music at all, but when I am playing
music it freezes whilst letting out a continuous screech
from the speakers.

I have tried using different speakers and even unplugging
the speakers altogether, but playing music still
frequently (yet, inconsistently) causes the PC to freeze.
I have got the correct drivers installed for the sound
card.

In addition, even at times when it has not frozen and has
been shut down properly, nearly every time I boot it it
up it comes up with the blue screen saying the "disk
needs to be checked for consistency". This often freezes
as well, causing me to press the reset button. Sometimes
it may repeat this check two or three times and
occasionally finds some problem files in my "My
Documents" folder.

I have virus checked the PC. But for months, running a
virus check has caused the PC to freeze up so I have to
do it a directory at a time. It's an up to date McAfee
virus checker and it finds the system to be clean.

The disk has been checked and defragmented.

I have noticed that it seems to do it more when the PC
has been on a while. The chip has a cooler on it, the
same that it always has so I am not sure if the CPU is
the problem.

The main problem with the PC is that it is inconsistent
and therefore very difficult to isolate the problem and I
fear it is hardware rather than software but I don't know
which part of the PC is causing it.

If anybody recognises this problem or thinks they can
offer some advice, please reply either here or to my
email address - I'm at the point of dispair!

Yours hopingly,

John Banks
(e-mail address removed)

Intermittent "freezing" as you are describing is almost always either a heat
problem or a memory problem.

Things to try:
Open up the case and clean any dust from the interior, also making sure the
vents on the power supply fan are clean and free of dust / lint.

Check that the Power Supply fan is working when power is turned on as well
as the heat sink.

If your system has 2 memory chips installed and is not an older machine
(some older Mobo's require 2 chips of equal sizes to work) then try to
remove one and see if the problem is better. Then try the other one. Or if
you have a spare chip use it instead to see if this solves the problem.

If these don't work it may simply be a software problem that a XP repair
install will solve. The only reason I didn't suggest this as the first step
is that it is more likely to be heat since it is intermittent.

Post back and let us know even if your problem is solved so others can
benefit.


--
kwoyach[SPAM]@yahoo[SPAM].com
TO Email: Remove [SPAM]
If I can help you I will.
If you can help me thanks.

--

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Well BIOS settings aren't going to help but it could be a defective heatsink
or another option would be to purchase an additional case fan. They can be
purchased from most computer stores and plug in using the same plugs as your
disk drives etc.

--
kwoyach[SPAM]@yahoo[SPAM].com
TO Email: Remove [SPAM]
If I can help you I will.
If you can help me thanks.

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Check for Parasites/Worms:
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