XP Hangs

[Judd]

The OS hangs for no apparent reason. I'm running an AMD T-
bird chipset; I have an ATI Rage video card, and have 2
delta sound cards. I've loaded all the up dates and
service packs; I've gotten all the latest drivers for my
hardware. There is no consistency to when this occurs.
When it does, the only remedy is to power down. Any
suggestions?

 

[Malke]

The OS hangs for no apparent reason. I'm running an AMD T-
bird chipset; I have an ATI Rage video card, and have 2
delta sound cards. I've loaded all the up dates and
service packs; I've gotten all the latest drivers for my
hardware. There is no consistency to when this occurs.
When it does, the only remedy is to power down. Any
suggestions?

Random freezes like you are describing are usually caused by hardware
failures. Here are generic hardware troubleshooting steps:

1) Open the computer and run it open, cleaning out all dust bunnies and
observing all fans (overheating will cause system freezing); 2) test
the RAM - I like Memtest86 from www.memtest86.com - let the test run
for an extended (like overnight) period of time - unless errors are
seen immediately; 3) test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from
the mftr.; 4) test the motherboard. Also, be sure your power supply is
adequate to run your hardware and that it is not failing. If you can't
do this testing yourself, take the machine to a good local computer
repair shop (not a CompUSA or Best Buy type of store).

Malke