XP keeps freezing and I need help fast

[steroidabuse]

About a couple of days ago, my laptop was running just fine, and then,
I think it was right after I tried to play this song on WMP 10, it
just started getting slower and slower until it froze.

It's been doing the same thing since and I've already booted it on
safe mode to try and uninstall WMP, but it won't let me. I have more
than enough disk space and it's very unlikely that it might be a virus
(I wasn't even connected to the internet). I need to finish editing
my short film pretty soon so any quick replies will be very greatly
appreciated.

Dunno if it'll help, but it also does some weird clicking noises where
the hard drive is supposed to be.

Thank you

 

[Eric]

Dunno if it'll help, but it also does some weird clicking noises where
the hard drive is supposed to be.

Do you have an HP? is it a laptop? Also, define 'freezing.' is it a
true freeze, or is it a crash with the blue-screen-of-death? My
computer had the same clicking noise and would crash. It turned out the
heat sink wasn't functioning properly, causing my drive to overheat and
then become defective. Fortunately, I had a warranty on the computer
and they fixed it for free. Your computer might have a completely
different issue than mine did, but if I kept mine cool it would last
longer.

 

[Malke]

About a couple of days ago, my laptop was running just fine, and then,
I think it was right after I tried to play this song on WMP 10, it
just started getting slower and slower until it froze.

It's been doing the same thing since and I've already booted it on
safe mode to try and uninstall WMP, but it won't let me. I have more
than enough disk space and it's very unlikely that it might be a virus
(I wasn't even connected to the internet). I need to finish editing
my short film pretty soon so any quick replies will be very greatly
appreciated.

Dunno if it'll help, but it also does some weird clicking noises where
the hard drive is supposed to be.

Your hard drive is dying. The ideal thing to do if you need to rescue data
that wasn't backed up is to send the drive to a professional data recovery
company like Drive Savers (my preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. This is
because every time you spin that drive up you may be destroying data.
However, professional data recovery companies are not inexpensive. General
prices run from $500USD on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a
failed laptop drive for one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it
was worth the money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand
that some insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under
"Loss of Intellectual Property" so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

If you don't want to spend the money and understand that you are taking a
chance, you can try backing up your data by putting the laptop drive in a
usb enclosure (or using a drive adapter). Then replace the hard drive.

Malke

 

[Rock]

About a couple of days ago, my laptop was running just fine, and then,
I think it was right after I tried to play this song on WMP 10, it
just started getting slower and slower until it froze.

It's been doing the same thing since and I've already booted it on
safe mode to try and uninstall WMP, but it won't let me. I have more
than enough disk space and it's very unlikely that it might be a virus
(I wasn't even connected to the internet). I need to finish editing
my short film pretty soon so any quick replies will be very greatly
appreciated.

Dunno if it'll help, but it also does some weird clicking noises where
the hard drive is supposed to be.

If you can backup the data now. Weird clicking noises from the hard drive
is not do to playing a song on WMP, it's indicative of hard drive failure.
If you feel like it, after the data is backed up, run a drive diagnostic
utility from the drive manufacturer's web site, but there is little point to
it. Just replace the hard drive.