XP Pro freezing

[acumom]

I just installed XP Pro on a system that had been running
98. After my programs have been running for a while,
everything will just freeze - the keyboard, mouse - and I
will have to shut down and reboot.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

We did not reformat the hard drive because I wanted to
make sure my software ran all right with XP before I
completely wiped out 98.

Do you think that if I do a complete reinstall it will
take care of the problem?

 

[Sharon F]

I just installed XP Pro on a system that had been running
98. After my programs have been running for a while,
everything will just freeze - the keyboard, mouse - and I
will have to shut down and reboot.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

We did not reformat the hard drive because I wanted to
make sure my software ran all right with XP before I
completely wiped out 98.

Do you think that if I do a complete reinstall it will
take care of the problem?

The answer depends on the "why" that is causing your freezes.
-- Programs may need to be updated for use with WinXP.
--While the Win98 worry over system resources does not exist in XP, it is
still prudent to manage startup programs. Conflicts between many, many
startup programs could be occurring.
--Spyware, adware and the likes can seriously impact performance of any
operating system.
-- Hardware drivers may not be quite right and should be replaced with
newer versions.
--Occasional and random freezes can be due to faulty RAM. Even if this is
RAM that performed just fine in Win98 as WinXP is pickier about the
quality.
--Troubleshooting methods for startup problems are very similar to those
used for shutdown problems. The following resource should be helpful:
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm

Doing a clean install of XP *might* be all that's needed to fix your
intermittent freezes.

However, if the problem is related to hardware (drivers, compatibility,
etc) or to software configuration problems (especially the startup group -
too much or presence of malware) - you'll eventually be in the same boat
with a clean install as you are now.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You say the problem happens after you've run the system for awhile. The
problem could be related to heat. Check to ensure that your cpu fan is
working. You should also check to ensure you have the latest XP drivers for
your chipset and video card (and mouse drivers if you have a special mouse).

 

[MAP]

-----Original Message-----
I just installed XP Pro on a system that had been running
98. After my programs have been running for a while,
everything will just freeze - the keyboard, mouse - and I
will have to shut down and reboot.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

We did not reformat the hard drive because I wanted to
make sure my software ran all right with XP before I
completely wiped out 98.

Do you think that if I do a complete reinstall it will
take care of the problem?
.

Troubleshooting Computer Lockups (Freezes)
Many readers write each week with a similar problem:
their computers periodically lock up or "freeze," so that
the mouse and keyboard won't function and nothing can be
done for a period of time (sometimes the system unlocks
after a while; in other cases you have to reboot). This
is a common problem but not an easy one to diagnose
because it has so many causes. It's like a person going
to the doctor with the complaint of a cough; the problem
could be a cold, an allergy, a substance stuck in the
throat, cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc. Here are
some common causes of lockups:
Software incompatibility
Hardware incompatibility or incorrect device driver
Bad RAM
Video card problems
Dying power supply
Processor getting too hot
The first step in diagnosing the problem is to keep a
journal showing exactly what you were doing each time the
system froze. This can help you spot patterns - for
example, if the lockup occurs when you try to print, or
whenever you play a sound, that suggests a problem with
the specific hardware device or its software driver.
Heat, bad RAM or a power supply that's about to give out
are more likely if the lockups are random.