Random Crashes / Sieze

calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

Hi.

I'm having trouble with my computer where it randomly freezes, you can be working away and even doing nothing and it will crash. i think i may have worked it back to be happening when the system is under more load, such as loading the screen saver sometimes, or when 1 or 2 programs crash and the computer decides to give up too! it's nearly always happening now when i shut the system down too, it will say 'saving settings' and then crash.

this is happening on my comptuer now - but also happened on my old system - the olny thigns which HAVENT changed are the hard drives (2) and the case. is it likely to be the main hard drive ? seems the only option to me given that everything else has changed.

im running XP home.
dual core processor - 64 bit (i think)
1 gb ram
processors both run at around 40 degrees C - between 38 and 41 normally.

any ideas?

Calum.

Finglonga · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Karma :

Have you scanned for viruses and spyware?

If not use your anti-virus software , Malwarebytes and SuperAntispyware and see if that helps. May be worth downloading CCleaner as well and clean out some rubbish.
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calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

i had tried that before. but that was when i was using the old system. it's been formatted to be able to use it with the new motehrboard and everything - but its still happening.

Finglonga · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Karma :

Have you checked the the RAM OK?
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

short1uk · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Karma :

Is it a BSOD? or it just hangs?

Have you had task manager open at all to see what is using all the CPU? try having that open while you work see whats happening. Anything in the event viewer?

C

calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

it just hangs ... the screen will freeze on what ever i am doing and that's it - the mouse wont move, nothing changes etc.

how do i go about checking the RAM? this happened on the old system - and now this one ... the RAM is different ... not to say its not just a sh*tty coincidence though !

the CPU usage tends to be very low when i've looked, like now it's on 0% - WLM is on, mozilla thunderbird and firefox are all running. along with sound and graphics drivers and 'core temp'

i can 'force' it to crash these days by asking the ocmputer to shut down - which obviously doesnt help me much because i cant watch the task manager, temeprature or anyhting else when it's doing that.

Finglonga · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Karma :

Doubt its the RAM then . . . Especially on two separate set ups.

What do you have running at start up, how long does it take to hang?

Had a mates PC doing a similar thing y/day, turned out it was Norton(told them to remove it months ago). Made the PC just hang when closing down.
____________________
Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

at startup my Windows Live Messenger runs (but not log in)
graphics card driver starts
sound drivers start

and im sure thats it.

i dont have any anti virus on it at the moment, never had trouble, norton slowed it down too much and not found one yet that i really like - so since setting up the new systemn i didnt bother - obviously i need to do it soon.

it hangs randomly.

sometimes the computer will run for hours sometimes not.
like, this morning it crashed when starting up - it got to the log in screen for me to type my password and froze there. reboot, everything fine - and it even shut down OK! later it did not. when it happens at shut down time it goes through the saving settings and everythign then says 'windows is shutting down' then normally freezes there.

tsmith · Traffic Copper Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Karma :

check the caps on your motherboard aren't bulging as this can cause instability

is your PSU up to the job?

Seb · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Karma :

System halts with no BSOD tend to point towards video card related problems.

Have you got a ps2 mouse or keyboard plugged in? if so, when you try to use them after a crash can you hear a sort of ticking noise coming from the pc itself? I'd be checking over the mainboard and settings.
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calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

tomsmith - none of the caps are bulding as far as i can tell ... the psu should be fine - it's a 480w jobbie - my last one was too.

Seb - this video card is different to the one i was using on what was basically the old system .. as said, only the hard drives and case are the same. its hard for me ti check over the board and everything for problems cos though im good on the PC and i know a lot, i dont know what to look for with this so i'd probably see soemthing and over look it