Another 'What's wrong with my PC?' thread

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MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
It just keeps freezing* on me, and it's getting boring.

sometimes it'll run for a day or two between 'freezes', sometimes it's every five or ten minutes.

I was beginning to suspect it being a software problem (maybe a buggy firefox plugin), but then it froze on the 'Windows is starting up' screen, which makes me now almost certain it's a hardware problem.... but which bit of hardware? CPU, PSU, Motherboard, Hard Drive... no idea

*freezing.... everything stops as in the mouse cursor stops moving on the screen, clock on task bar stops along with all other animated icons, keyboard becomes unresponsive (ie, caps lock light doesn't go on and off, and Ctrl, Alt, Del does nothing).​

Any ideas how i should go about diagnosing the issue?

I've tried unplugging all external drives and peripherals, still freezes after a random amount of time. not sure what else to try.

TIA :smile:
 

Cyclist33

Guest
Location
Warrington
Not an absolute expert but I would have thought if it was a "hard" hardware problem, ie something in the internals, you wouldn't get as far as the Windows environment.

So if it is a hardware issue it would be more likely to be one of the peripherals that Windows cranks up (yes yes, not strictly true) - by which I mean things like USB mouse, portable hard drive, USB modem/wireless receiver etc. So maybe try removing everything you don't need for basic use, ie everything except mouse and keyboard, and see what happens then.

Are your keyboard and mouse connected via USB or the older PS/2? Might be a fault with one of the USB ports, try switching them to another one.

I do suspect it is a software issue but without knowing what computer, age, spec, what Windows you've got etc etc, impossible to go further.

Is your Windows up to date using Control Panel?
 
OP
OP
MontyVeda

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
it's Windows XP and hasn't been updated since March.

The Computer is 5 years old, AMD Athlon 5000 dual core, 2gb ram.

things like USB mouse, portable hard drive, USB modem/wireless receiver etc. So maybe try removing everything you don't need for basic use, ie everything except mouse and keyboard, and see what happens then.

good idea, i shall try that for as long as i can bear to be offline :smile:
 
Backup all your data, check you have all installation discs, and reset your computer to factory settings (not format, but restore). Usually your harddisk has a partition for this. Google the manufacturer for the process.

This is worth diong perdiodically anyway (every couple of years or so).
 

Trevor_P

Senior Member
Location
Hawkinge Kent
Dust. Dust dust dust. Dust. Clean the internals properly. Remove and re-seat any cards, Grafix, sound etc. Maybe renew the heatsink compound for the processor.

Blowing the dust out is usually easier than sucking it, but it will be messy.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
I believe that XP hasn't been supported since April this year, this may have something to do with your problem although I'm no expert. Without it you are more susceptible to bugs and virus's.

Sounds like you need a new computer and operating system. Or maybe change to Windows 7. Perhaps someone on here could advise.
 
If it is hardware then:

I would test the Memory using Memtest - it's free and you can then tick that off your list.

After that I would check the psu (needs another psu dropping in - I use them £10 off ebay ones as they can always be held for emergencies), then the HDD (ditto) and finally the Mobo.
 

crdf

Well-Known Member
Location
Croydon
1. Check what is the process causing the freeze (open your task manager and sort by memory usage.) And tell us.
2. Scan for viruses
 

sidevalve

Über Member
Never had any probs with XP but have found 7 /8 always want "updated drivers" etc etc. In the end just binned the lot and installed Linux. Can't use all the windows progs but it has everything most people need already built in, costs nothing, and uses up less HD space Easy enough to get the hang of too [and I am NO geek]
 

Fnaar

Smutmaster General
Location
Thumberland
Backup all your data, check you have all installation discs, and reset your computer to factory settings (not format, but restore). Usually your harddisk has a partition for this. Google the manufacturer for the process.

This is worth diong perdiodically anyway (every couple of years or so).
Without wanting to derail the thread, and a genuine question... if you bought PC with (e.g.) Windows and Office pre-loaded, and have no discs, are you basically jiggered? (assuming you want to keep using them, but PC needs re-setting)?
 

Custom24

Über Member
Location
Oxfordshire
Without wanting to derail the thread, and a genuine question... if you bought PC with (e.g.) Windows and Office pre-loaded, and have no discs, are you basically jiggered? (assuming you want to keep using them, but PC needs re-setting)?
My laptop (Windows vista originally) had a "make backup CDs" program for this eventuality. The idea was that this was the first thing you were supposed to do when you got the machine. I don't know what happens in the case where you don't do that or lose the discs. In my case, the answer was Ubuntu, not because I'd lost the discs but because I was fed up with Windows.
 
Without wanting to derail the thread, and a genuine question... if you bought PC with (e.g.) Windows and Office pre-loaded, and have no discs, are you basically jiggered? (assuming you want to keep using them, but PC needs re-setting)?
Most PCs come with a 'restore to factory' setting that should do what it says on the tin. It will reinstall Windows and all the relevant drivers. Not sure about Office but that should be a simple case of checking you have the license codes as Office can be downlaoded, it's only the license code that changes.
 

CopperBrompton

Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
Location
London
In ease of diagnostic order & cheapness:

1. Heat. Blow out all the dust as per post 6.
2. RAM. Run Memtest as per post 8.
3. PSU. Replace with new one also as per post 8.

But XP is no longer supported with security updates, so you urgently need to upgrade either OS or PC. It is not a question of whether your PC will be compromised, only when. Compromise can mean anything from your PC being used to send out spam to a keylogger capturing all your logins and everything you type on it. It is a non-trivial issue.
 

sidevalve

Über Member
Just a final thought. XP may not be fully supported by microsoft anymore but if you rely on the security supplied by their updates then good luck to you. Most of only worry if you antivirus software stops protecting you and several [including avast] will be covering XP for a few years yet. If you don't have the discs just install ubuntu or linux and stuff microsoft - they're just out to fleece you for cash anyway.
 
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