Computer Help...

Hi everyone,

I recently "inherited" a computer from work, set it up at home..etc but it keeps randomly freezing, even if there are no programs running. It's not like a normal crash where it slowly grinds to a hault, the screen just...well...freezes and the only way to get it goin again is to press the good ol' reset button. Sometimes it goes for a while without this happening and sometimes it happens almost as soon as windows starts up.

I thought i'd solve the problem by formatting the hard drive and reinstalling XP but it still happens! (although now I haven't got the video drivers ) does this suggest that it's a hardware issue? Its not the temperature as downloaded monitoring software and it runs at 40 degrees.

Any help from any computer minded people would be VERY MUCH appreciated

There are a number of things that could cause this. One of my machines at home has been doing this for months now, and I simply haven't had the time to sort it out, and it's not a priority as I have other machines at home I can use.

The possible causes that come to mind are:
1) Dust - hoover the inside well. If you have the knowledge, take the CPU heatsink off & hover down there too. If you're not sure what you're doing to put it back together (including pasting it up again), then don't do it.
2) RAM. Faulty segments of RAM can cause this to happen, the only real way to solve it is to "obtain" some compatible RAM for it & try that instead of what you have in it
3) Power supply. Most power supplies are cheap (especially if it's a business unit) and horrendously inaccurate. Slight power fluctuations can cause a machine to hang, if the fluctuation is in the right place. Again, this could cost to investigate, but if you are going to get a new power supply, it's better to spend more money & get something that's at least sort of accurate in what it gives out.

There's probably a few more things, but nothing that springs to mind right now.

Hi Baph,

Thanks for that, I was thinking it could be dust as its come from a workshop, but thought there must be a s**t load in it to cause a problem... ill have a look when i get home tho.

Thats if it still works after the beating i gave it after it wasted 2 hours of my life formatting/reinstalling windows

Also, whats the best way to sort out the video drivers if I have no clue what card is in there, i think its motherboard based...?

Originally Posted by poisonidea

Also, whats the best way to sort out the video drivers if I have no clue what card is in there, i think its motherboard based...?

If it's an oldish PC then chances are the drivers will be available from the windows update site. The driver update wizard in windows should take care of it if you allow it to search the internet for the latest driver.

Failing that, if it's an onboard video controller, try the motherboard manufacturer's website - most have a support / download section with the relevant drivers available for free.

HTH

Originally Posted by poisonidea

Also, whats the best way to sort out the video drivers if I have no clue what card is in there, i think its motherboard based...?

DriverGuide website, sign up for a free account. They have a tool you can download that will scan the machine for all hardware & list anything that's not got the right drivers. It tells you where the drivers are, and IIRC, installs them for you if you like.

Free for trial, but limited to 30 days IIRC.