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Computer Constantly Freezing

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Post #1 last edited
Hi Everyone,

Out of the blue one day, my computer started randomly freezing. It does this for what seems to be no reason, whether I am running Firefox, computer games, iTunes or even logging off. I have already tried the Hijack This and Malware forum, and was directed here. ( The link for that post, to see what was done, is here: http://forums.whatthetech.com/Complete_New…ck_t102650.html ) Also, for information regarding my computer I have attached a Belarc Advisor report. Thank you very much for looking at this, and hopefully someone can help me figure out what the heck is going on.

Thanks,

Attachment removed for editing ~ Jacee ~

Click here for Belarc's System Management products, for large and small companies.

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 (build 2600) Dell Inc Dimension E521
System Service Tag: CFLS3D1 (support for this PC)
Chassis Serial Number: CFLS3D1
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
2.10 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Inc 0UW457 A04
Serial Number: ..CN6986174O0FB3.
Bus Clock: 1000 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Inc 1.1.6 04/07/2007
Drives Memory Modules c,d
137.43 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
75.95 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-H653A [CD-ROM drive]

Disk drive – drive 2
HP Photosmart A530 USB Device [Hard drive] – drive 5
SMSC 223 U HS-CF USB Device [Hard drive] – drive 1
SMSC 223 U HS-SD/MMC USB Device [Hard drive] – drive 4
SMSC 223 U HS-SM USB Device [Hard drive] – drive 3
WDC WD3200AAKS-75SBA0 [Hard drive] (320.07 GB) – drive 0, s/n WD-WCAPZ0929456, rev 12.01B01, SMART Status: Healthy 2048 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM_4' is Empty
Slot 'DIMM_3' is Empty
Slot 'DIMM_2' has 1024 MB (serial number 09058610)
Slot 'DIMM_1' has 1024 MB (serial number 09058312)
Local Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 20.97 GB 6.83 GB free
d: (NTFS on drive 0) 10.49 GB 7.54 GB free
e: (NTFS on drive 0) 105.97 GB 61.58 GB free

Network Drives
None detected
Users (mouse over user name for details) Printers
local user accounts last logon
Jon 10/05/2009 12:27:13 PM (admin)
Matt 10/05/2009 2:11:04 PM (admin)
Mom 10/05/2009 1:45:14 PM (admin)
Steve 09/05/2009 5:31:08 PM (admin)
local system accounts
Administrator never (admin)
Guest never
HelpAssistant never
SUPPORT_388945a0 never


Marks a disabled account; Marks a locked account HP Photosmart A530 series on USB002
Lexmark Z700-P700 Series on USB001
Microsoft Office Document Image Writer Driver on Microsoft Document Imaging Writer Port:
Microsoft XPS Document Writer on XPSPort:

Controllers Display
NVIDIA nForce 430/410 Serial ATA Controller (2x) NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE [Display adapter]
DELL E207WFP [Monitor] (20.0"vis, s/n CK63075L1DGL, May 2007)
Bus Adapters Multimedia
Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000.
SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
Communications Other Devices

Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller
primary Auto IP Address: 192.168.2.10 / 24
Gateway: 192.168.2.1
Dhcp Server: 192.168.2.1
Physical Address: 00:1A:A0:44:6E:0D

Networking Dns Server: 192.168.2.1
HID-compliant consumer control device (2x)
HID-compliant device
USB Human Interface Device (3x)
Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 #2
WinDriver
HID Keyboard Device
HID-compliant mouse
Generic USB Hub
USB Composite Device (3x)
USB Mass Storage Device (2x)
USB Printing Support (2x)
USB Root Hub (2x)
Virus Protection [Back to Top]
avast! antivirus 4.8.1335 [VPS 090509-0] Version 4.8.1335
Realtime File Scanning On

Missing Microsoft Security Hotfixes [Back to Top]

All required security hotfixes (using the 04/14/2009 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary) have been installed.


Installed Microsoft Hotfixes [Back to Top]
.NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2
KB958481 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
.NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2
KB958483 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1
KB958484 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
MSXML4SP2
KB936181 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB954430 on 08/05/2009 (details…)
Office Professional Edition 2003
KB907417 on 08/05/2009 (details…)
KB921598 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB923618[SP] on 08/05/2009 (details…)
KB943649 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB943973 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB945185 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB948988 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB950213 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB951535 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB953404 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB953432 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB954478 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB955439 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB956357 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB959995 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB969376 on 08/05/2009 (details…)
Publisher 2002
KB911701 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB913471 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB920816 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB921596 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB933399 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB944423 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB950129 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB953405 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB956464 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
WGA
SP0
KB892130 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
Windows Media Format 11 SDK
KB929399 (details…)
SP0
KB929399 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
Windows Media Player 11
KB936782_WMP11 (details…)
KB939683 (details…)
KB954154_WM11 (details…)
KB959772_WM11 (details…)
SP0
KB939683 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB954154_WM11 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB959772_WM11 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
SP2
KB936782_WMP11 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
Windows Media Player 6.4
KB925398_WMP64 (details…)
Windows Media Player 6.4 (continued)
SP0
KB925398_WMP64 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
Windows Media Player 9
KB936782_WMP9 (details…)
SP2
KB936782_WMP9 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
Windows Media Player
KB952069_WM9 (details…)
SP0
KB911564 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB952069_WM9 on 01/05/2009 (details…)
Windows XP OOB
SP10
KB835221WXP on 09/10/2008 (details…)
Windows XP
KB923689 (details…)
KB941569 (details…)
SP0
KB923689 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB941569 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB969497-IE8 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
SP10
MSCOMPPACKV1 on 22/11/2008 (Microsoft Compression Client Pack 1.0 for Windows XP)
SP3
KB936929[SP] on 05/05/2009 (details…)
SP4
KB923561 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB938464 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB938464-V2 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB946648 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB950762 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB950974 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB951066 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB951072-V2 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB951376-V2 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB951698 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB951748 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB951978 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB952004 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB952287 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB952954 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB953838 on 05/05/2009 (details…) Reinstall!
KB953839 on 10/10/2008 (details…)
KB954459 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB954550-V5 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB954600 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB955069 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB955839 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB956572 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB956802 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB956803 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB957097 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB958644 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB958687 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB958690 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB959426 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB960225 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB960715 on 01/05/2009 (details…)
KB960803 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB961118 on 10/05/2009 (details…)
KB961373 on 05/05/2009 (details…)
KB963027 on 09/05/2009 (details…)
KB967715 on 09/05/2009 (details…)



Click here to see all available Microsoft security hotfixes for this computer.

Marks a security hotfix (using the 04/14/2009 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary)
Marks a security hotFix that fails verification (a security vulnerability)
Marks a hotfix that verifies correctly
Marks a hotfix that fails verification (note that failing hotfixes need to be reinstalled)
Unmarked hotfixes lack the data to allow verification


Click here for Belarc's System Management products, for large and small companies.

Software Licenses [Back to Top]

Software Versions (mouse over * for details, click * for location) [Back to Top]
1 To Play Racing Simulation 3 *
Acrobat.com *
Adobe Acrobat Version 9.0.0.2008061200 *
Adobe AIR 1.0.1 Version 1.0.1 *
Adobe ImageReady ™ 3.0 Version 3.0 *
Adobe Photoshop Version 6.0 *
Adobe Reader Version 9.0.0.2008061200 *
Adobe Systems, Inc. Adobe Gamma Loader Version 1, 0, 0, 1 *
ALWIL Software - avast! Antivirus Version 4, 8, 0, 0 *
Any Video Converter Application Version 1, 0, 2, 1 *
Apple Inc. - Bonjour Version 1,0,6,2 *
Apple Inc. - iTunes Version 8.1.1.10 *
Apple Inc. - QuickTime QuickTime 7.6 (1292) *
Apple Mobile Device Service Version 2.12.36.0 *
Apple Software Update Version 2.1.1.116 *
Belarc, Inc. - Advisor Version 7.2x *
Cinematronics - 3D Pinball Version 5.1.2600.5512 *
Clutter Cloak Version 1, 0, 47, 04 *
ContextMenu.exe *
Create and edit drawings, flow charts, and logos by using Draw. *
Create and edit presentations for slideshows, meeting and Web pages by using Impress. *
Create and edit scientific formulas and equations by using Math. *
Create and edit text and graphics in letters, reports, documents and Web pages by using Writer. *
Deep Red Games Ltd - RiskII Version 1.00 *
Electronic Arts - EasyInfo 2 Version 2,0,2,5 *
Electronic Arts - The Sims 2 Launcher Version 1.0.0.1 *
Electronic Arts Inc. - EA Uninstall Version 1.04.00.356 *
Electronic Arts, Inc. - EReg Version 1, 0, 0, 58 *
ERUNT *
ERUNT AutoBackup *
FileManager Application Version 1, 0, 0, 1 *
FIRAXIS Games, Inc - Civ3Conquests Version 1.20 *
FIRAXIS Games, Inc. - Trailer Launcher Version 1.00.0009 *
HotSync® Manager, Palm Desktop Version 4.1.0 *
http://movavi.com - MOVAVI Flash Converter Version 2.8.0.1 *
Inkjet Printer Version 1.0.0.0 *
InstallDriver Module Version 8.00 *
IObit - Advanced SystemCare 3 Version 3.0.0.0 *
Lexmark International, Inc. - MarkVision for Windows (32 bit) Version 9.35 *
Macrovision Corporation - InstallShield ® Version 10.50 *
Macrovision Corporation - Software Manager Version 6, 0 *
Magic DVD Ripper *
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Version 1.36 *
Manage databases, create queries and reports to track and manage your information by using Base. *
Maxis, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. - The Sims 2 Body Shop Package Installer Version 1.17.0.66 *
Maxis, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. - The Sims 2 Body Shop Version 1.0.0.999 *
Maxis, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. - The Sims 2 Body Shop Version 1.17.0.66 *
Maxis, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. - The Sims 2 Version 1.0.0.999 *
Microsoft ® Windows Script Host Version 5.7.0.18066 *
Microsoft Application Error Reporting Version 10.0.2609 *
Microsoft Application Error Reporting Version 11.0.8163 *
Microsoft Clip Organizer Version 10.0.6308 *
Microsoft Clip Organizer Version 11.0.8164 *
Microsoft Corporation - ???????? 2002a Version 5.2.2801 *
Microsoft Corporation - Internet Explorer Version 6.00.2900.2180 * Microsoft Corporation - Internet Explorer Version 8.00.6001.18702 *
Microsoft Corporation - Messenger Version 4.7.3001 *
Microsoft Corporation - MSN Messenger Version 7.5.0324 *
Microsoft Corporation - Office Source Engine Version 11.0.5525 *
Microsoft Corporation - Windows Defender Version 1.1.1593.0 *
Microsoft Corporation - Windows Installer - Unicode Version 3.1.4001.5512 *
Microsoft Corporation - Windows Movie Maker Version 2.1.4026.0 *
Microsoft Corporation - Windows® NetMeeting® Version 3.01 *
Microsoft Corporation - Zone.com Version 1.2.626.1 *
Microsoft Data Access Components Version 3.525.1132.0 *
Microsoft LifeCam Version 1.3 *
Microsoft LifeCam Version 1.4 *
Microsoft Office 2003 Version 11.0.8302 *
Microsoft Office Document Imaging Version 11.0.8166.2 *
Microsoft Office InfoPath Version 11.0.8165 *
Microsoft Office Outlook Version 11.0.8217 *
Microsoft Office Picture Manager Version 11.0.8161 *
Microsoft Office Save My Settings/Profile Wizard Version 10.0.6515 *
Microsoft Office Save My Settings/Profile Wizard Version 11.0.8161 *
Microsoft Office XP Version 10.0.6842 *
Microsoft® Windows Media Player Version 9.00.00.3250 *
Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 2.0.50727.3053 *
Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 3.0.6920.1427 *
MicroVision Development, Inc. - Express Labeler Version 3.2 *
MicroVision Development, Inc. - SureThing CD Labeler Version 1.2.590 *
Mobipocket Reader *
Mobipocket Reader for PC Version 4, 7, 0, 412 *
Mobipocket SendBook Wizard Version 4, 8, 0, 13 *
Mobipocket.com webcomp Version 4, 9, 0, 4901 *
Mozilla Corporation - Firefox Version 3.0.10 *
NTREGOPT *
NVIDIA Driver Helper Service, Version 82.68 Version 6.14.10.8268 *
OpenOffice.org 3.0 Version 3.00.9357 *
palmOne Quick Install Version 1.1.0 *
PalmSource, Inc. - Palm Desktop Version 4.1.4 *
Perform calculation, analyze information and manage lists in spreadsheets by using Calc. *
Printer Driver Uninstall Version 1.0.11.0 *
Roxio Creator *
Sonic Solutions - CommonSDK Version 10.0.1.10 *
Sonic Solutions - Editors Module Version 10.0.1.7 *
Sonic Solutions - MediaCapture Version 10.0.1.4 *
Sonic Solutions - Roxio Crunch Version 9.2.5.12 *
Sonic Solutions - Roxio Sound Editor Version 10.1.0.6 *
Stardock - Impulse Version 1, 0, 0, 1 *
Stardock Corporation - Impulse Dock Version 1.0.0.1527 *
Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Java™ Platform SE 6 U13 Version 6.0.130.3 *
sweb.exe *
Symantec Corporation - SymNetDrv Version 5, 4, 3, 11 *
TomTom HOME Version 2.2.2.83 *
Trend Micro Inc. - HijackThis Version 2.00.0002 *
Vernier Software & Technology - Graphical Analysis Version 3.4 *
Western Digital - DLGDIAG for Windows Version 1.09b *
WinRoute.exe *
WinZip Version 12.0 (8252) *
© 2001-2004 Atari Inc. - Civ3Complete Version 1.22 *

——————————————————————————–

* Click to see where software is installed.
a. Megahertz measurement may be inaccurate if other programs were busy during last analysis.
b. Data may be transferred on the bus at one, two, or four times the Bus Clock rate.
c. Memory slot contents may not add up to Installed Memory if some memory is not recognized by Windows.
d. Memory slot contents is reported by the motherboard BIOS. Contact system vendor if slot contents are wrong.
e. This may be the manufacturer's factory installed product key rather than yours.
Copyright 2000-7, Belarc, Inc. All rights reserved.
Legal notice. U.S. Patents 6085229, 5665951 and Patents pending.

Post #2
Hi Matt, welcome.

Since you use FireFox as your main browser, try starting it in FireFox Safe Mode and run that way for awhile, see if that has any effect on your problem. You can get there by clicking on Start, Programs, Mozilla Firefox and finally FireFox (Safe Mode).

If that does not make any difference (still freezes), try running your computer with as few programs running as possible, to see if that fixes it. If so then you can go back and enable them a few at a time until you find the one causing the problem.

First, boot to Safe Mode with Networking by pressing F5 or F8 during boot, see if it happens there. If not then it's caused by something that is starting at bootup. You need to figure out what program is causing the problem.

This is somewhat painful as the items on the desktop will be quite large and most addon hardware, like your iPod and webcam wil not work, but it's an effective way to work on problems like this.

If it's better in Safe Mode, boot to normal mode, the do the following:

Click on Start then Run
Type msconfig and press Enter or click OK
Click on the Startup tab
Disable 4-5 items at a time then reboot and see if the problem occurs.

Repeat till it doesn't, then enable them one or two at a time till it reoccurs, then figure out which one is causing the problem.
Go to Add or Remove Programs and uninstall the offending software. Check for updates then try reinstalling. If it still fails you either have to live with it or find an alternative.

This site has some good information on Startup programs Black Viper's Services Configuration
Post #3
Hi Ztruker, Thanks for your reply. I ran it in Safe Mode, and aside from being slightly slow, it did not freeze. (I assume the slight lag in the graphics was due to the resolution.) Before I begin shutting off startup processes, is their anything I should NOT turn off? Or will the program just not allow me to meddle with those processes? Thanks, Matt M
Post #4
If you are using a firewall other than the built in Windows Firewall , make sure it is started, then proceed.

Open Control Panel and click on Windows Firewall. If it's Off, turn it on because you will be disabling any other Firewall and Anti-virus (temporarily).

Do the Startup items first, then Services if that doesn't help.

It's also possible, though less likely, a device driver is causing the problem and not a service or startup item. We'll work on that if this doesn't help.
Post #5
Hi Ztruker, My Apologies for the length between replies. So far I've determined the problem is not with the startup items, (I only have about five). I am now working my way through the services, and will keep you posted. Thanks, Matt M
Post #6 last edited
Hi All, I have gone through all of my services, and the computer is still freezing. What were you saying earlier about device drivers maybe causing it? ALSO: One time the computer gave me the ol' blue screen, with the following code: (This was only ONE time though not constantly) 0x00008E (0xC0000005, 0x805B9472, 0xB5B1FAA4, 0x00000000) Thanks, Matt M
Post #8
Hi Ztrucker,

I went through that guide, and followed the following steps

1. Evaluate the condition of your PC’s memory by testing it with Memtest86. If this fails, you need to replace your system memory and continue.
2. Evaluate the condition of your hard drive by testing it with Drive Fitness Test. Should DFT fail to correctly function on your system, perform a long scan with SeaTools. If this fails, you need to replace your hard drive after archiving your information. If simple archival fails, Icrontic has prepared an emergency data recovery guide to account for this issue. Replacing your hard drive will require that you reinstall Windows.
3. Evaluate the output of your power supply by testing it with a digital multimeter (DMM). If the power supply is producing insufficient voltages, it must be replaced.
4. If all prior components have been replaced or given a clean bill of health, we have narrowed down the roster of possible culprits to three: A bunged up operating system, a faulty motherboard, or a faulty processor. It is rather unlikely that the processor or motherboard are to blame, so we will now troubleshoot the operating system.
5. Now that we’ve reasonably identified the OS as the source of the issue, you need to enter Windows’ safe mode with networking. Download and run Trend Micro’s HijackThis application. Press the do a system scan only button and wait for the process to finish. A long list of checkboxes adjacent to various text entries will appear. Check every box and press fix checked. You may be prompted with a series of yes/no boxes, so be sure to answer yes to all of them.
6. If removing startup items has failed to remedy the issue, boot back in safe mode with networking and access the device manager. Expand all the categories with the following labels: Disk drives, Display adapters, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, Network adapters and Sound, video and game controllers. Right click on every device contained in those categories and uninstall the device. Also be sure to uninstall any drivers and software related to scanners, webcams and printers. Reboot the PC and attempt to return to your normal desktop. If you can successfully access your normal environment, you must obtain and install the newest drivers for your video adapter, sound card, motherboard chipset, and any printers, cameras or scanners you may have uninstalled.Note: For this one I only uninstalled a driver called 'Jungo', and then uninstalled and updated the nVidia driver. I also uninstalled the Microsoft Lifecam driver, as well as the Microsoft Lifecam software and the HP Photosmart A536 Software
7. If driver replacement has failed to correct the issue, you must be absolutely positive that strains of the Vundo spyware, Smitfraud spyware and Rustock virus are not present on your system. Run the following tools/fixes in sequence to remedy any of these potential issues: A) Vundofix, B) Smitfraudfix, C) Rustock.B Fix.

As i'm sure you can guess by me posting all of this, the computer still freezes. However, no BSOD. (Also, after the last freeze the clock now shows up at 21.37 instead of 9.37)

Thanks very much for all your time,

Matt M
Post #9 last edited
Hi Matt… When you say your computer is freezing, can you be a little more specific? I want you to differentiate between a real "freeze", and just a hanging program. For instance, when your computer "freezes," does the mouse stop moving and the keyboard no longer respond? This is a real freeze. If your mouse is moving, your system is not frozen, and instead a program is hung up. How do you recover from the "freeze?" If your system is really "freezing" it is most likely a hardware problem. If a program is just hanging up it is most likely a software issue. We need to know which one to tackle.
Post #10
Hi AppleOddity, Coincidently, I was just thinking about this. When it freezes, it is random as to when it happens. I have had it happen where I try to log in and log out, mouse stops moving, and all the icons in the taskbar stop blinking, and CTRL+ALT+DEL does nothing. In this case, I try CTRL+ALT+DEL a couple of times, and then manually press the power button to turn off the computer. Another time when it freezes is when I am using Firefox. I will have multiple tabs open, and it will still let me use within the one tab, but as soon as I try to change tabs it locks up. The mouse may move for a bit, but then it stops. Also, any music or sounds I had playing begin repeating the last second or so that was playing. (I'm sure you understand what I mean here) As soon as this happens, again I try to access the Task Manager, but to no avail. Hope This Helps, Matt M
Post #11
Ok Matt.. That helps out, definitely.

Can you read here: http://forums.whatthetech.com/How_Test_Mem…ms_t103823.html

Please create the Windows Memory Diagnostic disc and use it to start a memory test. Follow the instructions to make sure there aren't any bad connections with your memory. While you have the cover off your computer, carefully inspect the fans and make sure everything is spinning as it should. There may be case fans, power suppply fans, CPU fans, and expansion card fans to look for. Please gently tap on the motherboard, and expansion cards in your computer, as well as the RAM while the memory test is running, as suggested in the article. Look for any lock ups. Let the memory tests run for a couple of hours with the computer case all closed up and in its original position, how you normally use the computer. This will reproduce the same environment the computer is usually in, and if it is a heat issue or some other hardware failure the memory tests may lock up within a couple of hours.

Matt, because it is summer time in many parts of the world right now it is possibly warmer than what it has been previously for your computer. Be sure that your computer is receiving sufficient fresh air flow to keep it cool and that it is not stashed away in a cubby hole of a desk.

After you verify these things, we will focus else where. But, we have to get rid of the obvious. Your computer really doesn't look that old, but it does have XP on it, so it must be a couple years old. Fans and memory could be having problems by now.
Post #12
Hi Appleoddity, I ran the memory tests for 3 hours, and then opened the case and tapped each of the memory sticks, as well as the motherboard multiple times. No errors, passed with flying colours. Also, the computer is on the top of the desk with plenty of air. (Although while it was open I did take a compressed air canister and blow the dust out) Matt M
Post #13
That's good news. Sounds like you were thorough on your tests and I am very satisfied.

I'm really racking my brain on this one.

How often do the freeze ups occur? How long have you let your system sit in this "frozen" state before attempting to power it off? I ask because I'd like to know how long you would potentially have to wait before determining if the system is no longer freezing or not, and I would like to make sure that the system isn't recovering from its problem after some time.

You mentioned a blue screen of death.. I'd like to get a couple pieces of diagnostic information from your computer and see if it reveals anything. Can you please capture the System and Application logs from Event Viewer and upload them here.. Here's how:

How to capture an event log and upload it to the forum:
  • First, open Event Viewer by clicking Start -> Run -> type eventvwr.msc and press ENTER.
  • In the Event Viewer please right click the requested event log (i.e. Application, system, etc…) and click Save Log File As.
  • Please save the logfile to your desktop and give it a recognizable name.
  • Do this for each log that has been requested.
  • When you are finished saving the necessary logs, close Event Viewer.
  • On your desktop find the saved log files. Hold the CTRL key and click to select each event log.
  • When all event logs are selected, right-click one of them, click Send to -> Compressed Zip Folder.
  • A new .ZIP file will have been created on your desktop. Please attach that file to this forum in your next reply.

Next, please open My Computer and navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump. Look in the minidump folder for the most recent minidump files. They are labeled by date. I would like the 3 or 4 most recent ones if there are any. These files contain debugging information during the occurence of a blue screen. Please select the 3 or 4 most recent files by holding CTRL and clicking them. When they are selected, right-click one of them and click send to -> compress zip folder. A new .zip file will be created and that file needs to be uploaded to the forum.

These will give me a little insight into how your computer is running.

After getting these logs, can you please also make sure there are no bad sectors on your hard drive by running a chkdsk. YOu may have run a similiar test during your previous tests, but I'm not familiar with the programs that you used. To perform a surface scan with chkdsk click start -> run -> type cmd and press ENTER. At the command prompt type chkdsk /r and press ENTER. When you are asked about scheduling the scan during the next reboot, please answer Yes. Now, reboot your computer and be patient while chkdsk verifies the integrity of your file system and physical surface of your hard drive. It will take a while. Keep your eyes open for any messages about chkdsk "replacing bad clusters…"
Post #14
Hi Appleoddity, Well, usually I don't wait longer than 4-5 minutes before pressing the power button. However, as to one example where it did not fix itself, I ran something in the morning, it froze on my way out of the house and was still frozen when I got home 7 hours later. I figure that is definitive enough. As to frequency, it varies. Sometimes 15-30 minutes sometimes 5 minutes. Sometimes I leave it on for a day and its fine when I come home. I know thats not too much help. Here are the logs, It may take me a while to run chkdsk. (Although I ran it a couple weeks ago with no problems, I will again momentarily.) Thanks again, Matt M

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Post #15
All 3 dumps point to Online Armour as the "possible" source of the problem. Two indicate OADriver.sys, one shows wanarp.sys but also includes OAnet.sys in the call list. Wait for Appleoddity's response but I would consider uninstalling OA and switching to another firewall like Comodo or Zone Alarm, or even uninstall and reinstall OA. But again, please wait for Appleoddity's response.

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