Computer Freezes

[RPT]

Let me apologize in advance if I have posted this in the wrong forum, and if I am providing insufficient information. However, I am at my wit's ends! For a while now my computer seems to inexplicably freeze for no good reason, and I'm beginning to think it may be a video card or video driver problem. Here's what I've noticed:
- The problem doesn't seem to occur when I'm in safe mode
- It seems to happen most often when I'm actively online (i.e. - downloading or on the net)
- The computer is totally unresponsive (including Ctl+Alt+Del), but the mouse still moves around, the animation on the mouse is active, and the NUM LOCK key on the keyboard works.

I have reinstalled Windows XP Pro a couple of times, but the problem persists. I have an ATI Saphire (RADEON) X300SE video card, an AMD Athlon 64 bit 3000+ (1.8 GH) CPU and 1 Gig of DDR Ram.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[hermeslyre]

This Is posted in the wrong place.. this said you probably have spyware or virus'. Download avg free edition, avast, spybot, etc. They are all great, free products.

 

[RPT]

.you probably have spyware or virus'.

Actually, I think it IS a hardware problem. I run Spybot & Adaware regularly as a matter of coures, and my ISP provides Norton Anti-Virus and Firewall.

On Wednesday nite I got fed up and completly reinstalled windows, all of the peripherals, key software, windows updates, etc. Four hour later ...
- I started running into a brand new problem. Windows doesn't freeze, but some programs just won't run
- e.g. - NERO is properly installed, but it I try to start it (either by clicking on the icon or through the "run" command), and nothing happens.
- e.g. - when I try to run add/remove, it tells me to "please wait while the list is being populated", but it never gets there
- e.g. - when I reinstalled Office 2003 from my install disk, there was a looonnnggg period of time between my clicking on the "install" button and the installation process actually beginning.
- e.g. - when I tried to shut it off, it simply refused to respond. I ended up diconecting the power supply to shut it off.

This is all since I reinstalled Windows Wednedsay Nite! Who knows what new horrors await. There was no chance to clog up the registry, infect the computer, etc. Once again, everything seems to work just fine in my old friend, SAFE MODE.

I really believe I'm dealing with a video card problem, and I don't know if the card is nackered or whether it's just overheating. I was having a problem with the HD's overheating, so a while ago I installed a number of fans. A couple of Hard Disk analysis utilities I run indicate thay are fine, but I ran SpeedFan this morning, and it indicated that something was overheating (I'm not sure what). If the Video card is overheating, I don't think I have any room to install any more fans! My pwer supply is a 550W, so I assume that's not it.

Can anyone offer any advice, or do I have to go back to my nintendo, typewriter and abacus?

Thanks!!!

 

[hermeslyre]

hmm.. so it was working fine at one time? i dont think iv ever heard of a vid card causing slow downs.. is there any other reason except the overheating that causes you to believe its the problem? oh and try to locate the overheated component again, that may help.