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Computer keeps freezing

vRS_Pagey

By vRS_Pagey
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vRS_Pagey Experienced

vRS_Pagey

Posted
Posted

As per title, this happens randomly, but more often than not when I try to open a program - internet - for example. I have noticed that it has only started happening since I started using Google Chrome?!?!? Could this be the cause? When it happens the only course of action is to turn off the computer at the mains, not good! :'(

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vRS_Pagey Experienced

vRS_Pagey

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Well its not relating to Chrome then unfortunately :thumbdown: As mentioned above the next best thing to do is a memory test. This will prove whether its an issue with the hardware rather than the software.

I downloaded the memtest86, but the install instructions aren't very user friendly.....

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trundlenut Mentor

trundlenut

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I downloaded the memtest86, but the install instructions aren't very user friendly.....

If you downloaded it as an ISO image burn it to a cd, bung it in the machine and let it boot from the cd, then it's bloody obvious.

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David 8 Mentor

David 8

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Screw all that m8

Save anything you wanna keep to a usb drive

Get your windows disc

Stick it in

Reinstall windows fresh

Yeah and if it's a hardware fault it will do the same thing again, and you have wasted 5 hrs, if hardware ok then it's this for **** or bust

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Petardo Enthusiast

Petardo

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+1

I was just advising from experience of wasting hours trying to diagose and solve issues

I suppose you could open the pc and reseat the memory chips as they would be the most likely culprit but thought a windows reinstall would rule out any software issues as they are usually the hardest thing to diagnose and fix.

When you are getting seemingly random issues like what was described software is usually where the problem lies. Hardware failure will usually give consistent repeatable issues, not random.

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io1901 Experienced

io1901

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When you are getting seemingly random issues like what was described software is usually where the problem lies. Hardware failure will usually give consistent repeatable issues, not random.

Memory issues can cause seemingly random issues as can a failing PSU.

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cheezemonkhai Grand Master

cheezemonkhai

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I would use Windows Memory Diagnostics. http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

That's what Novatech used diagnosing a memory problem I had where Memtest missed it.

6 of one, novatech missed a memory error where memtest picked it up, but them ran memtest and it got picked up.

At the end of a day, if the software doesn't detect it it's a transient error and they are always hard to pick up.

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gadgetman Grand Master

gadgetman

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Likely memory related. As in windows is loading so much rubbish, you're low on memory.

Start task manager when this happens, and watch the cpu and memory %'s. Also watch what apps are using more than 30,000k of memory when running. Firefox on mine is using a crazy amount of memory when running, as is plugin-container. over 600k between them!

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cheezemonkhai Grand Master

cheezemonkhai

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Likely memory related. As in windows is loading so much rubbish, you're low on memory.

Start task manager when this happens, and watch the cpu and memory %'s. Also watch what apps are using more than 30,000k of memory when running. Firefox on mine is using a crazy amount of memory when running, as is plugin-container. over 600k between them!

If windows runs out of RAm it will page, so it's more likely to be a RAM fault than anything else.

30'000k is only 30MB, it's hardly a lot of ram on modern systems with a minimum of 1GB memory.

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io1901 Experienced

io1901

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Posted (edited)

Windows XP SP2, 3gb RAM, Pentium 4.

Must two sticks of RAM in there. You could take out a stick and see how it works, if it still freezes swap the memory over. You would have to do this for for each memory slot as it might be the memory slot is faulty rather than the RAM simm. If it still freezes you will have probably eliminated the RAM as causing the problem (it's unlikely that both simms have developed a fault).

I've had similar problems with freezing caused by dodgy device drivers for the Video card and a failing PSU.

Of course you have to happy about furtling around in the inside of you PC as the RAM simms may not be very easy to get at and don't forget:-

1.to make sure the pc is off and disconnected from the mains

2. You are earthed (touch a radiator or wear a earthing bracelet) before touching anything inside.

Edited by io1901
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