computer frozen...?

Question

my computer "freeze" on me, I have to shut down everytime to restart it...I have no clue, any info would be appreciated

it happens alot...

Answer 1

Make sure you have all the patches for your games, as well as all MS updates, patches and hotfixes.


Crashes/freezes could be due to several reasons, including hardware issues. Does it run ok in safe mode?
Check these:
1. Overheating(Open the case and check to see how much dust has collected inside it, and if there is a lot of dust get a can of compressed air and blow the dust out and clean out all dust bunnies, etc. on the heatsink/;fan combo,etc.; and be sure all the fans are spinning and properly functioning )

2. Poor power supply (weak power supply or noisey / dirty electricity)

3. Bad driver or drivers not updated, or a device conflict. Pull the connectors and push them back on. Reseat all of the cards.

4. Not enough memory or bad Ram. Missmatched ram or a bad stick of ram will cause this also. (Run Memtest86: = http://www.memtest.org and
FREE RAM Diagnostic Tool. - CST Inc.s DOS based DocMemory = http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/default.asp .
You might need to add more Ram.

5. Could be IRQ conflict

6. Perhaps the CMOS battery on the motherboard is going bad and needs to be replaced. Check it to be sure.
Also check your pc clock's time and daye, to be sure it is set correctly.

7. Hard drive could be failing.

8 Right click desktop/properties/screen saver/Power/Hibernate tab ,and make sure hibernation is not enabled, and cleann out your [L=Cache & Cookies & Temporary Internet Files and Folder: ]http://www.coloarts.state.co.us/cleanFiles.asp[/L]

9. Make sure you have updated all programs and hadrdware.

10. Motheboard short (loose screw, misplaced mounting standoff , etc.).

Can you remember what was the last thing you did, and what was the last thing you installed before this started happening?

(Note: Will it boot into [b]Safe Mode[/b]? Hit F8or F5 right after the BIOS screen to get boot options. Does it also happen in safe mode?)

Do the following and post back with the info so that we can narrow it down some.
Go to control panel/ system / advanced Tab/ startup and recovery box/ settings button/ sytem failure and uncheck "restart on system failure" ( take the check out of automatically restart box ) , and check the Write a system event, and the Admin alert boxes (check "send admin alert"). This will force a BSOD on the next crash (freezes/restarts = crashing) that posts the EXACT Stop Error Code in Yahoo/Google search, and see what they say.
Also go to yourdevice manager (devmgmt.msc) and check the properties and look for anything suspicious and check that the settings are where they should be.

If nothing else works, you may need to Repair XP =
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm#ViewProductKeyXP

Answer 2

Two things occur to me - one, your computer might be running hot, and two, you might have RAM overload. I'll give information for both.

Computer shuts down – reboots at random – won’t start for several minutes …Computer Running Hot
Source: http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/resource/tips-tricks/2004/shutting-down.html

Does your computer repeatedly reboot at random, or randomly shut down and won't start again for several minutes? There might be several reasons why this occurs, but overheating should be your prime suspect.

If you suspect your computer is overheating, the first components to check are the fans. While nearly all systems have a fan on the power supply, many modern systems have a fan on the front of the case to push addition cooling air over the CPU, a fan on the back to push hot air out of the system, and side or top fans to move additional air in and out of the chassis. In addition, many systems have a fan mounted directly on the CPU and either directly on the high-end video card or on the side of the case over the AGP slot where the graphics card is located.

Whether your system has one fan, two or more, check and make sure they are all running. If a fan is turning slowly or not at all, you might be able to salvage it by carefully cleaning the hub or bearings. However the best plan is to replace the fan as soon as possible. If it is the fan on the CPU, turn off your system immediately and replace this fan or bring your system in to an authorized repair depot to replace the fan. (Caution: replacing a fan on a CPU can be tricky. You don't want to damage your processor. If you have any concerns, make sure to have a professional replace of this fan.)

Dirt and dust are the next major cause of overheating. Dust is an excellent insulator and a layer of it on critical components can keep cooling air from reaching the chips. Shut off the machine, open the case and blow out the innards with canned air. And don't forget the fan on your power supply; these can become clogged as well. Be prepared for a small dust storm, even if your computer is only a few months old.
As an alternative, there are small vacuum cleaners that are designed for computer components. These too will clean a lot of dust out of your system, but you still might need canned air to reach the components that the vacuum cannot reach.

Don't try to run your system with the case off. It not only does not improve cooling, it actually hurts it because modern cases are designed to direct airflow where it is needed. For more on running your system with case cover off, please see My Computer Is Running Hot. What Should I Do?.

It's important that the computer have an unobstructed flow of cool air. Computer desks that hide the case inside a drawer or elsewhere need lots of ventilation to keep that all-important air flow. It's also a good idea to keep the case out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources Generally speaking, your computer is comfortable at the temperatures you are comfortable at.

If necessary, you can install additional fans in your computer, or even a liquid cooling unit for the CPU, to bring down the temperature of the critical components. And remember, you also can buy special sensors that can display your computer's internal temperature either on your screen on a chassis-mounted display. Some motherboard manufacturers, such as MSI, include a utility that displays the system and CPU temperatures without rebooting the system.

Finally, if you are overclocking your system (running the CPU at higher than its rated speed) you are putting a serious additional heat load on your computer. Try backing off to the system's rated speed.
Remember: Heat is the number one killer of computer components. However it isn't the only reason why computers might reboot randomly. Other possibilities include faulty memory, a card that isn't seated into its slot correctly and a host of other problems. But heat is generally the best place to start troubleshooting rebooting problems.
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- Many users are not aware of how much RAM is used by wallpaper and/or a screensaver full of graphics. They run in the background and consume memory. (I have only 512mb RAM, run multiple programs simultaneously, and have set my wallpaper and screensaver to blank.)

I don’t do games, but I do know they are primarily graphics which need and use a lot of memory.

- How many programs do you load at startup? Maybe you should check it out and ensure you are running just what you need.
To do this: cl Start, cl Settings, cl Taskbar and Start Menu.
cl Start Menu, cl Customize, cl Remove.
cl the icon for the program you wish to remove
then cl Remove.
There is also a “Disable All” button.
This will prevent the program from loading at startup, but will not remove the program from the hard disk.

When you are working in a large file, save frequently to restore full memory access. (Your work remains in memory until you “save” it to disk.)

Did you run an error check? Open My Computer,
Right-cl on C:, Select Properties, Tools – Run an Error Check ( checkmark “check all and fix); then run a Defrag

Are you using Yahoo Toolbar? Run a full Norton Antispy.

From IE, click Tools, Internet Options
delete cookies
delete files (offline files)
clear history (set days to save to 0 if you want)
click o.k.
click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools – run Disk Cleanup

click Start, Run ipconfig renew (type ipconfig space renew)

All these things should be done regularly. The more frequently they are run, the less time they take.
Note: Games and videos are mostly graphics. Graphics create large files. If this doesn’t help, you should consider getting more memory.
Good web sites to visit: http://www.theonlinefamily.net/organize/spring_clean_computer/index.html
http://wehow.ehow.com/how_2007317_keep-computer-running-fast-smooth.html

Answer 3

Please give us a little bit more information on your computer.
To do that Start> RIGHT CLICK on My computer> Properties, then tell us what's written under "General"