dell inspiron e1505 with vista operating system keeps freezing! HELP!!?

Question

I recently purchased this computer for my dad...but then I borrowed it for an exam before he even got a chance to use it. Now it freezes almost every day for no apparent reason. It doesnt seem to be overheating, I did the fn + power diagnostic test to no avail...I dont know what to do!! please help, I can't return this computer like this!

Thanks for any help

also, control, alt, delete does nothing.

it is a pentium dual core
processor: 1.60 ghz
memory RAM: 1014mb
system type: 32-bit operating system

Answer 1

Could be a simple RAM overload. Run through this checklist. Note: This is for XP. I just got Vista and haven't had time to clog it up yet - but there must be some similarities.

1. Set wallpaper and screensavers to blank or none — they run continuously in the background and use memory.
-----right-click on the desktop, select Properties
-----click the screensaver tab, on the left where it says "screensaver," select none.
-----click the desktop tab, for background, select none
2. Review your start menu – remove anything you don’t need on a daily basis — load games, etc. on an as-needed basis.
-----click Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu
-----click the Start Menu tab
-----select a program you do not want to load at Startup, then click remove.
-----Caution -- do not touch anything you are not sure of or you will mess up your computer royally.
3. From Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options: delete cookies, delete files (offline), and clear history. (You can also set days to store history to 0.)
----- These actions will clear your computer’s cache. (For a description of cache, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/ph/yahoo/mail/access/access-27210.html )
4. Run Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, Defrag at least every two weeks (the more frequently they are run, the less time they take).
-----These can be found in Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools.
5. Periodically, click Start, Programs, Run — then type ipconfig renew
(that’s ipconfig space renew).
6. Optional: Speed vs Goodies — in the Control Panel, System, Advanced, Performance, Settings — you can have visual effects or let Windows select the best options. I am using “Best Performance.” Your choice.
These things should increase speed and free up memory as much as possible.

Answer 2

To start you should have at least 1 GB (1024MB) of ram to run Vista properly (the 512MB min requirement is rediculous).

My friend got a Vista laptop with 512. Out of the box there was like 59 processes running (my xp has 17 running) and it was taking over 448 MB of ram just to run the computer, without any applications open! Buying another 512 Stick was a huge improvement.

If you only have 512 MB, you should buy another 512 at the least. For not much of a price difference I'd seriously recommend buying 1 GB stick, if available for your laptop. Even if it ends up being a different problem your computer using experience will be so much better.

You said you can't return it "like this". I think the "like this" would be a good reason to return it and maybe get a different one. I am guessing it's just the RAM, so give that a try first.

Answer 3

If you recently bought it, you could take it back to the retailer and replace it or get it fixed if it is under warranty. It could also just be the speed of the computer, or its processor. Another idea is that you are running too many programs at the same time. If you bought a standard processor like Mobile AMD Sempron it probably will be slower than a Dual-Core processor. It could also be your RAM size, smaller RAM sizes mean slower programs. Try updating your computer to a 1G RAM and you shouldn't have any problems. But if none of this works, I think you should take it back to where ever you bought your dad's laptop and they should be able to diagnose the problem. I hoped all of this helped and your laptop will stop freezing. :)

P.S. I was just about to buy a Dell Inspiron 1505, I hope this doesn't happen to me.

Answer 4

you need more ram for vista you need about 1GB dont run with 512 MB its just not enough .
but if you just put the 1GB in it it will run great.or just put an other 512 MB and it will run great but just get 1 GB