Windows xp freezing....?

LordVader · 25 Nov 2008 at 20:46

For some unknown reason windows has started freezing on me.

It dont totally freeze up, you can still move the mouse abit the cursor is alittle "jumpy"

I cant get into ctrl-alt-del but num lock still works so pc not totally locked.

Formatted and started afresh and still doing it. Not changed any drivers and my pc has been stable for over 2 years at current settings.

Restored default clocks and still happens.

If im using the pc it dont happen, can be on it for hours!! it only seems to happen when i leave it alone for a while

LordVader · 5 Dec 2008 at 08:33

I tryed installing vista to see if it happends and again after i leave it for a while (screen saver kicks in, screen turn to standby etc etc) it still locks up.

With vista though i did get a BSOD and it does a memory dump to the HDD, where would i look to find this?

Only things installed were Nvidia drivers (NF4) and Ati display drivers. Like say i can use it for 8 hours straigh and no problem its only when it gets left.

bledd · 5 Dec 2008 at 08:58

sounds like a dodgy ram stick

LordVader · 5 Dec 2008 at 09:19

Surely if it was ram related it would die under load. I was playing RA3 for about 4 hours the other day and it was a-ok :confused:

bledd · 5 Dec 2008 at 10:19

i've had the same type of problem before on two machines, sometimes would be fine for days, narrowed it down to dodgy ram sticks (they passed memtest fine etc)

LordVader · 5 Dec 2008 at 12:50

Hmm will try taking 1 out then and see what happens.

Will give them a good 24hrs with memtest as well, see if that kills anything

LordVader · 7 Dec 2008 at 14:10

Well i ram memtest for 24hrs and 100% fine.

This is truly doing my head in i just cant figure it.

Just a little update when the pc freezes like i say above it dont lockup totally, you can still do stuff but lets say it will take 30 seconds to press the start button.

I cant get ctrl-alt-del up still though when it happens

Sweeney · 7 Dec 2008 at 14:39

Try with one stick of ram at a time (assuming its a 2 stick setup you're using)

LordVader · 7 Dec 2008 at 17:07

Done that still doing it.

Defo only happens when i leave the pc.

LordVader · 7 Dec 2008 at 22:35

Ok im sure its not hardware related.

Ram :- 24hrs memtest, dual stick and single stick
Cpu :- 4 hours prime95
HDD :- Hitachi Advance test pass

Only thing i cant test easy is the PSU but that lives during a gaming session.... I might try and install linux for the first time in my life and see how i get on there

swinnie · 7 Dec 2008 at 22:47

You got any spare RAM lying around that you can use?