Help! Screen freezes up

I'm running Windows ME on my Compaq Presario. It has worked fine for years,
but in the last couple days (even though I haven't installed anything new or
made any changes to the system) my PC screen freezes up. Cont+alt+delete
won't do anything, so I have to reboot. This isn't specific to any programs
.... the freeze up happens in different programs and even when it's idle and
nothing else is running except Windows. It also happens in Windows Safe mode
and DOS mode. Since the freeze up even happens in DOS mode, does this rule
out any Windows problems or viruses and point to hardware problems?

So far I've tested my RAM memory and that's OK. I've tried a different video
card, and that didn't make any difference ... it still freezes up. I've run
diagnostic programs and it doesn't detect any problems ... but sometimes the
freeze-up will happen in the diagnostic program and I have to reboot. I've
also disconnected my 2nd disk drive (that I use to back up my main
harddrive) in case there was any dual hard drive conflicts, and that didn't
make a difference.

Because it froze up when I did my last hard-drive backup, and it continues
to freeze up when I do a back up (which takes several hours), I cannot save
a backup to my second hard drive. Because I have no back-up, I cannot
"restore" Windows ME to its original state because then I'd lose all kinds
of critical data on my harddrive.

Does this sound like a problem with something on the motherboard? I've ruled
out most other hardware-related things. Does the fact that it also freezes
in DOS rule out anything? Any advice on what to try would be appreciated!!

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.

when you boot to dos and let it sit, does it freeze? or when your in
safe mode?

"Dave K." wrote in message
...
I'm running Windows ME on my Compaq Presario. It has worked fine for
years,
but in the last couple days (even though I haven't installed
anything new or
made any changes to the system) my PC screen freezes up.
Cont+alt+delete
won't do anything, so I have to reboot. This isn't specific to any
programs
... the freeze up happens in different programs and even when it's
idle and
nothing else is running except Windows. It also happens in Windows
Safe mode
and DOS mode. Since the freeze up even happens in DOS mode, does
this rule
out any Windows problems or viruses and point to hardware problems?

So far I've tested my RAM memory and that's OK. I've tried a
different video
card, and that didn't make any difference ... it still freezes up.
I've run
diagnostic programs and it doesn't detect any problems ... but
sometimes the
freeze-up will happen in the diagnostic program and I have to
reboot. I've
also disconnected my 2nd disk drive (that I use to back up my main
harddrive) in case there was any dual hard drive conflicts, and that
didn't
make a difference.

Because it froze up when I did my last hard-drive backup, and it
continues
to freeze up when I do a back up (which takes several hours), I
cannot save
a backup to my second hard drive. Because I have no back-up, I
cannot
"restore" Windows ME to its original state because then I'd lose all
kinds
of critical data on my harddrive.

Does this sound like a problem with something on the motherboard?
I've ruled
out most other hardware-related things. Does the fact that it also
freezes
in DOS rule out anything? Any advice on what to try would be
appreciated!!

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when
replying.
This is a spam guard.

Pop the cover and make sure your cpu fan works. Get a
hardware monitoring program and watch the temps of
everything it is able to check.

Tom

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 11:11:02 -0500, "Dave K."
wrote:

I'm running Windows ME on my Compaq Presario. It has worked fine for years,
but in the last couple days (even though I haven't installed anything new or
made any changes to the system) my PC screen freezes up. Cont+alt+delete
won't do anything, so I have to reboot. This isn't specific to any programs
... the freeze up happens in different programs and even when it's idle and
nothing else is running except Windows. It also happens in Windows Safe mode
and DOS mode. Since the freeze up even happens in DOS mode, does this rule
out any Windows problems or viruses and point to hardware problems?

So far I've tested my RAM memory and that's OK. I've tried a different video
card, and that didn't make any difference ... it still freezes up. I've run
diagnostic programs and it doesn't detect any problems ... but sometimes the
freeze-up will happen in the diagnostic program and I have to reboot. I've
also disconnected my 2nd disk drive (that I use to back up my main
harddrive) in case there was any dual hard drive conflicts, and that didn't
make a difference.

Because it froze up when I did my last hard-drive backup, and it continues
to freeze up when I do a back up (which takes several hours), I cannot save
a backup to my second hard drive. Because I have no back-up, I cannot
"restore" Windows ME to its original state because then I'd lose all kinds
of critical data on my harddrive.

Does this sound like a problem with something on the motherboard? I've ruled
out most other hardware-related things. Does the fact that it also freezes
in DOS rule out anything? Any advice on what to try would be appreciated!!

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.

when you boot to dos and let it sit, does it freeze? or when your in
safe mode?

When I run a program in DOS or SAFE mode, it freezes. However, when the PC
is sitting idle in either modes, so far it hasn't locked up. Does that help
ID the problem at all?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...

Yup, good advice. I had done that when I first started experiencing the
problem and the fans are running. There was lots of dust that I cleaned out
and the vents were partially clogged, so I'm sure it was running hotter than
normal. However, after cleaning everything out, the pc is still locking up.

What kind of hardware monitoring program do you recommend that monitors
temps? How do those work?

My old video card was extremely hot (you couldn't keep your hand on it for
more than a few seconds), even after cleaning out the dust. So I replaced
that with a new one that is running warm but not hot.

Any other ideas?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.
wrote in message
...
Pop the cover and make sure your cpu fan works. Get a
hardware monitoring program and watch the temps of
everything it is able to check.

Tom

you have a hardware problem. PSU or memory related, I would guess. Try
removing all hardware except for the HD- CPU -1 module of memory and
the vidcard.


"Dave K." wrote in message
...
when you boot to dos and let it sit, does it freeze? or when your
in
safe mode?

When I run a program in DOS or SAFE mode, it freezes. However, when
the PC
is sitting idle in either modes, so far it hasn't locked up. Does
that help
ID the problem at all?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when
replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the help. It's worth a try. What is "PSU"?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...
you have a hardware problem. PSU or memory related, I would guess. Try
removing all hardware except for the HD- CPU -1 module of memory and
the vidcard.


"Dave K." wrote in message
...
when you boot to dos and let it sit, does it freeze? or when your
in
safe mode?

When I run a program in DOS or SAFE mode, it freezes. However, when
the PC
is sitting idle in either modes, so far it hasn't locked up. Does
that help
ID the problem at all?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when
replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...

power supply unit


"Dave K." wrote in message
...
Thanks for the help. It's worth a try. What is "PSU"?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when
replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...
you have a hardware problem. PSU or memory related, I would guess.
Try
removing all hardware except for the HD- CPU -1 module of memory
and
the vidcard.


"Dave K." wrote in message
...
when you boot to dos and let it sit, does it freeze? or when
your
in
safe mode?

When I run a program in DOS or SAFE mode, it freezes. However,
when
the PC
is sitting idle in either modes, so far it hasn't locked up.
Does
that help
ID the problem at all?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address
when
replying.
This is a spam guard.
"JAD" wrote in message
...

I use the freeware SpeedFan 4.06; the current
version may be 4.16. It helped me narrow my
lock-up problem to a toasted cpu. The thing
had overheated so many times it started
locking up regardless of how cool I kept it.
It also monitors hard drive temps which allows
me to shut down my laptop before the drive
overheats and causes a reboot. It commonly
overheats during backups - I'll replace the
intermittent fan RSN.

Tom

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 10:14:56 -0500, "Dave K."
wrote:

Yup, good advice. I had done that when I first started experiencing the
problem and the fans are running. There was lots of dust that I cleaned out
and the vents were partially clogged, so I'm sure it was running hotter than
normal. However, after cleaning everything out, the pc is still locking up.

What kind of hardware monitoring program do you recommend that monitors
temps? How do those work?

My old video card was extremely hot (you couldn't keep your hand on it for
more than a few seconds), even after cleaning out the dust. So I replaced
that with a new one that is running warm but not hot.

Any other ideas?

--
NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying.
This is a spam guard.
wrote in message
. ..
Pop the cover and make sure your cpu fan works. Get a
hardware monitoring program and watch the temps of
everything it is able to check.

Tom