Windows 98 freezes when I open any program

[kchtaz]

I don't know a whole lot about computers. I have a windows 98 and it was freezing while I was online (AOL), but now it is freezing up after open any of our programs. Sometimes the program loads and sometimes it doesn't completely load. I can do Ctrl + Alt + Del most times.
The computer is a Gateway purchased in 1999. Any suggestions?

 

[zephead]

do you have any antivirus/antispyware programs installed/running? if so, what programs, versions, and do you actively update and maintain said apps? do you update windows? what browser do you use?

 

[kchtaz]

We do have Aol's anti-virus protection and their anti-spyware software. My husband is convinced if you download updates you will only cause problems, so we've never done that on the offending computer.
We have internet explorer 6 and I just downloaded the newest version of that without any change in the computer's performance.
We have Microsoft Word 97, Microsoft Works (spreadsheet and database). I tried using the manufactors "Help Spot" disk, but it was never installed and now the computer freezes before I can agree to the terms before it's installed.

 

[hotice]

You have to make sure you run updated scans for the viruses and spyware etc, if you havent your system may be really infected with nasties.
Also do you do do maintenance such as disk cleanup and defrag? It would also be a good idea to run scandisk.

 

[DelJo63]

I don't know a whole lot about computers. I have a windows 98 and it was freezing while I was online (AOL), but now it is freezing up after open any of our programs. Sometimes the program loads and sometimes it doesn't completely load. I can do Ctrl + Alt + Del most times.
The computer is a Gateway purchased in 1999. Any suggestions?

did you recently add any RAM? if so, remove it and try again.
A friend had this problem and the new RAM went south a few weeks after the install.

 

[kchtaz]

We are running and updating virus and spyware and I frequently run defrag and sacndisk.

 

[kchtaz]

My DH pulled out our video card (something he had to do before) and used an air duster to blow off the dust and now it's working like it should. Thank you to everyone that posted a reply for me.