Computer Freezes, No viruses, recently updated

[lilwelshyrs]

Hi,
I've just had my step dad update my computer for me (he builds them). I know he installed a new drive and gave me a different, quieter box for my computer... but it has a tendancy to crash on me every now and then. I don't use it for gaming or anything memory sucking... but I have a lot of music on there!
I've done a virus check and had a few trojans from a programme I downloaded by accident, and that's sorted now. I just bought "ThemePark" from Bullfrog, and I play it for about 5 mins and then it just freezes. I can't even do Ctrl Alt Del! So I press the restart button and try it again... and it's done it every time I've tried to play the game. Is this a game bug or a computer bug? I'm doing another virus check and it's not found anything.
HELP!!

Welshy

 

[meatologist]

coud be a heat problem.

you said that he installed a new drive - check that it has been installed correctly and is not in contact with any other components...

if the PC was made quieter - then maybe he took out a system fan or something?

if he builds computers, then why dont you ask him to take a look ?!

 

[DonNagual]

I didn't quite understand. Is it ONLY doing this while playing that one game? Or does it do it randomly in other programs as well?

Random crashes take a while to diagnose, so you'll have to be patient and troubleshoot one thing at a time.

It would help us if you post your computer stats, but in the meantime, do you have any programs installed that monitor your computer's temperature? It could be that your system is overheating as meatologist is pointing to above. If you don't have any software to monitor temps, download and install this one: https://www.techspot.com/downloads/433-everest-home-edition.html

Next I'd check your ram to see if there are any problems there. This program is a little tricky to use, but just post back here if you have problems with it. www.memtest.org run it for a few hours to see if any errors come up.

Could also be a driver for your system is a little old. Using that program I linked you to above, you can post what components your computer has. Specifically, your motherboard make/model and bios version, as well as your video card make/model.

Have you ever installed/updated drivers before? Do you know how?

Also, take a physical look at your powersupply. Can you tell us the maker and how many watts it is rated at?

That's a lot of questions I know, but my guess is your problem lives somewhere in all that.

 

[tomrca]

you could try scanning with a different av programme for worms etc. which one are you using now?

 

[lilwelshyrs]

OK, computer stats.

System:
Windows XP Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 2

Computer:
AMD Athlon (TM) XP 2400+
1.99 GHz 512 of RAM

Can't get stepdad to take a look because he's gone to America for the time being...
Virus checker I'm using is AVG Grisoft Free Edition. (Up to date) Am doing a McAfee online virus scan as I type.

It can’t be the temperature because I’ve only just turned it on and it crashed whilst playing the game. Last night, instead of restarting my computer when it froze, I left it for an hour to see if it would either shut down itself or recovered. It did neither!
I’ve done msconfig and unchecked all the boxes like iTunes, MSN Messenger etc that run on start up which are unnecessary. The programmes I didn’t know I did a virus check (like MediaGateway and g6onaha2) and there are no viruses. So I restarted computer having made these changes and tried to play the game again… lo and behold, it froze about 5 mins into playing it.

My Mum and I have just had a wireless network installed onto our system configured by my stepdad. She appears to be having a similar problem where her computer also crashes and this is while she is using familiar programmes previously used without any crashing and before the wireless network was installed.

Before I was using the game, I did find that my computer crashed, after it had been updated, whilst using familiar programmes, like my Mum’s computer.

So far no viruses have been detected using McAfee.

Thanks,
Welshy

 

[Gonzo]

I have the same problem

Well - I haven't sorted it out just yet.
I am using AMD 64Bit processor, and the computer just freezes when I consume a lot of memory. I tried running Linux and it froze too.

WinXP also gives a minidump file, and sometimes a BSOD (blue screen of death) with various errors.

I know my RAM is fine (ran memtest) and I know the system is not overheating or anything like that. It is a new computer for god's sake!

still looking...

 

[zsystempr]

OK, computer stats.

System:
Windows XP Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 2

Computer:
AMD Athlon (TM) XP 2400+
1.99 GHz 512 of RAM

Can't get stepdad to take a look because he's gone to America for the time being...
Virus checker I'm using is AVG Grisoft Free Edition. (Up to date) Am doing a McAfee online virus scan as I type.

It can’t be the temperature because I’ve only just turned it on and it crashed whilst playing the game. Last night, instead of restarting my computer when it froze, I left it for an hour to see if it would either shut down itself or recovered. It did neither!
I’ve done msconfig and unchecked all the boxes like iTunes, MSN Messenger etc that run on start up which are unnecessary. The programmes I didn’t know I did a virus check (like MediaGateway and g6onaha2) and there are no viruses. So I restarted computer having made these changes and tried to play the game again… lo and behold, it froze about 5 mins into playing it.

My Mum and I have just had a wireless network installed onto our system configured by my stepdad. She appears to be having a similar problem where her computer also crashes and this is while she is using familiar programmes previously used without any crashing and before the wireless network was installed.

Before I was using the game, I did find that my computer crashed, after it had been updated, whilst using familiar programmes, like my Mum’s computer.

So far no viruses have been detected using McAfee.

Thanks,
Welshy

i have the same problem .... and my computer specs:
AMD Athlon (TM) XP 2400+
2.01 GHz 512 of RAM

 

[meatologist]

Athlon's run hot.

I had the same problem - crashing after 2 mins on Halo multiplayer.

I installed another system fan and replaced my CPU fan with a bad *** AKASA fan.

sorted.