Laptop keeps freezing, details inside

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So, my laptop has been freezing. But not exactly randomly. I can run AIM for roughly 5-10min without a freeze-up (aka, nothing works/opens, but I can still move the mouse). OR I can open up firefox and it will run no problems on about half of the sites/forums I usually browse. And lastly, I have tried to scan the computer several times, but it freezes up almost exactly halfway through (three times now), and then I can press the "Quarantine" button and it will freeze again halfway through deleting what's there (just tracking cookies).

I'm one of those people with a secondary computer, one for gaming, one for everything else. My laptop is that everything else computer, and it's quite annoying having to alt-tab out of my precious games. :p Worst case, I may resort to re-formatting.

If you need anymore information, I'd be happy to give it. I don't know the exact specs of the computer, as I really never cared what they were, being my secondary computer, and I can't open the system info without it freezing, so I did the best I could copying specs from a website then changing what I remembered. But it's a Dell Inspiron 1501, and you can look it up yourself if the below specs isn't enough information, or I might be able to help out.

Specs
* AMD Sempron 3500+ (1.8GHz/512Kb)
* 15.4" Ultrasharp WXGA display
* 1GB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz (1 DIMM)
* ATI Xpress 1150 256MB HyperMemory (Integrated graphics)
* 60GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* 24x CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
* 6-cell 53 WHr lithium-ion battery
* Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition
* Dell 1390 802.11g Mini Wireless Card

EDIT: I just attempted to do a virus scan through Safe Mode, and halfway through, rather than freezing, the computer just shut down on me. No "Windows is shutting down." or anything, just went from scanning to *power off*
 
Ugh, in which case reformatting may not do anything? Any ideas as to what to try before at least attempting to reformat?
 
I'm running Super Antispyware Free Edition. I will have to try those things later tonight if I have time. As far as the blue screens, no, I haven't gotten any. The computer either freezes in normal windows, and needs a force-shutdown, or it simply shuts down in Safe Mode, no warnings given.
 
hi again slim82x

Please do follow the 8-step tool I posted previously. SuperAntispyware is not an anti-VIRUS. It is dedicated to the removal of Spyware. By doing the 8-step removal, you will have to download one of the recommended anti-viruses (Avira or Avast). Post your logs on completion.

Spyder_1386 :)
 
Okay. So. Problem here is, I cannot get FF or IE to open long enough to get anything without the computer freezing up. I can install the programs onto my external HDD, but I don't want to open up my desktop to the possibility of infection if the virus can install itself onto my HDD, then onto my desktop when I put it back onto my desktop later on (I use it regularly).

EDIT: I have Memtest running now. I had a disc from a month or two ago when my desktop was acting up. My buddy had me run it, but never told me when to have it stop, so I ended up stopping it like 62 hours later, lmao. How long should I let it run, and what do you need to know off of it afterwords?

EDIT #2: Memtest finished, don't know why it never stopped on my desktop, maybe because I let it run overnight *shrug*. Either way.. Here's what it shows:
WallTime: 2:28:30 // Cached: 894M // RsvdMem: 386M // MemMap: e820-Std // Cache: on // ECC: off // Test: Std // Pass: 2 // Errors: 0 // ECC Errs: *blank*
Pass complete, no errors, press Esc to exit.

I'm going to keep it running for now. And I realized that I never answered you about the overheating thing. I doubt it's overheating, I always have it on a cooling station with the station's fans on high, but you never know. If I could actually get onto the computer and run things, I'd be able to check for you.
 
Download and install Malwarebytes if tou can. (You can try running in Safe Mode with networking) Run the scan in the Safe Mode and see what it comes up with
 
No go. The laptop is now turning off before I can choose to log in as Administrator. Beginning to think it's a hardware issue. :(
 
download the setup files for the 8-step onto a flash stick (pen drive) .... start up your pc and go into safe mode if you can. Install everything then and try to complete.

Try running a chkdsk through the Repair function on your Windows CD. Maybe some files were corrupted and need to be replaced.

Spyder_1386 :)
 
No luck on the 8-step. Can't get into safe mode and it freezes before I can open anything. As far as the chkdsk goes, I can't find my Windows CD for the life of me. Maybe my grandfather has it, because it's not where I could have sworn I had it (safe kept away with the rest of my discs in my lockbox :()
 
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