Odd problem, did everything I could think of

[xultrazerox]

All right so here's the run down. I have an older dell 2.8 ghz, 768 mghz ram, with 60 gig HD

i have had this machine now for 4 years or so and it has worked great Cleaned it out about twice a year. About 2 months ago the machine started freezing. im not talking app's i mean the whole system. i mean evil freezing. get on the net or a game or just the desktop it would freeze. the mouse keyboard everything.

i figured at this point it was problly a virus or spy ware or something so i did a scan on it useing AVG & Spybot S&D. nither of them came up with anything. after a few more day of this the freezing period's shortened and shortened instead of it happenin every hour or so it got to 5 - 10 min.. then eventually on restart at the window's loading screen it started freezing.

he i figured was ither maybe there was a virus the scan missed and now i was deep in it. or HD was biting the dust. So i got lazy and got a diffrent HD and installed it. the system installed windows fine but again on loading screen it froze up.. then i figured maybe a stick of ram went bad. so i switched around the ram in the machine. still kept doing it.

i felt the proccessor and it felt as if it was a little to warm so i cleaned out the coolin unit and applied a new coat of heat sink. and it conitued doing it.. so i changed proccessor's thinking maybe it was that. Still same problem with a new proccessor .

I know a bit about pc's but i am totally stumped at this point on what to do. i have done everything i can think of short of buying and new mobo and proccessor for it. but at the prices they still run i could build another quad core.

If anyone has any idea on what this could be please let me know

Thanks Zero

 

[mailpup]

For testing purposes can you substitute a known good power supply?

 

[xultrazerox]

I sure can I'v got load's of computer parts as i fix them for friends and family. but i have Never ran into this problem be for. I will try this soon.


EDIT = Still frezes up

 

[mailpup]

When you were experimenting with the RAM, did you try just one stick at a time? What kind of graphics card do you have?

 

[xultrazerox]

i tried one stick at a time in dimm 1 slot ea being 256 mb graphics card is a AGP geforce 5200 512 mb graphics card .. the only thing i have been into the machine to do in the past year was to clean in and to put a new Bios battery in as the other one was failing.

 

[mailpup]

Can you try another AGP graphics card to rule it out or maybe try your card in another PC? The card is pretty old and could be the problem. If so, it would be a easy and inexpensive fix.

 

[xultrazerox]

I have not thought of that yet. i didnt think it would have effected the computer like that.

for it bein a new day i have a few plan's for this machine, As all the HD i tried were older from other machines i bought a new 80 Gig to put into it this time. " i may have had horriable luck and the previous three had bad sectors maybe."

but first ill try replaceing the graphics card.. then im puting a 500W power supply into it to bring if up from 400w.

 

[xultrazerox]

Ok i am still having problems in this. i have taken out the graphics card so i dont have to deal with that put in a newer power supply and im only using one stick of ram and have tried changin processor's.. i have no idea what to do..

one of the transistors/ resistor went bad. Kinda cylander shape thar black and tall. the end of it is puffed up and has a look like battery acid ate at it. So bringing it over to may dad's place and havein him replace it if it dose need to be. " Cross's finger's " ** NOTE ** peices located in between my ram slot's and my AGP slot.

maybe someone has some other suggestuions on how you may be able to help me?

 

[mailpup]

From your description that is a capacitor. While you are having it fixed don't neglect to examine all of them. You said you removed the graphics card but keep in mind that the PC won't post without one.