[xpfreeze]

dear GTG
hello, thanks in advance for any help.

i run xp sp2 (all updates are done) and get about 20 crashes/freezes per week. sometimes ten in a row, sometimes none at all on a given day. sometimes during boot up, sometimes not. (so i am thinking it is not temperature related)

my (limited) diagnostic efforts are as follows.

spybot 1.4 finds nothing.
ccleaner has cleaned up registry recently.
memt32 finds nothing wrong with memory.
disk check is all good.
ewido/avg find nothing.
recently defragged
i partitioned the disk about 2 years ago but had no probs at that time. linux is on the other side but i never use it.


msconfid tells me at startup i have the following (means nothing to me):

sis USBrg
AGRSMMSG
sistray
atiptaxx
realsched
jusched
jusched
zlclient
SSBkgdupdate
ctfmon
msmsgs
microsoft office
PowerReg schedule

belarc says:

Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) AOpen MX46-533
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
2.40 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: AOpen 1246 9189U10061
Serial Number:
Bus Clock: 133 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG 09/05/2002
Drives Memory Modules c,d
31.45 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
14.97 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

SONY DVD-ROM DDU1612 [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

ST360015A [Hard drive] (60.02 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 3KC1BW7H, rev 3.33, SMART Status: Healthy 512 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'A0' has 512 MB
Slot 'A1' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes


c: (NTFS on drive 0) 31.45 GB 14.97 GB free
Network Drives
None detected
Users (mouse over user name for details) Printers
local user accounts last logon
Administrator 31/07/2005 9:51:58 PM (admin)
name 27/08/2006 11:50:42 AM (admin)
name 27/08/2006 11:45:16 AM
Guest 14/05/2004 9:21:01 AM
local system accounts
ASPNET never
HelpAssistant never
SUPPORT_388945a0 never

DISABLED Marks a disabled account; LOCKED OUT Marks a locked account

Canon i320 on USB001
Controllers Display
Standard floppy disk controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
SiS PCI IDE UDMA Controller RADEON 9200 SERIES [Display adapter]
RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary [Display adapter]
Samsung SAMTRON [Monitor] (15.7"vis, s/n HMBW107548, January 2003)
Bus Adapters Multimedia
SiS 7001 PCI to USB Open Host Controller (3x) Avance AC'97 Audio
Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Communications Other Devices
Agere Systems PCI Soft Modem


SiS 900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
primary Auto IP Address:
Gateway:
Dhcp Server:
Physical Address:

Networking Dns Server:

i hope someone can help and also hope i have observed correct etiquette for this forum (scared first timer).

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Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

Click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this and check it is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[Retired Tech]

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

Click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this and check it is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[xpfreeze]

Thanks Keith. I will try that.

[xpfreeze]

Attn Keith

I did all that you suggested but am still getting random freezes.

I have gone through event viewer to try and match up events and crashes.

Event ID 529 and 680 are present before/with all crashes. However they sometimes occur in the absence of a crash also.

What else do you suggest I do?

Is there other diagnostic tests I can run besides those I have alreadydone or you have suggested?

Many thanks.

[Retired Tech]

Click this for a guide to using Memtest



Click this to download Memtest




Run it overnight if possible

[xpfreeze]

i ran it for 9 hours. 30 passes, no errors.

[Retired Tech]

Can you click start, right click my computer, click properties, advanced, settings for start up and recovery

Remove the tick for automatically restart, click OK, click apply, reboot

Can you post everything included on the blue screen when it shows

[xpfreeze]

hi keith
1. automatically restart was already unticked.
2. i am not sure what blue screen you are referring to (is it the one with the account icons on it? i presume not)

[Retired Tech]

If it is unticked, instead of crashing / restarting, it should halt on a blue screen with white lettering, which gives details of why it crashed

Can you got to msconfig start up, click disable all, replace the tick for zlclient, click apply and reboot

Do you have anti virus installed?

Can you run the trend online scan for your region

http://www.trendmicr...call_launch.php

[xpfreeze]

thanks again keith

1. i did the msconfig thing.
2. i use AVG free and it is up to date and does not find anything, i have also used a-squared free (i quarintined what it found).
3. i used trend micro online about a month again. it came back clean. same with bitdefender online.

should i be buying new computer at this stage?

[Retired Tech]

Unplug it from the mains and remove the power lead

Open the case and use a torch to check for dust, if you use powered air to remove any, hold all fan blades so they do not spin beyond their limits

Check the memory, sound card, video card etc are all firmly seated

You can remove and replace them to check for bad contacts

Look at the cards for anything unusual, such as bulging / bloated transistors

Can you post the make and model of your motherboard so we can look for a BIOS update

If you enter BIOS set up and there is an option to load BIOS defaults, load them, press F10 to save, type Y to confirm, press enter to reboot

Check for driver updates for everything you can, post the makes and models of anything you are unable to find drivers for, or if you are unsure of any

[xpfreeze]

My motherboard is AOpen.

My first post has the details of my motherboard and BIOS (I think).

[xpfreeze]

Hi Keith

I went into BIOS (scarey) and think I reset defaults.

I noticed that system shutdown temp was DISABLED, also CPU fan was DISABLED. Does that sound right?

[Retired Tech]

Download and install Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to computer then sensor

Look on the right for temperatures and post any it gives

[xpfreeze]

mb 42
cpu 55
hd 43
(all degrees C)