[unclepickle1]

Every few minutes my computer will freeze for between 2-10 seconds. The hard drive light will go on like it's processing something and freeze whatever I'm doing. It does it more with more stressful programs like Counter Strike, but will do it while idle. It also seems to follow an exact pattern. While I was playing CS one time I noticed it did it for 8 seconds every minute or so. People have suggested I get a new hard drive or increase my RAM but I really want to avoid getting new hardware. I've been considering reinstalling Windows but I don't want to do that until I get confirmation that that will help from someone who has had this problem. I have an Alienware Area 51 5500 with 1024 MB RAM. Has this happened to anyone and can you help me?

Edited by unclepickle1, 23 September 2006 - 03:17 PM.

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Hi. When did this start? Have you made any changes to your system recently?

[Facedown98]

Hi. When did this start? Have you made any changes to your system recently?

[unclepickle1]

It's been happening for as long as I can remember and I haven't made any changes.

[starjax]

can you please provide more detail :

cpu: intel/amd and how fast
memory: 1gig
hard drive: total size and how much free space

Have you done preventive maintenance? Try using canned air to blow out the pc, especially power supply, cpu, and video card fans. Have you Defraged the hard drive? Have you tried running a full checkdisk on your hard drive?

[unclepickle1]

intel pentium 4
307 gigs memory, 269 free
I just recently cleaned my computer with compressed air, I do that biyearly
I've defragged many times and ran chkdsk. ChkDsk says it fixed some problems but nothing's changed.

[IO-error]

I pitty the fool that bought an Alienware computer. (Don't take that personal though).

Alienware computers have heat problems. It's a nice eye-candy design, but the design sucks for heat transport. I can say with 80% certainty that it's the heat prpoblem.

Buying a new computercase is sufficient. You don't need all new hardware.
btw, this is based on own experience.
I had an Alienware computer, but I didn't like the 50 degrees celcius at all times, even in idle mode. So I wrecked the case and gave it some breathing room in a hamstercage, the maximum heat produced is now 38-41 degrees.

I can almost guarantee it's heat, that's what I want to tell you.

[starjax]

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

Download and install Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to computer then summarya as

Look on the right for the summary

Click on Report and then qucik report. It will prompt you to choose a file type. Please choose txt.

Click [color="#3333FF"]save to a file
by default it stores the reports in c:\program files\everest\reports

Reply to the post, click browse (listed below the text input window, and select the report. Click add this attachment.

This will allow me to see most of your detailed system information and allow me to make some recomendations. You may have a heat issue as well. Once you post a reply here I can provide instructions on how to determine your themeral readings.

[starjax]

Install speed fan. It will place an icon on your desktop once installed. Just launch it and look at the info it provides. Tempeture and voltages are what we need to look at.