[Intymax]

My family recently purchased a computer that was built buy a friend of ours. It has Windows XP on it, and I believe that it is a bootleg copy. Since we got the computer it froze very often, no matter what we were doing. Firefox and Internet explorer would often shut down randomly, and occasionally the computer would restart itself. I have recently updated the BIOS and updated the driver for my video and graphics card. The performance of my computer has improved significantly and the freezing has become far less frequent, although it persists when it is in high usage. For example when I am using Pandora.com (a music radio client), watching videos, or playing computer games. My only thought is that the hardware does not match properly, or I have a buggy copy of windows. Please help.

Thanks
Ian

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Hello Intymax...

Another couple of possibilities that might be explored is overheating or a weak power supply.

When was the last time the CPU cooler and power supply were cleaned? A can of compressed air can go a long way towards solving these kinds of issues.

A power supply that's supplying inadequate power to the system hardware can also cause the symptoms you describe.

I'd lean more to the overheating based on your description, though.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hello Intymax...

Another couple of possibilities that might be explored is overheating or a weak power supply.

When was the last time the CPU cooler and power supply were cleaned? A can of compressed air can go a long way towards solving these kinds of issues.

A power supply that's supplying inadequate power to the system hardware can also cause the symptoms you describe.

I'd lean more to the overheating based on your description, though.

wannabe1

[Intymax]

Thanks, I explored that possibility. The computer is brand new so there's no dust accumulation and the fan is working fine. My processor is also running at about 30 degrees C. which I believe is near optimum for an intel duo core.

[Intymax]

Of course that is also assuming the program I was using was correct in reading the sensors. What software would you suggest for reading that temperature?

Also the power supply is a possibility. The computer was built by a friend so he may not have bought a compatible power supply or something?
How would I check to see if that were the issue?

[wannabe1]

What application did you use to monitor the temperatures? I usually recommend SpeedFan as it will also show you the output voltages from the power supply.

Do you happen to know the wattage of your power supply?

[Broni]

I believe that it is a bootleg copy

Get legit copy of Windows XP, and go for fresh install.

[Intymax]

I don't know the wattage of the power supply. Unfortunately, but I will run that monitoring program and see what it says.