[RiffRaffCat75]

Hey guys, I've got a desktop that is freezing up after every start up and I'm ready to just throw it out. I can get it to work sometimes in safe mode but it will also freeze up then too. I've run virus scans and I've done a check disk on the hard drive and all is good there. I just don't really know what to do next. Any ideas or suggestions would be great. Thanks. Oh, one more thing I just thought of. It started doing it's freeze up thing about 3 or 4 weeks ago but wasn't that bad and only did it ever now and then. As time went by it just got worse and now freezes up once you get to the desktop after turning it on. Thanks for any help.

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Classic heat symptoms. Is the interior free of heat trapping dust?

Could also be a failing power supply or failing RAM. But then it could also be a failing motherboard or failing graphics cards. So, as you can guess, troubleshooting freezing problems is often difficult.

I would start by making sure the interior is clean and all fans spin properly. While in there, inspect for leaky capacitors. They look like tall soda cans, with many surrounding the CPU socket. If leaking, you should see dried white to dark brown foam that has oozed out the tops or bottoms. Bulging caps are getting close to start leaking. After that, I always want to know if I have good power, so I would swap in a known good supply, or have that one tested.

[Digerati]

Classic heat symptoms. Is the interior free of heat trapping dust?

Could also be a failing power supply or failing RAM. But then it could also be a failing motherboard or failing graphics cards. So, as you can guess, troubleshooting freezing problems is often difficult.

I would start by making sure the interior is clean and all fans spin properly. While in there, inspect for leaky capacitors. They look like tall soda cans, with many surrounding the CPU socket. If leaking, you should see dried white to dark brown foam that has oozed out the tops or bottoms. Bulging caps are getting close to start leaking. After that, I always want to know if I have good power, so I would swap in a known good supply, or have that one tested.

[RiffRaffCat75]

Thanks for the info and help Digerati! I was thinking RAM or maybe processor but hadn't gotten much rather than that yet. I'll check all the things you've got listed and see what I come up with. I'll let you know what I find when I brake it open and run some more test. Thanks again.

[Digerati]

If the processor, that would point to heat, since it does run a bit, at least in Safe Mode.

You can test RAM using one of the following programs. Both require you to create and boot to a bootable floppy disk or CD to run the diagnostics. Allow the diagnostics to run for several passes or even overnight. You should have no reported errors.

Windows Memory Diagnostic - see the easy to follow instructions under Quick Start Information,
or
MemTest86+ (for more advanced users) - an excellent how-to guide is available here,
or
Windows 7 users can use the built in Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool.

Alternatively, you could install a single RAM module and try running with that to see if it fails. Repeat process with remaining modules, hopefully identifying the bad stick through a process of elimination. Of course, all this requires the computer to keep running.

[RiffRaffCat75]

I'm thinking I've got some over heating issues now that I think about it. Most of my other systems run between 41C - 56C but this one with the freezing up issues, was running at 68 or higher for a little while now. I've downloaded all the RAM tester you mentioned but just haven't burned them to disc yet. Once I brake it open, I might not even need to run those test. We'll see.

[Digerati]

Cleaning the interior is first.

I start to get nervous when CPU temps hit 60° and get a little panicky as they approach 70°.

[RiffRaffCat75]

Yeah, I've got the air compressor building air right now. It's not bad dusty inside. I keep them pretty clean on a regular basis, but it could still use a cleaning. And I know what you mean about the temp getting on up there. It makes me nervous too.

I've checked the things you listed on the mobo and all the fans are running, no leaking of anything, but I do have one fan making some noise. I think it's the power supply fan rattling.

It's up and running right now but for how long, couldn't say. Running a virus scan now. We'll see how it does but I'm thinking this machine may be done. I was just hoping to get a few more months use out of it. I hope to try my first built after the new year but money will be the major factor on that.

[Digerati]

As far as air compressors, make sure you use an inline moisture and particular filter like one of these: