[SOLVED] Windows Xp Freezing Up

athensdj · 10-27-2009, 04:20 PM

Hello!

Out of the blue my Pc starts to freeze up. Ctrl+ALt+DEL does not work. Even after a complete format and clean install I still have the same problem. I can copy files to and from c:/ drive, fully update windows, install programs,
write text docs, etc without any freezing up...

All my programs & hardware function perfectly but a few minutes into using any apps even surfing, Mr. Freeze!!! My cpu temp is 34/celsius as my Mb is 39/celsius. All my fans are functioning well as is the processor fan. All device manager and bios show absolutely no problems.

I can access c: and all my 10 drives on the freezing pc via other home network computers and play mpeg files from the freezing pc source.

If I play them directly on the Problem Pc @ question they freeze within a few minutes.

I suspect my c:/drive is ready to give out!!! I doubt the M/B is at fault, I hope, and I'm sure it's not the os, it's original+legal xp pro sp 2 used 4yrs now.

ANY IDEAS PLEASE!!! I don't feel like getting a new hdd
formatting and having the same problems again...

coolermaster tower
intel core 2 cpu 6600 @ 2.4 ghz 3.0 ram
asus commando mother board
1 x gforce nividia 7600 sli disabled
1 x promise sata controller 300
1 x sata controller 2300
1 x asus xonar d1 sound card
1 x asus tv tuner
10 hdd sata hdd's western+seagate
xp pro sp3 (fully updated)

Thank you!!!
George P.
Athens - Greece

IT-Tech · 10-27-2009, 07:35 PM

Hi and welcome

What type of power supply and what rating does it have? You have a lot installed on that system, so it should be a pretty BIG one.

You may not be far off on the or an HDD starting to fail. However, your power supply could also be the problem along with a larger list of other items including malware.

Check your power supply, check your system voltages in the BIOS is present, and I'd also recommend using the manufacturer's test on your hard disk drives.

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?lang=en

Go there and find your specific hard disk drives and get the software to test them.

Thanks!

athensdj · 10-28-2009, 06:07 AM

Good morning,

Thank you so very much for your help and
quick response!!!

The C drive is seagate st3250620a. I ran seagate diagnostic tool. Smart, short test & short generic test all passed. Can't run the long tests because, After installing network frame and diagnostic app and running the above tests the Pc started to freeze again.
Had downloaded the software on another pc. Basically I have a 10-15 min working time line then MR. Freeeze...
I guess the Hdd theory would have been the fastest and easiest solution for me but...

Power Supply Tanga 700
Voltage warning Enabled
Vcore voltage 1.296
Fsb termination
voltage 1.232
Nb vcore 1.312
Ddr voltage
termination 0.976
sb chip set 1.056
sb stata pci 3.328
5v 5.017
12v 11.932

If it was malware wouldn't that disappear with a format
and clean install. I'm very stumped frustrated & wanna
throw the dam thing out the window...

Sincerely,
George Papadakis.

IT-Tech · 10-29-2009, 06:04 AM

You will want to get SEATOOLS for DOS and do the diagnostics. It will also be interesting to see if you system BOOTS to a CD and runs or not.

You will also want to get the Western Digital DIAG for DOS that boots to CD to test the other drives.

Your 700 PSU may very well be your problem. You have a lot stuff installed in the machine along with a power consuming VGA card.

According to your description it sounds like the system will run as long as you do not put a LOAD on it. So, if you fire up the system and let it run without logging into the PC, but use your file sharing across the network, it will stay running?

Thanks

athensdj · 10-30-2009, 08:16 AM

Good afternoon,

I've booted with dos version seagate disc tools. Did all the tests on c drive. All positive. I will not endure doing this for 9 drives more all seagate.
I'm no pro but yes I think your right it's most probably the psu. I guess these are the pre-warning symptoms the psu has had enough. I must admit this pc has seldom been switched off the past 5 yrs. I never knew or imagined a psu can cause such problems...

One last thought before I get a new psu. Could the vga card be the problem? Within the last 24 hrs sometimes during the boot sequence I get binary code,$ and pacman signs,color dis functions & wavy static on monitor screen, but the pc boots correctly and freezes after the standard 5 mins. All this freshly started after I removed dusted and re inserted the vga card. After the main power cord is disconnected a few seconds computer boots smoothly again with our 5 min freeze after. No binary jazz or screen distortion for a couple of hrs now.

I VOTE PSU!!!

Many thanks for your
time & patience!!!
George Papadakis.

IT-Tech · 10-30-2009, 01:11 PM

Yes, it COULD be the VGA card or even a driver for it. However, given the age of the PSU and the run time on the PSU, I'd be looking really hard at the PSU.

Also, lack of proper power to the VGA could cause it to produce the "odd graphics" on the screen. Could be the motherboard also! There are many possibilities. It's a matter of eliminating them or using special test equipment to eliminate them. Cheaper to trial and error. PSU is probably the cheapest of all, so I'd replace it with even a bigger one if possible.

Oh come on... you don't want to endure the other 9 drives? LOL It's kind of like defragging a RAID 5 array (no I don't do that), but I have seen people that do and the one I remember the most was a 2TB RAID5 array that took 5 days to process.

You are welcome! I didn't do much though. Please let me know if replacing the PSU solves the issue or not!

Thanks!

**Tyree** · 10-30-2009, 04:58 PM

Is the PSU a Tanga or Tagan?
I've never heard of or can't find any reference to Tanga PSU's. I did come across Tanga UPS'.

athensdj · 10-31-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyree

Is the PSU a Tanga or Tagan?
I've never heard of or can't find any reference to Tanga PSU's. I did come across Tanga UPS'.

It's a Tagan. I changed the psu had the pacman signs, then changed the graphics card which was a geforce 7600 and all is fine now!
Don't mind having changed the psu that may be what caused the vga to malfuntion. In any case there are a lot less wires in the casing. So with a new thermaltake 850w psu & xfx geforce 9800gt this pc will be good to go another 5 years I hope. Glad the mb & hdd's r fine...

thank you kindly for all your help!!!

**Tyree** · 10-31-2009, 08:07 AM

I assumed it was a Tagan and thew are not very good quality PSU's.
Is the Thermaltake PSU a Touph Power model? The other Thermaltakes aren't that reliable.

athensdj · 10-31-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyree

I assumed it was a Tagan and thew are not very good quality PSU's.
Is the Thermaltake PSU a Touph Power model? The other Thermaltakes aren't that reliable.

Hope I made the right choice it's Thermaltake Toughpower
QFan W0204 850watts...

Cheers!

athensdj · 10-31-2009, 09:52 AM

ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED!!!
THANKS 4 U R SUPPORT GUYS!!!

dai · 10-31-2009, 10:15 AM

good choice glad you have it sorted

10-27-2009, 04:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
athensdj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7 OS: xp pro	[SOLVED] Windows Xp Freezing Up Hello! Out of the blue my Pc starts to freeze up. Ctrl+ALt+DEL does not work. Even after a complete format and clean install I still have the same problem. I can copy files to and from c:/ drive, fully update windows, install programs, write text docs, etc without any freezing up... All my programs & hardware function perfectly but a few minutes into using any apps even surfing, *Mr. Freeze!!!* My cpu temp is 34/celsius as my Mb is 39/celsius. All my fans are functioning well as is the processor fan. All device manager and bios show absolutely no problems. I can access c: and all my 10 drives on the freezing pc via other home network computers and play mpeg files from the freezing pc source. If I play them directly on the Problem Pc @ question they freeze within a few minutes. I suspect my c:/drive is ready to give out!!! I doubt the M/B is at fault, I hope, and I'm sure it's not the os, it's original+legal xp pro sp 2 used 4yrs now. ANY IDEAS PLEASE!!! I don't feel like getting a new hdd formatting and having the same problems again... coolermaster tower intel core 2 cpu 6600 @ 2.4 ghz 3.0 ram asus commando mother board 1 x gforce nividia 7600 sli disabled 1 x promise sata controller 300 1 x sata controller 2300 1 x asus xonar d1 sound card 1 x asus tv tuner 10 hdd sata hdd's western+seagate xp pro sp3 (fully updated) Thank you!!! George P. Athens - Greece Last edited by athensdj; 10-27-2009 at 04:29 PM.

10-27-2009, 07:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
IT-Tech Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 293 OS: All Microsoft Operating Systems My System	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up Hi and welcome What type of power supply and what rating does it have? You have a lot installed on that system, so it should be a pretty BIG one. You may not be far off on the or an HDD starting to fail. However, your power supply could also be the problem along with a larger list of other items including malware. Check your power supply, check your system voltages in the BIOS is present, and I'd also recommend using the manufacturer's test on your hard disk drives. http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?lang=en Go there and find your specific hard disk drives and get the software to test them. Thanks!

10-28-2009, 06:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
athensdj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7 OS: xp pro	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up Good morning, Thank you so very much for your help and quick response!!! The C drive is seagate st3250620a. I ran seagate diagnostic tool. Smart, short test & short generic test all passed. Can't run the long tests because, After installing network frame and diagnostic app and running the above tests the Pc started to freeze again. Had downloaded the software on another pc. Basically I have a 10-15 min working time line then MR. Freeeze... I guess the Hdd theory would have been the fastest and easiest solution for me but... Power Supply Tanga 700 Voltage warning Enabled Vcore voltage 1.296 Fsb termination voltage 1.232 Nb vcore 1.312 Ddr voltage termination 0.976 sb chip set 1.056 sb stata pci 3.328 5v 5.017 12v 11.932 If it was malware wouldn't that disappear with a format and clean install. I'm very stumped frustrated & wanna throw the dam thing out the window... Sincerely, George Papadakis.

10-29-2009, 06:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
IT-Tech Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 293 OS: All Microsoft Operating Systems My System	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up You will want to get SEATOOLS for DOS and do the diagnostics. It will also be interesting to see if you system BOOTS to a CD and runs or not. You will also want to get the Western Digital DIAG for DOS that boots to CD to test the other drives. Your 700 PSU may very well be your problem. You have a lot stuff installed in the machine along with a power consuming VGA card. According to your description it sounds like the system will run as long as you do not put a LOAD on it. So, if you fire up the system and let it run without logging into the PC, but use your file sharing across the network, it will stay running? Thanks

10-30-2009, 08:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
athensdj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7 OS: xp pro	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up Good afternoon, I've booted with dos version seagate disc tools. Did all the tests on c drive. All positive. I will not endure doing this for 9 drives more all seagate. I'm no pro but yes I think your right it's most probably the psu. I guess these are the pre-warning symptoms the psu has had enough. I must admit this pc has seldom been switched off the past 5 yrs. I never knew or imagined a psu can cause such problems... One last thought before I get a new psu. Could the vga card be the problem? Within the last 24 hrs sometimes during the boot sequence I get binary code,$ and pacman signs,color dis functions & wavy static on monitor screen, but the pc boots correctly and freezes after the standard 5 mins. All this freshly started after I removed dusted and re inserted the vga card. After the main power cord is disconnected a few seconds computer boots smoothly again with our 5 min freeze after. No binary jazz or screen distortion for a couple of hrs now. I VOTE PSU!!! Many thanks for your time & patience!!! George Papadakis.

10-30-2009, 01:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
IT-Tech Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 293 OS: All Microsoft Operating Systems My System	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up Yes, it COULD be the VGA card or even a driver for it. However, given the age of the PSU and the run time on the PSU, I'd be looking really hard at the PSU. Also, lack of proper power to the VGA could cause it to produce the "odd graphics" on the screen. Could be the motherboard also! There are many possibilities. It's a matter of eliminating them or using special test equipment to eliminate them. Cheaper to trial and error. PSU is probably the cheapest of all, so I'd replace it with even a bigger one if possible. Oh come on... you don't want to endure the other 9 drives? LOL It's kind of like defragging a RAID 5 array (no I don't do that), but I have seen people that do and the one I remember the most was a 2TB RAID5 array that took 5 days to process. You are welcome! I didn't do much though. Please let me know if replacing the PSU solves the issue or not! Thanks!

10-30-2009, 04:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,810 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up Is the PSU a Tanga or Tagan? I've never heard of or can't find any reference to Tanga PSU's. I did come across Tanga UPS'. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

10-31-2009, 08:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,810 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up I assumed it was a Tagan and thew are not very good quality PSU's. Is the Thermaltake PSU a Touph Power model? The other Thermaltakes aren't that reliable. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

10-31-2009, 09:52 AM	#11 (permalink)
athensdj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7 OS: xp pro	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED!!! THANKS 4 U R SUPPORT GUYS!!!

10-31-2009, 10:15 AM	#12 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,759 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Windows Xp Freezing Up good choice glad you have it sorted __________________