Windows XP: Windows Xp system just randomly freezes, What's causing this?

@husi_007 (304)
India
December 5, 2008 10:06pm CST
Why does my laptop suddenly stops? I have a dell inspiron 1501 running windows XP SP2(32 bit OS) with 2GB memory and 160GB HDD and 30% free space.Without notice, while running programs or simply surfing the internet it just stops,it doesn't turn off, it just freezes and become motionless. and there is no way i cant do anything until i manually turn it off.I have tried bitdefender,norton,node32 anti viruses and all of them told me that my computer is virus free.What should i do.Anybody please help me...
8 responses
• United States
6 Dec 08
It sounds like you might have too many "unseen" programs running in the background (spyware)... in which case a virus scan would show nothing. you really need a spyware scan (spybot is one of the best) and if that doesn't show anything.. you might want to defrag... you wouldn't believe how that can slow you down or even make you freeze up. * no virus scan can catch EVERY virus.. so you might want to do an online scan, using many different scanners. what yours missed.. another virus scanner might find.
1 person likes this
@husi_007 (304)
• India
7 Dec 08
Thank you for your response...
• Argentina
7 Dec 08
Lots of good responses in this discussion, so I'm not going to repeat them. I just wanted to add something: Try getting a program to monitor the temperatures, it could be that the system is overheating. I'm not familiar with laptops, but just a few weeks ago I fixed a friend's desktop that had this exact same problem and it was because the cooler had got loose and fell down when the guy moved to a different apartment. Rich
1 person likes this
@KaMlBob (786)
• United States
6 Dec 08
If you have service pack 2, there is a service pack 3. Try doing your updates. These are very important. You should have them on and allow your system to update automatically, many are security updates, even if you have to allow your computer to stay on for hours; allow the updates to download and install. Sometimes a computer will freeze if the processor gets too hot. make sure your fan is running. These can fail and in turn burn up your cpu, rendering your laptop useless, the you would have to replace the cpu, which could run a couple hundred. If you have anyway of dusting your system, do so, although laptops are pretty compact and not much dust gets inside, excessive dust can cause a computer to overheat also. Make sure you have have a good SPYWARE program also, like Spybot or spywareblaster. They are free downloads. Good luck.
@KaMlBob (786)
• United States
6 Dec 08
One more thing, another reason your computer may be freezing is the harddrive may be failing also. Computers are like cars when it comes to diagnosis, if I am told a problem without actually being there, I can only guess the possible causes. (I am a computer technician) Don't usually work on laptops though, they are very proprietory. Changing out the harddrive and memory id the most I do harware wise on them.
• United States
6 Dec 08
Does it happen only when you are exploring the internet. meaning that you have the internet open and possibly other programs open. But it usually freezes when you are using the internet. if this is the case do you use internet explorer. Also do you use real player more importantly the newer version that came out about the end of July of this year. Please reply back and let me know. Bryan
@husi_007 (304)
• India
7 Dec 08
Thank you for your response... Freezing occurs all the time.I am using the real player that you have mentioned.Is there any problem with that? Waiting for your response.
6 Dec 08
OK, here goes. Get these if you don't have them. Norton antivirus is still the best. Spybot - search and destroy is free off the web and so is CC cleaner. Use them. Also delete cookies and temp files. This was happening to me,too. Also delete programs you have downloaded and don't use, they maybe piggybacking hidden nasties, paricularly cookies which don't show up on virus scans ect. Good luck.
@husi_007 (304)
• India
7 Dec 08
Thank you for your response....
• India
8 Dec 08
Hi husi, plese do not format your computer. formating is the last option tell me if you have done a clean boot on your computer.
@husi_007 (304)
• India
4 Feb 09
then, what should i do? Please help me....this problem still persists. i have get rid off this problem......
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
6 Dec 08
There are lots of factors which may cause your computer to freeze. There are spywares out there which are not detectable through antiviruses. There are some virus too which steals resources from your RAM making your computer slow and eventually freeze. Some of them must be taken out of your computer manually which means you have yo do a lot of effort using the command prompt and editing your registry which is kind of dangerous. Did you delete anything? Did you shutdown your computer properly? Did you install something? These are just some of the questions to need to ask yourself then maybe you'll know the cause.
@husi_007 (304)
• India
7 Dec 08
Thank you for your response... I have installed some common video and audio players,SQL server,nokia PC suite,IGSS 7(automation software)... Can you help me to edit the registry.. thanks in advance :)
• Pakistan
6 Dec 08
Firstly unintall your antivirus that you recently intall. then reboot computer and start the windows. Problem should be resolved by this. Verify the problem if is it resolved. If not it is spywares which are cousing automatically background process. Some viruses make combined vulnerbility with microsoft office casuing this behaviour. Even if you run a complete scan traces of vulnerbilities will be remain.
@husi_007 (304)
• India
7 Dec 08
Thank you for your response...