Computer help needed - random freezing...

[MinionZombie]

How do folks,

My laptop has decided to start playing silly buggers for seemingly no good reason. It has recently in the last few days taken to completely random freezing, in that the computer freezes up and you can't do a damn thing, like it's been frozen in time - it happened now and then when I pushed it too far or it got overheated in the past, nothing irregular about it then - but now it's taking the piss.

It's unlikely to be overheating as I run a desk fan in it's direction right beside it to keep it cool while using it.

It has frozen when I'm online, viewing something on YouTube.
It has frozen when online and viewing the Ghostbuster's game website.
It has frozen when offline and transferring files from here to another computer via a USB cable.
It has frozen when offline and after a full 45 minute long Spybot S&D scan.
It has frozen when online and I've just gone from one internet browser window to another (minimise one to see the other, or click on one to see it pop up).

Like I said, random, there's no rhyme nor reason to it.

Also, sometimes after it's frozen up (and I've held the power button till it's gone off) if I restart it within a few seconds it sometimes doesn't start at all, either just a black screen (at which point, turn it off, wait about 10 seconds, start and it's usually fine) ... or it gets to the blue progress loading bar of XP Home and freezes there ... or during a Scan Disk it might freeze up.

That sometimes happens, but the main issue is the random freezing when I'm using the damn thing.

It seems as if, although probably not actually the case, that if I keep the mouse moving around when doing something (such as transferring files) then it'll not freeze up on me...but that's probably just wishful thinking.

What I'm asking is:

1) What are all the things that might cause this behaviour?
2) What are all the things I might want to try out to try and rectify this problem?

Help would be much appreciated (which doesn't mean "I don't know, sorry" :rolleyes:), damn technology pisses me off.

*sigh*

[Eyebiter]

Get a can of air and clean out the dust from fan and vents on the laptop. Check TSR programs running in the background and clean up any spyware. HijackThis! will to find out what programs are loading with windows. You might have some malware installed on the PC. If so I'd install Spybot Search & Destroy, Spyware Blaster, and CCleaner.

[MinionZombie]

I'll re-run my spyware scan (last time the thing froze before I could do anything, geez).

I opened up the panel by the fan and it was rather ruddy dusty, so I gave that a good cleaning & blowing out (although with pure lung power and the little brush you get with a shaver, admittedly).

Didn't appear to be any programs running that shouldn't have been either...hmmm.

Will re-do that spyware scan (have S&D and Blaster), and see if that vent blasting will help the situation or not...no doubt not, but still...

[Legion2213]

Try AWCPersonal by iobit, nice little utility (free to download and use).

http://www.iobit.com/

Hope this helps...nothing worse than PC trouble when (like me) you haven't got a clue about the complex little bastards!

[Dtothe3]

Sadly from time to time a re-install is the only answer. From what I understand every six months is recommended.

Check the other methods first, but bear it in mind.

[Dommm]

open it up and check all the power cables inside are firmly connected, I have had this problem before and fixed it by taking the ac out completly and reconnecting it.

Also try running a chkdisk (I assume you are using xp)

And try defragging the drive sometimes when information is dotted all over your hard drive it can end up freezing during scans as the reader gets lost trying to find all the data.


Otherwise its a back up and reinstall as previously mentioned.

[DeadJonas190]

Besides what has already been mentioned and going by you saying that it doesn't seem to freeze if you move your mouse, have you tried disabling your screen saver if it is activated?

[MinionZombie]

Disabled my screen saver ages ago as it caused freezes when the computer was really busy doing something.

Even with the constant mouse movement the other day when transferring a file it froze up, so I think it's at least partly wishful thinking.

Yesterday I had two freezes, one was pretty standard, the computer was confused by doing too many things, the other was completely random seemingly...but then I was able to transfer over a gig's worth of data without a freeze...perhaps blasting a load of dust out from around the fan helped a bit.

I'm still yet to run that software Legion recommended, that AWC thing...maybe that will throw up any ideas.