Hi Bill,

The problem could be with the hardware or software of the computer.

Running the hardware diagnostics can help in checking if there is any hardware problem. Follow the steps below to run hardware diagnostics.

1. Restart the computer.
2. Keep tapping the F12 key on the Dell Logo Screen.
3.  From the One time boot menu select Diagnostics and Press Enter.
4.  It runs a test on all the hardware components.
5. If it test fails please capture the error code and let me know the error code, I would tell you the next course of action.

In case the test passes, follow the next steps.

Check in Safe Mode with Networking.

1. Restart the computer.
2. Keep tapping F8 on the Dell Logo Screen.
3. Once the computer enters Advanced Boot Option, select Safe Mode with Networking.
4. Press Enter.
5. Check if the computer is doing the same thing in safe mode with networking.
   
   I would also suggest updating the BIOS to the latest version. Ensure that all the peripherals are disconnected from the computer. Only the keyboard, mouse, monitor and the power cable should be connected.
   Follow the link mentioned below to update the BIOS to the latest version.
   http://dell.to/OOlpW6

Please reply with results.

I ran the hardware diagnostics and chkdisk as described below, without solving the problem.

ChkDsk: Computer, Rt.Clk, Properties, Tools, Chkdsk on C and D drives.

C: clean, D: Deleted long list of index number xxx.

Hardware diagnostics: F12, system, hardware diagnostics, extended tests.

Ran several hours. No error messages.

Chkdsk:

D: Delete index items. C: testing “4 of 5”, operating system stopped at 21%.

Restart, Chkdsk auto started. Operating system stopped at 35% of 4 of 5.

Restart computer: Start up screen showed boot options. I tried all boot options. All showed “Problems detected, windows shut down” Then restart goes directly to Problems detected message. Nothing works.

Ran hardware diagnostics using express test. No errors reported.

Tried Reinstall Windows XP from CD: recovery, but recovery console would not run. Tried clean install. Partition C: corrupt, Ran complete format. Windows install ran normally until 7 minutes were left during “Saving settings”. Then activity stopped. The little green boxes on the lower right corner stopped moving. Mouse does not move curser. Green power light is on, and both fans are running.

This looks like there is an intermittent hardware problem not detected by the diagnostics.

Restart Windows from CD. Windows XP detected. Tried repair. Stopped at 33 minutes to go during “installing devices.

Restart from CD. Started at Window install. Completed Windows XP installation. But will not connect to internet.

What should I try next?

The computer frooze while chkdsk was running, cancelling it and causing problems that required a clean reinstall of Windows XP after reformating the C: drive.

I have not installed device drivers yet. The only yellow warnings in device manager are under Other for devices that do not have drivers installed yet.

The only software on the C: drive is Windows XP. If nothing is being done on the computer, it does not freeze. If I try copying a group of files from one folder on the C: drive to another folder on the C: drive which would take several minutes, the computer freezes after about two minutes. The same happens when trying to copy files from one drive or partition to another.

Eliminating all software other than the operating system did not solve the freeze problem. Dell hardware diagnostics did  not show any problems with memory or disk dirves.

What does that leave as possible causes for the computer to freeze when it is doing something?

Thanks, Bill

"fail *AGAIN* shortly after restarting *FROM A FAIL*, is what I meant to type in paragraph 2.

It *might* be a heat issue, so we can start there because that's an easy issue to eliminate (and from what you describe it sounds like a real possibility).  Make sure you've blown all the dust out of the computer:  with it unplugged, use cans of compressed air inside the case, in and around the fans, and most especially around the CPU fan.  If the dust is exceptionally thick, I will use a soft paintbrush to get in the cracks and clear away layers of dust.  Take your time, be thorough.  When you're ready to plug it back in and turn it on, flush dust a bit more with the fans running:  you want to blow air in the direction the fans are pulling the air, so the dust flows out with the fans' natural exhaust.

Next, try using a free monitoring utility like SpeedFan.  When you get close to the one-hour mark, see if you spot a particular thing raising temperature:  RAM, CPU, Hard drive, video.  What I most often run across is the video card gets too hot and the fans are full of dust.  The fact that you have it fail shortly after restarting makes me think it might be a heat issue.  You could try forcing the issue by running a benchmarking tool like 3DMark06--just to see if the thing cuts out sooner under full load.

In general, when you're using the computer, it's better to have it off the floor because more dust collects at floor level.  It needs space around it, so don't close it up in a desk cabinet.  If you can leave 6 inches around the computer for air to flow, and make sure nothing is sitting on top of the computer that would hang over the edges and block airflow, that should help.

In extreme cases, take off the side panel, park a box fan (the kind you stick in a window in summertime) next to the case, and let the huge fan blow air into the hardware.  If you find your computer doesn't cut off in an hour when you've got that much airflow, then you *know* you have a heat-related issue.

If would also help if you can post your system specifications here:  processor, RAM, video card, and if you have it some specs on your motherboard.

One question:  you say "The monitor screen stays on, the same as it was when it stopped running".  Are you saying the monitor is still showing you your desktop, just that the desktop all looks frozen in place?

Overheating was the first thing I suspected when this problem appeared. I used compressed air to blow out the CPU and power supply. Both fans run well, but I added a second fan to the inlet of the power supply blowing into it since the air coming out of the power supply was warm. The air coming out of the CPU stays cool. I have kept the side panel off so I could feel the air from the CPU. The video card gets hot after it is on for a while, but the computer will freeze well before the video card gets hot. If the computer is not being used, it can be left on overnight without freezing; but if copying files takes more than a couple or few minutes, it freezes. When it freezes the moving image that shows copy is in progress stops moving and the mouse stops working. The monitor continues to show the desktop with nothing moving. It doesn't seem like the freezing correlates with heating. I will try to find SpeedFan and give it a try.

Thanks for your suggestions. Bill

I downloaded and installed SpeedFan. It shows 53 and 48C on HD0 and HD1.

I installed the device drivers from the Dell resources CD. That did not help. The computer continues to freeze when copying files and various other random times. One time it froze while windows was booting.

Hi Bill

Try a good known Video card and then try working on the computer. This will help us isolate the problem with video card.

Use the link for steps to remove and reinstall the PCI Express card:  http://tinyurl.com/3nmwjqk

Please help me with few details about the computer. In case the computer has active warranty, please private message the system service tag, contact number and registered owner’s name. 
To private message, accept my friend request; click on my user name and click start conversation. 

To check the Warranty status use this link: http://tinyurl.com/5r4b8j

Please check and reply

I do not have another video card, and I have not observed any video problems.

The compuer does not have a PCI express card.

The computer is a Optiplex 745 mini-tower with two hard drives.

The warranty is expired.

It will keep running overnight when it is not being used. SpeedFAn shows the temperature is 53C for HD1 and 48 for HD0. Small files can be copied, but copying large files result in computer freeze within the first couple minutes. Freezes also occur at various random times when something else is being done. These are not reproducible.

Sometimes the computer detects the external hard drive and sometimes it does not.

What might cause these phenomena?

Hi Bill,

It could be a problem with one of the hard drives in the computer, which has not been recognized by diagnostics. Replacing the hard drive should take care of the system freezing problem. Try an alternate hard drive with a preloaded operating system.

If you do not have a hard drive please contact dell out of warranty team for purchasing the right hard drive .

Dell out of warranty contact # 800-288-4410.

Please reply for further help.