System Freezing Constantly

Question

I initially presented this problem on the Hard Drive Forum. Now, I'm thinking it may belong here.  In the past few weeks, my 4100 system with ME has gone crazy. I first experienced Blue Screen problems for a few days. Yet, that problem has temporarily subsided. In addition, my system kept locking up. This occurred while surfing the Net or working on the Desktop. The mouse freezes. I received a few Kernel32.dll errors. Control, ALT, DEL didn't restart the system. So, I had to press the restart button on the CPU.  I did reinstall IE 6.0.  Plus, I ran ScanDisk and Defrag on Sunday. My computer was running with no problems until late yesterday.  The system freeze problems are back. Receiving no error messages at this time.   I want my system to continue running until I can purchase a new HDD, upgrade memory and switch over to XP.   I would greatly appreciate any further assistance and/or tips from our knowledgable forum members.

Flooby · Answer

Have you tried a System Restore (See Help and Support in your Start Menu) to a point prior to when the problem first occurred?  Have you tried running the Dell Diagnostics (see your User Guide, under 'Solving Problems'), to rule out a hardware problem?

Hiosilv4 · Answer

Flooby: Thanks for your reply! I'm hesitant to go to system restore because my system has been unstable for a month. Locating an stable date may not be easy. Also, using restore removes my Norton SystemWorks files. It's a pain to reload and retrieve the latest updates. As for diagnostics tool, I downloaded the file last week from Dell site. In order to proceed, it says I need 5 formatted floppy disks. I'm working on getting some. In the meantime, I tried to use my resource CD, but couldn't find diagnostic tool. Where is it?

Hiosilv4

Flooby · Answer

@Hiosilv4 wrote:

I'm hesitant to go to system restore because my system has been unstable for a month.

System Restore should go back before that.

Locating an stable date may not be easy. '

Doesn't sound like things are any more stable right now, so exactly what is it that you have to lose by doing what the operating system architects recommend under these circumstances?

Also, using restore removes my Norton SystemWorks files.

Whether you realize it or not, that, in and of itself, would be a blessing. Look at it this way - it'll be good practice for when you won't need/want it under Windows XP.

It's a pain to reload and retrieve the latest updates.

So is a clean installation of Windows, but in the real world, that's exactly what's necessary sometimes. Welcome to the real world.

As for diagnostics tool, I downloaded the file last week from Dell site. In order to proceed, it says I need 5 formatted floppy disks. I'm working on getting some.

They're very cheap, and they're very easy to find, if it's important enough to you. The 5 floppy version also works far better than any other version.

In the meantime, I tried to use my resource CD, but couldn't find diagnostic tool. Where is it?

Couldn't tell you. I always use the updated Floppy version that's available at the Downloads site for virtually all contemporary system models, including yours.

Hiosilv4 · Answer

Flooby: Thanks again for your reply and tips. I understand that a clean installation of Windows is sometimes necessary especially when one experiences some many problems. Yes, that is the real world when using computers. I appreciate the reality check. Once I try the 5 floppy disk method, I'll report back the results.   Hiosilv4:smileyhappy:

Sput · Answer

Can you proived the exact error message for the first blue screen error ?

Hiosilv4 · Answer

Sput: Thanks for replying to my message. My apologies for not answering your question sooner. I don't remember receiving an error message with my first blue screen. Yet, I was experiencing Kernel32.dll errors around the same time. Within the next few weeks, I plan to upgrade to XP, increase my memory and install a new HDD. I believe these upgrades will definitely improve my system's overall performance. Do you agree?

Hiosilv4:smileywink:

Sput · Answer

One of the issues the freeze could be about is RAM. I didn't want to jump to that as a conclusion but it is plausible. How much memory do you have and if you run the resource meter what are the resource percentages? Also is Windows managing virtual memory?   If you are doing an upgrade to XP in lieu of a complete clean install of XP, I would recommend you attempt to fix the blue screen erros prior to running an UPPGRADE. Last thing I would suspect you want is to have this error continue into XP.  Other thoughts here..try to establish your memory requiresments for any background running programs as well as XP and have sufficient memory to accomodate these plus more. Also be sure your hardware is all upgradeable to XP as well as you will most likely need compatible drivers and be sure to check your software too. Not everything is necessarily compatible with XP.   HDD, lots of things to consider here...do you need more space, I am assuming you are considering HDD because you need more space?  Will your systems current periphreal hardaware, motherboard power supply etc. support the HDD you are considering?   What kind of system do you have and what are some of the basic specs at the moment?

Hiosilv4 · Answer

Sput: Thanks again for your reply! Currently, my blue screen problems are under control. I hope it stays that way. I do experience system freezes in IE6 every now and then.

My current 4100 specs are:

Windows ME

Pentium III Procesor at 933 MHz

128MB SDRAM at 133 MHz

HDD: 20.4GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA

Video Card: 32MB NVDIA GeForce2, MX 4X AGP Graphics Card

Available System Resources: 80%

I want to upgrade my memory to 384 MB and get a second HDD with 40 or 80 GB. Thinking of Western Digital or Seagate. In addition, I'm checking out all my installed software to see if it's compatibility to XP. The hard drive forum was very helpful in telling me what hardware would support my 4100 system. What are your thoughts?

Hiosilv4:smileywink:

Sput · Answer

I hear lots of good things about XP, more stable primarily and more "user friendly"

And yet I have had my 4100 ME system know for since April 2001 and I have very little issues with it. I removed a cd-rom and installed a dvd +/- rw and maxed out the memory (512MB). I have installed drivers other then Microsoft digital drivers and doing so hasn't presented issues either.

I have to admit though I am an "old" Windows user and quite use to the look and feel of 95 through ME as well as familiar with many of the "ins and outs" and while I will at some point invest in another system and will have no choice but to use XP.

Did running IE repair help to stablize the system or is did it "fix itself"?

Also one other thing you can try assuming you are in WIndows ME click on start, search and do a search for ff*.tmp. You more then like will have a lot of these come up in the search, click on the column heard "modified" so the files will sort by date highlight everything MORE then 1 week old, click on file and choose delete. If there are alot of these it may look like some didn't delete after you choose delete, of so click on View and choose refresh. You then should see everything more then one week old is gone.

Message Edited by Sput on 06-25-2005 06:03 PM

Windows General

System Freezing Constantly

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