Windows XP on Dimension 8400 locks up

Question

I have a new Dell Dimension 8400 (less than 2 months old). Why does the system just freeze? It does not matter what program I am running. It happens during games, it happens during MS Works, it happens during email. It does not usually happen right away. It is usually after I have been on the system awhile, but sometimes it happens sooner than other times. I cannot get any response from Ctl-Alt-Del when it happens.

My son has an online chat for a class he takes and has to be online every other week for it. He had to reboot 15 times during the session!!!! This is insane.

Dell sent me a response indicating it's propably a virus or spyware - NO - I have my firewall in place. I've have checked for spyware and adware. I have my updates done. No problems.

I have run defrag. no problems.

Anyone else have experience with this.

My system is a Dell Dimension 8400 running Windows XP Home SP2

Flooby · Answer

@maxpearl wrote:

Dell sent me a response indicating it's propably a virus or spyware - NO - I have my firewall in place. I've have checked for spyware and adware. I have my updates done. No problems.

A firewall has little to nothing to do with either a virus or spyware. You can introduce either a virus or spyware to a system, regardless of whether you have a firewall running or not, so don't use the presence of that as an indicator of system security. It sounds like you might have something running in the background that's affecting the ability of certain applications to function properly, but it's hard to guess what it/they might be.

You might try identifying what's running by reporting what you have showing down in the system tray by the clock - icons for unnecessary applications like Real Player, Quick Time, Peer to Peer applications (bad idea. REAL bad idea) that show up down there whether you're using that application or not mean that there's a good chance that these applications might be interfering with something else. Another way of checking would be to go to Start - All Programs, and see what appears in the Startup folder. Still another would be to go to Start - Run, then type msconfig and press Enter. Go to the Startup tab there, and report which entries are present and checked. Things like MS Office, entries for peripherals like scanners and digital cameras, (again) Real Player, QT, etc. are unnecessary and can cause problems. The trick is going to be in figuring out what you have running automatically, as well as disabling it/them.

Regarding "I have my updates done," to which updates are you referring? Anti virus applications need regular updates. Windows needs updating. Have you been to Windows Update to check the status of your system? Are all Critical Updates installed?

Message Edited by Flooby on 10-06-2004 06:52 AM

jmwills · Answer

SP2 has some known issues and what your are experiencing sounds like a bad video driver to me, providing no spyware is involved. I would check your current configuration against known SP2 problems and adjust accordingly.

Try using Belarc Advisor for a complete listing of your machine. www.belarc.com

maxpearl · Answer

Where do I find a list of 'known SP2 problems'? How do I check the video driver?

maxpearl · Answer

In the system tray, the icons showing are: Dell AIO Printer A920, Dell Support Alerts, Norton Antivirus, Norton Internet Security, Kodak Easyshare, Volume, and Pest Patrol Control Terminal.

Start folder: Event Reminder and Kodak Easyshare Software

In the msconfig file, startup tab: UrlLstCk, ccApp, dlbkbmgr, atiptaxx, sgtray, realsched, jusched, qttask, PPMemCheck, PPControl, PCMService, mmtask, IntelMEM, iaanotif, DVDLauncher, tfswctrl, CookiePatrol, SNDMon, Event Reminder, KodakEasyshare software

Updates: I have and continue to keep my Norton antivirus and internet security updates current, as well as all critical and some optional windows updates. I have them on automatic update, but I also check them at least every Thursday manually.

jmwills · Answer

Directions for installation of SP2 on Dell machines: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1090448&c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs=

maxpearl · Answer

I followed all the instructions for the preparation and installing the SP2 at that site.  I thought maybe you meant there was something else.

jmwills · Answer

Straight from the horses mouth: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=835935&product=windowsxpsp2

maxpearl · Answer

I guess I just don't understand what I am reading.  I don't see anything there that fits my scenario.

-Friendlyname- · Answer

Hi, Have you had this problem from the very beginning, or have you moved the tower ?  You could check to see whether your memory is seated well. Good luck, Jane

Flooby · Answer

@maxpearl wrote:

In the system tray, the icons showing are: Dell AIO Printer A920 probably unnecessary - you might try right clicking on it and seeing if there's a configuration option that will let you remove the status monitor from the system tray,

Dell Support Alerts completely worthless - uninstalling it is the best way to deal with it. There are a number of posts documenting a variety of issues with it in this forum,

Kodak Easyshare unnecessary,

Start folder: Event Reminder and Kodak Easyshare Software Both unnecessary

In the msconfig file, startup tab: UrlLstCk part of Norton Internet Security, with which I've never been overly impressed - the Windows XP firewall and regular malware scans with a reputable application are usually adequate for most users

dlbkbmgr related to the Dell all-in-one printer, and probably unnecessary,

sgtray unnecessary - see this: http://www.2-spyware.com/file-sgtray-exe.html,

realsched completely unnecessary, and Real doesn't have an exceptionally good track record when it comes to applications that "phone home" automatically

jusched completely unnecessary - see this: http://www.2-files.com/filename/jusched-exe

qttask unnecessary, routinely troublesome and potentially dangerous. See this: http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/qttask.exe.html,

PPMemCheck, PPControl both unnecessary in my opinion, but to each his own, I guess. See this re: MemCheck http://www.tasklist.org/task_PPControl_exe_2457.html

PCMService "Dell Media Experience" - completely unnecessary, and better off disabled , mmtask completely unnecessary, and better off disabled: http://www.kephyr.com/filedb/index.php?viewtopic=mmtask ,

IntelMEM probably unnecessary - recommend disabling (after you have all the other garbage out of there) and re-enabling, if things don't work properly,

iaanotif unnecessary http://www.tasklist.org/task_iaanotif_exe_1355.html ,

DVDLauncher unnecessary, tfswctrl unnecessary unless you do a LOT of direct writing to CD http://ask-leo.com/tfswctrl.html ,

Event Reminder unnecessary, KodakEasyshare software completely unnecessary.

I'm surprised the thing boots at all, with all that unnecessary hooey running all the time. Try cleaning out/disabling some of that stuff, and then see how it runs.

Message Edited by Flooby on 10-07-2004 09:46 AM

Windows General

Windows XP on Dimension 8400 locks up

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