WIN 98 FREEZES INTERMITTENTLY

[sandwedger]

win98 on Compaq Presario is freezing up more than before ... I don't mind it once every hour or so, but now it is occurring every two minutes, sometimes more often, and it is driving me nuts! The little elves inside win98 have decided to take a break every minute or so and rest for at least 3 or 4 seconds before resuming. Is there any fix for this? I don't see this happening with XP .... is an upgrade the only answer? Or will the problem persist since the evil elves may remain after the upgrade?

 

[dumdum]

Check to see if your CPU fan is running. You may be experiencing a heat problem and the puter is shutting down due to a faulty fan (when you hit a temp it shuts down). You may also have the Shutdown/Alert temp setting in the bios set too low. We are always looking for new members at our computer forums:

http://forums.jlrforum.net

Please come join our community too.

 

[sandwedger]

good point!!! and the weather has been hotter than usual lately, but if the system shuts down due to overheating, wouldn't it take longer than 3 or 4 seconds to cool down enough to close the thermostat or thermistor or whatever device opens and closes the circuit?

 

[dumdum]

Good point but I would still check what I pointed out and then post back with your findings. Once a processor stops working it can cool down just enough to be right below the edge of your shutdown temperature's threshold. What apps you're running at the time could also be a major issue in overheating. I could be totally wrong too! This is just the first thing that came to mind and I think it should be the first thing to look into. We are always looking for new members at our computer forums:

http://forums.jlrforum.net

Please come join our community too.

 

[yowza]

I have noticed that win98 will eventually freeze up due to what I belive is a memory leak. After spending an hour or so on the internet, mine would also freeze. I purchased a program call freemem pro which will monitor the memory and allow you to allocate additional memory that win98 doesn't free up. I have 128mb memory. After awhile, the available memory reported by freemem would get as low as 14mb and sometimes less. I allocate another 64mb and can continue.
I was using IE 5.50.
Don't know if that's your problem but it may prove useful in the future.

good luck!

 

[BeaverBob]

I've had instances similar to what you described. Windows locks up more and more frequently as time goes on. Sometimes the problem occurs when a new application is installed that overwrites one of Windows 'dll' files. Games are notorious for being "dirty" in this respect--they install an older version of a 'dll' file, thereby destroying the correct version. When this happens, I've reinstalled Windows and the problem has gone away. (But just for insurance, I make a complete backup of the drive before I reinstall Windows)

 

[Guest_imported]

I also have RAM problems, I think mostly due to all kinds of mystery programs that start running (some in the tray). my start-up folder is empty except for black ice and panicware (check this our-free anti-pop up program). HELP ANYONE. I manually close these programs (ctrl-alt-delete just once each time,) but doing it everytime I have to reboot because of WIN98 is a pain in the psyche.

I will try freemem--but do you allocate the 64K to Win98 or IE?

 

[paulvds]

decreasing the graphic's hardware accellaration in system properties did solve similar problem on my W98SE system

worth trying i guess....

 

[sandwedger]

Thank you paulvds !!! Taking my foot off of the graphics accelerator solved the problem !!! I just backed off a notch, and the cursor stopped freezing immediately. I would have replied sooner, but lousy weather caused electrical difficulties here in tropical paradise. Thanks again to everyone who responded to my plight!