WIN 98 hangs very frequently

[pattar]

Hello,

My win98 PC hangs very frequently. I have tried formatting the HHD & reinstalling the OS, changing the memory, mouse but in vain. No errors are displayed. The screen just hangs & I need to reset. How do I check if my other h/w are working fine. My HDD is samsung - I have tried the diagnostic s/w from samsung which says hdd is ok. Any clue.

Thanks
Srinivasan.

 

[xkjdhdg]

Where does it hang on boot-up or after it has booted up? What program are you running when it hangs?

 

[JennITChick]

Try drivers... make sure all your hardware drivers are up-to-date. Also, make sure the fan inside the case is running correctly. That's where I would start. Jennifer Sigman
STILL unemployed...

 

[Accessdabbler]

What type of CPU/motherboard?

1. Have you added new peripherals or upgraded parts? You may have inadequate power. I once updated a video card in a system with lots of components and had freezing/hangups. Upgrading the power supply solved it.

2. Heat. Adding new components can generate more heat inside the case. Are all the fans working? Can you clean up the interior and tie down some of the cables to improve air flow? Maybe look at adding another case fan.

3. Motherboard drivers and BIOS updates. Systems running AMD CPUs and VIA motherboards seem to have buggy problems that cause hanging. Make sure you have the latest BIOS and motherboard drivers installed. Go to

http://www.viaarena.com

for more information about patches for via boards. I was unable to use any USB devices reliably until I updated my BIOS and motherboard drivers.

 

[pattar]

There is no perticular moment the PC hangs. Could be anytime, even if it is unused for a few minutes. I have not added any s/w or h/w to the machine in the last 2 years. It was running fine. This problem started all of a sudden.

Thanks
Srinivasan.

 

[xkjdhdg]

Sounds like you may be loaded up with SPYWARE. Go to

http://www.PestPatrol.com

download the free version and run it. It will tell you what is there but the free version
will not let you delete it. go to the path and delete each item it finds.

 

[cdogg]

Also try SpyBot (

http://www.net-integration.net/spybot/spybotsd.html)

and the new up-to-date Ad-Aware 6 (

http://lavasoft3.element5.com/support/download/)

to help completely clean your system.

If that still doesn't help, then you might have an obscure hardware problem like overheating or failing power supply. You said you already tried formatting the HD and reinstalling 98, but did you also reinstall all your software? If you did, you could have 'reinstalled the problem'. In that case, I'd recommend you format and install 98 again without loading any personal s/w and see if the problem still occurs. If so, then it's likely a h/w problem.


~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein