Help with WinME

1127 Views 17 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Wet Chicken, Sep 26, 2003

darnold

Discussion Starter · Sep 23, 2003

I turn on the computer and do whatever... About 10 min. later it locks up on me and I cant do anything at all...

Please advise!!

Thanks...

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1 - 18 of 18 Posts

Wet Chicken

· #2 · Sep 23, 2003

Could be almost anything

I would start with the basics... go into safe mode and do a thorough scan disk on the whole computer. Also in safe mode do a complete defrag. Then I would reboot and scan with spybot/adaware and run your anti-virus program AFTER you update it. Then reboot again and see how it runs. If it's still acting up post back here and we will trace it down further.

Styxx

· #3 · Sep 23, 2003

A on-line virus scan would be in order from http://housecall.trendmicro.com

***

Check your available resources by right-clicking My Computer; clicking Properties; Click the Performance tab. Resources available are displayed as percent there at top. Check it when you get done running the System Configuration Utility mentioned below.

Click the Start button; Run; type 'msconfig', without the quotation marks, in the Run box and click OK; Then click the Startup tab; Uncheck anything you don't need running in the background. For reference on what's not needed running in the background in the System Configuration Utility, view this website first and print out the list:

http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Running_items.htm

It's important that you print out the above mentioned list. The site provides a printer friendly link.

In the System Configuration Utility (SCU), you can uncheck programs you suspect one at a time and restart your computer. If something doesn't work right, you can always go back into the SCU and re-check it and restart your computer via the Start button. The changes are completely reversible by re-checking an item in SCU or by selecting Normal Startup under the General tab in the SCU and all the programs listed run when Windows starts as it was before you started.

***

Get, install, update and run free Ad-aware (and its HexDump add-on) from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

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Styxx

· #4 · Sep 23, 2003

Be sure you have the WinXP Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) enabled.

Standard ScanDisk Settings are these - Start ScanDisk; Check the Standard box; Check Automatically fix errors; click the Advanced button, the settings should be as follows - Display Summary - Always, Log File - Replace Log, Cross-Linked Files - Delete, Lost File Fragments - Free, Check Files For - check (Invalid File Names) should be checked.

darnold

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 24, 2003

I tried everything and it still locks up when Im in SAFE MODE

darnold

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 24, 2003

It doesnt even want to bootup now!

Styxx

· #7 · Sep 25, 2003

Well you'd be glad to know you can not uncheck too much in SCU because Windows will use Explorer anyway.

Lights on computer come? Here the Hard Drive (HDD) power up? It could just be a bad HDD. Any error messages?

Do you have a Windows install CD? With the computer on slide the CD drive door out and pop in the Windows XP install CD and close the door; Power off the computer for 30 second then restart it and see if it boots up off the Windows install CD.

If you reinstall Windows over itself or are given a choice to repair a previous installation of Windows choose to repair. If the installation proceeds and runs OK it's likely not the HDD but Windows was corrupted.

Is you windows install CD WinXP?

darnold

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 25, 2003

First, Im running Win ME not Win XP...

OK, i got it to boot up into SAFE MODE now... I tried doing a SCAN DISK and it locked up on me again...

darnold

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 25, 2003

I dont have a Win ME install CD though... I do have a Win XP install CD...

Styxx

· #10 · Sep 25, 2003

If you got in Safe Mode use SR:

Use System Restore to roll your computer back to a date to before when your computer worked right. Before the error(s) started occurring.

To start System Restore, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. Or, in the Help and Support main screen, click Use System Restore under Fix a problem.

Styxx

· #11 · Sep 25, 2003

You're not trying Thorough Scan Disk are you? just do a Standard if at all. use SR first! then try a Scan Disk if you start normally to Safe or Normal mode.

john1

· #12 · Sep 25, 2003

I think there is a patch needed,
before system restore will operate
in M.E.

Styxx

· #13 · Sep 25, 2003

True, the SR update patch from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

darnold

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 25, 2003

I think I found the problem... I opened up the case... and I see that the CPU Fan Cooler isnt running... It could be over-heating and locking up on me...

john1

· #15 · Sep 25, 2003

Lets hope thats it!

Wet Chicken

· #16 · Sep 25, 2003

Is the fan just not plugged in, or are the bearings fried?

Get some kind of a fan on it, even if it is a cheap fan. If it gets heat damaged it will need to be replaced and cost a LOT more than a fan

darnold

Discussion Starter · #17 · Sep 26, 2003

UPDATED!!!

System Restore works just fine without the patch... But I didnt need to do that...

I replaced the fan... Works just fine now... Doesnt lock up! The CPU must of been overheating...
The funny thing is that the FAN wont work when I plug it onto the motherboard... I had to get a patch converter so I can draw power from the power supply instead of getting it off the motherboard... WEIRD!!

Would anyone know what that is??

Wet Chicken

· #18 · Sep 26, 2003

If you had a VTVM you could trace it down, but it sounds like a bad soldier joint on the MB, possibly caused from the overheating. Let's hope it doesn't effect anything else.

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