XP Fresh Install - LOCKS UP

Vmusic · #1 01-04-2004, 10:22 AM

Hi,
I have freshly installed XP on my DELL Dimension 2300. The pc is a 1.8 GHZ Intel processor and has 768 MB of RAM. I have the original hard drive and a 200 GB WD hard drive I control through an ATA card.

The computer got infected with a virus. I wiped everything out re-formatted the C: drive and re-installed.

NOW.... about every 35 minutes, like clock work the computer locks up. It freezes. I can't use the keyboard to do a CTRL+ALT+DEL, I can't use the mouse. I can't do anything but unplug it to power it down and start it back up.

It's VERY VERY VERY Frustrating.

Any ideas?

pdn · #2 01-04-2004, 01:09 PM

Have you made any hardware changes recently? Does it give you any type of error before locking up? When you re-installed XP, did you activate it?
You can also try starting it up in Safe Mode and if doesn't lock up then it could be a service or a program running in the background causing this to happen. Goto XP Services to find out which services you can or cannot disable.

Grendel · #3 01-04-2004, 09:35 PM

Check to see if you any power options enable to start after 35 minutes; screen saver, stanby, hibernation, etc.

Check you scheduled tasks to see if there is anything set to run.

Get all the security and recommed updates from Windows Update.

If you didn't have a firewall or security updates, or behind a router, you may have been infected with the Welchia Worm.
It and Blaster can infect a system; without these items on a computer as soon as you connect to the internet.

Vmusic · #4 01-05-2004, 07:27 AM

Hi,
After a fresh install my Windows XP keeps locking up after 30 or 35 minutes.

I have checked the following:

What services I have running.... (Nothing looks suspicious)

What's running in the background... (

No scheduled tasks.

I left the Task Manager open while the computer ran to see what tasks were running when it locked up. The only taks was

SystemIdle Process was at 99% of the CPU when it locks up.

Why?? What doest the SystemIdle Process mean??

I am behind a firewall. In fact I have Zone Alarm running, which I love.

I am going to get Norton Antivirus and run that. Maybe the first time I connected up the computer I didn't have my Zone alarm running and I got a virus.

I greatly appreciate the help!!! I am not at all a hardware person. I am very disappointed in Windows XP.

Grendel · #5 01-05-2004, 08:20 AM

The System Idel Process is the percent of your processor that is NOT being used.

So if it at 99%, then only 1% of its power is being used at that point; so high is good.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

wibrid · #6 01-06-2004, 03:59 AM

If, as you say your PC locks up @ just about the same interval every time, it sounds like a hardware problem( I say this because electronic components are notorious for failing after reaching a certain temperature). Anyway, depending on how your system RAM is configured on the motherboard, try removing some RAM and restarting the PC. Since you said you have 768, start with just 256megs. If that exceeds the the 30-35 minutes that you mentioned, then, of course, you try the rest of the RAM that have left over until you find the one(s) that is/are bad. Hopefully if it is the RAM (and I'm 99% certain that it is) you have a lifetime warranty.