Help with unknown computer issue, please!

Hello knowledgeable Major Geeks friends! I have a fairly old comper - it's an HP Pavilion that I got back in the summer of 2001 before I went to college. It's getting old and full of stuff, and I have even put a second hard drive in it since I've had it, and replaced the CPU fan, but recently, it has started freezing on me, which has never happened before. Additionally, one time that I left it on overnight (which I frequently do), when I came back to it, the screen was black, which wasn't odd at first, because that is the screensaver I have - just a blank screen, but when I tried to do anything, nothing was happening. The screen stayed black, I didn't hear anything when I pushed the windows start menu button (my computer makes sound effects when the start menu pops up), and both my computer and monitor were still on. Does anybody have any idea what might be happening to my sweet little computer companion? Is it my hard drive? My husband's hard drive just crapped out about a week ago, so I'm really hoping my fate is not the same! Any help is appreciated! By the way, I have not noticed any pattern in when the computer freezes - I'll just be web surfing and boom - frozen. I also have not had the back screen problem again, but that is because I have been turning it off, rather than letting it go idle.

 

It may be that you do not have enough thermal grease on the CPU and or the CPU fan is not contacting the CPU right, or it could be a memory problem.

 

When you say it could be a memory problem, do you think that I would need more memory, or that I would need to replace a memory stick? Also, how much does it cost to get thermal grease? I put my current CPU fan in several months or maybe even a year ago. Can it lose grease or can the grease dry out? Is it kind of like getting an oil change in a car? How would I be able to know if the fan is not contacting the CPU right? Can you tell I have no idea what I'm talking about?

 

Usualy a freezing system can be a couple of things that would cause the freeze, windows could have gotten corrupted the cpu fan could have failed the harddrive is starting to fail I do not know these are just my times that I have seen this happen, I work on problems like this at my job all the time I can not tell you unless I actually see the PC.

Thermal Grease? is between the cpu and the fans heatsink.

 

I know where the thermal grease is. As I said, I put a fan in my computer a while back. Actually though, now I think I am wrong about the CPU fan. I think I replaced the case fan - not the CPU fan. Anyway, I do know about the thermal grease.

So, Windows could have gotten corrupted? Geez, I could have all sorts of bad issues! Do you know how I might be able to figure out which of these problems I might be having? I have some work to do if my hard drive is failing. Thanks!

 

If you don't know what type of hard drive is in your system then download and run this, http://majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_Edition_d4181.html. Then after determining hard drive manufacturer, go here and find the utilities for your hard drive and download and run, http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads8.html. As for the memory test, download and run this, but there are two versions - one can be ran from a floppy disk and the iso must be burned to a CD which will be bootable - http://www.majorgeeks.com/Memtest86_d4226.html. Hope this helps!

 

You mean my original hard drive? My second hard drive is a Seagate. What are all these downloads for, exactly??? Utilities for my hard drive? What?

 

The first download was for Everest, which gives a detailed description of the hardware installed on your computer. This will be useful in determining the manufacturer of your first or boot hard drive. The second link was to the Drive Utilities section of MajorGeeks where you will find the diagnostic tools for the hard drive manufacturer. Downloading and running these will tell you the status of your hard drive ( whether it is good or failing.) The last link was to a memory testing program which is a basic test to check the memorys health/status. Sorry for the confusion, but I was only trying to answer the questions that you asked in order and provide links to programs that would do same.

 

Haha, no worries! Thanks for explaining all that! That makes a lot more sense now! I will check it all out and get back to you later tonight or tomorrow. I just toopk a nap and I think my brain is still sleeping. It is telling me that now is not the time to try and understand my computer. I'm sure if it freezes up again, it will feel differently though!