How do you tell if it's Windows or the software that's dying?

Dear Anyone.

I've got Windows XP2 SP3, Gigabyte mobo, dual core AM2 processor, 2 gigs RAM, and a 1T hard drive, mostly empty.

Recently, I've been getting loads of oddnesses. Programs suddenly crashing and vanishing that have never crashed or vanished before. I close Windows down normally, yet when it restarts I get 'This System has recovered from a Serious Error', but I do CHKDSK ./F and it tells me everything's OK. Sometimes the USB keyboard makes a sound like I'm pulling the connector out, then instantly makes a sound like I'm pushing it back in again and it carries on working normally.

But the odd crashes are beginning to affect more and more software. They're not that frequent, it's just that they've never crashed out before. And about once a day, the computer will just restart for no reason.

I haven't installed any new or different software recently, I can list all my software if anyone wants me to but it was all working perfectly happily until about 2 weeks ago when my comp., went through a short phase of restarting all the time, then that stopped, then things started crashing. I've virus-checked with McAfee and Avast, full hard drive checks, and they've both told me I'm clean.

Anyone got any ideas?

Yours hopefully

ulrichburke

 

Dear TimW.

Major newbie alert question coming up. If I stop it from restarting and get a Blue Screen of Death, doesn't that mean the computer is, like, dead and I won't be able to restart Windows at all to do anything? I've got stuff I'm doing for College and I'm scared I won't be able to access it at all if I don't let Windows restart. It's music and I can't print it out. I've saved the files but if I couldn't access Windows at all, I wouldn't be able to finish the work off. If you can tell me that despite hitting a BSOD I'll be able to restart Windows - and assuming it doesn't crash it'll restart normally - I'll do it.....

Sorry. I'm not trying to be a nuisance or make up problems, I'm just worried.

ulrichburke

 

P H E W!! Thanks, TimW!!

I've turned the automatic restart off, if it goes out on me again I'll post the BSOD data. Thus far, it's been working fine!

ulrichburke

 

That's why it is always a great idea to store essential files off the computer. Copy those files now while the computer is behaving. You can put them on a CD, DVD, USB stick or external hard drive bu8t be sure you do have a copy some place besides your computer hard drive.

 

Just wanted to say that I hadn't forgotten my thread (This is NOT a bump!) it's just Windows hasn't gone out on me again since I did my last thorough de-frag and virus check (214 infections, all adbots of one kind or another, something called Hotbar had installed itself on my computer.)

Must've been one of those, I s'pose.

Thanks for all the answers.

ulrichburke