Compaq SR-1200NX Locks Up Constantly!

Hello,
Wondering if anyone can give me a suggestion as I've exhausted all my
own ideas:

Compaq 1200 with 256MB of RAM, 40GB hard drive. System is extremely
slow in all operations...not just Windows. Even slow getting into
CMOS sometimes. Slow lag response within CMOS also.

Most of the time, I can't even shut the machine down once Windows
starts. I shut the power to the computer off in order to do a
restart, and turn that power back on. WHen I go to restart the
machine, it will not start (no power at all). After about 1 minute,
it will start.

When I can get the system to actually start up, before it locks up, I can open the task manager to check the CPU usage for each process. I'm showing 0% for all processes, including System Idle, and to be honest, I'm showing 0% CPU usage overall in the graph. Through all of this, I can continue to select items in the Task Manager window, but if I try to close that, the system freezes entirely and I can do nothing but force restart.

I've run tests on RAM, which come out all OK. ALso run tests on
processor, which turn out OK. Re-installed OS, re-formatted HDD, re-
installed OS again. Unsuccessful. Anyone have a clue?

Mike

 

Have you given it a springclean , inside , lately, with an aircan /( make sure system is cold ), and you use antystatic precautions. Dust, and fluff can wreck a system, if getting out of hand.Check cpu and psu fans are working.
How full is your hard drive - 85% , with 256mb ram, will slow it down - if around that try defragging, and remove any unwanted programs/data.
To test other parts, if your 256mb is 2 sticks of 128mb, try removing one,-if one stick 256, remove blow dusk out , reseat, and disconnect cd/dvd rom, and see if it gets you into the bios quicker.
If you have XP, It will be slow 256MB OF RAM.
Have a look at the motherboard capacitors (near cpu) - are they swollen looking, or just like car tyre shape ? - is they look very bloated , the motherboard is possibly going.
Hope this gives you somewhere to start.