System Lock Up

XP Home
1000 Mhz AMD Athalon Processor
40G HD
512 Mb RAM

I have done everything to this computer I can think of.
Installed, updated & ran Ad-Aware, Spybot, Window Washer and AVG anit-virus.
Got rid of all of the ad/spy/mal ware.
Got rid of viruses.

Installed new modem & RAM.
Vacuumed out / cleaned CPU fan, ect.
She even installed a new HD that Dell sent her.

It still locks up.
USUALLY when online (Dial-up AOL) but not always so I dont think that's got anything to do with it.

It's been doing it since she bought it from Dell.
Unfortunately, after she got the replacement HD from Dell, she never "got around to" returning it because it still locked up, now it's too late.

Any ideas?

Linda

 

no clue.. maybe try updating windows...

 

Hard to say, but I had a VERY frustrating problem which was very similar to that back in '02 when I ran a Pentium 3 / Abit motherboard combo.
I would get random lock-ups for no reason, thought it was software at first, but it turned out to be bad capacitors on the motherboard (IIRC, Abit had a problem with their supplier (?) and faulty capacitors). Not sure if the Dell motherboard might be suffering a similar fate...just some food for thought, provided you have ruled out ALL OTHER solutions.