computer locks up randomly

[hbhakta]

My computer locks up randomly. It seems to only lock up when i am using it, and not when i just leave it on. ive tried using only one stick of ram, and ive tried a new ram. another thing that happens which could be linked the the locking up, is when i boot up the computer, and press the power button before the bios info comes up, the computer gets "stuck" in a loop of starting up and shutting down, never even reaching the bios info. so i basically see a blank black screen, and all i hear is the sound of it starting up, and shuting down right after it starts up.

computer specs:
cpu: amd athlon 1.2ghz
mobo: via VT8363
ram: 512mb pc133 sdram
power supply: 400watt

 

[-AnGuiSh-]

Could be your power supply..eh - Does your PC Overheat? Check the temps after it locks up. Btw, does it Unlock? or is it permanant? Any colors that go come across the screen? ect. More detials.

Btw...Why would you press the power button before BIOS boots up?

 

[silence782]

Yeah, I agree with Anguish. Sounds like your processor is overheating.

 

[hbhakta]

the temperature is around 120 degrees F. it locksup without anything hapenning, and it does not unlock. the thing about it getting stuck in the loop when u press the power button during bootup also occurs sometimes when i shutdown. it shutsdown, and then begins the loop of seeming to restart, but just keeps on shuting down with a blank black screen.

 

[-AnGuiSh-]

Hmmm...Well...Your temp is around average for AMD...Now it seems like its most likely to be your Power supply. I've had this problem before with it freezing' and it went away when i replaced my PSU.

Do you have a extra one laying around?

 

[hbhakta]

i thought it was the psu before, so i replaced the psu a few weeks ago with a new 400watt psu instead of a 350watt psu. that didnt seem to fix the problem. it locks up at random times: when its not doing much or working hard on a task. sometimes i can run heavy applications and it wont lock up, but it will lock up when im not really doing much.

 

[hbhakta]

no leaking or bulging caps as far as i can tell. what if i reset the cmos? what would that do?

 

[hbhakta]

well i just did it... i dunno why i did it, but i did, and then it started doing that thing. and then it started doin it everytime i shutdown. but today i reset the cmos, and it stopped doing it, so thats no longer a problem. i still have the locking up randomly problem though. I just refmortated and installed a fresh new version of windows. what if i tried installing another os, like linux, and seeing if it locked up in linux.

 

[-AnGuiSh-]

Have you tried running Memtest86?

 

[hbhakta]

yes, i have. there is nothing wrong with the ram.