Stop responding problem

[radcliffe]

I have a realy strange problem on my pc. Here it is:
When I start up the computer it goes normaly. But after a while it stops responding. It may just stop on Windows or on BIOS or in DOS, safe mode - no matter when. I cant move my mouse (it is stuck on the screen) I cant press any button - nothing. The only way is to reboot the machine. But when I reboot the monitor may shut down, or it can continue to somewhere and again stop reponding. If the monitor shut down sometimes I hear BIOS beeps. It is also possible not to stop responding but to restart without warning. Rarely the monitor goes black with small green lines on the top of the screen and again nothing helps to continue using the computer. This happens in the first 1/2 hour and then it runs normaly till I shut down it for more than 5 minutes. Then the whole process begin again. If something fall on the computer it may stop responding no matter when. I since May, but it is not for first time. I had it twice before (the same problem) it starts with no warning, then after four or five months it stops it runs normaly, then apears again. It is not a software problem because I ran some antiviruse programs and they found nothing. Plus it can stop in DOS or BIOS even in formated hard drive....
So - is it there any fix of this problem? I am using:
AMD Duron 1100 MHz, 128 MB RAM, GeForce MX/400 32 MB, 20 GB Hard drive, Windows 98SE.
I hope that someone will help me because I dont know where to look at this problem. Thanks!

 

[taki23]

when does this problem occur? it might be your CPU is over heating, thats why your PC keep shuting down.

 

[bigbaddog]

Two possible problems come to mind. If you are having a overheating problem check the video card first. Does it have a fan? Is it turning? If it doesn't have one, is the heatsink too hot to touch? If thats okay check out the cooling on the processor. Is the fan turning on it? Is the heatsink too hot to touch? Is the heatsink attached firmly to the motherboard?

If you rule out heating problems, then check for other problems. I would suspect the powersupply next. Swap the one in your case first for one that you know is good. If that does not fix the problem I would check all added components. Take out everything but the video card, processor and one memory chip and start the computer. Then add back the components one at a time. If you still have the same problem with all but the bare components, try swapping out the memory chip, then the video card. If all this doesn't work, then you have a bad motherboard...whew :tired: