Random Crashes

[Vega]

Okay I don't really know where to go from what I've already done.

Today my computer keeps crashing whenever I try to play World of Warcraft, or attempt to do anything more than look at a single webpage at a time. Except facebook, it freezes on that too. On occassion when it seemed like it would work while I was playing WoW, WoW would freeze but my messenger would keep working for quite some time before freezing as well. I kinda think it might be a virus of some sort since this started immediatly after Avira blocked a few Rootkits for me, but Avira isn't picking up anything.

I've already run Avira, SuperAntispyware, a Registry Cleaner, Defrag, and run a Harddrive Diagnostic. Nothing unusual has shown up. Where can I go from there?

If you need specific data from my computer, tell me how to find it. I'm not used to looking up my bios or anything.

Thanks

[wslghisabc]

You may need to reformat and re-install windows.  Let me know if you need help on that - i do it all the time on my system since i'm online 24 / 7 and i do it about four times a year!

[Allan]

You may need to reformat and re-install windows.  Let me know if you need help on that - i do it all the time on my system since i'm online 24 / 7 and i do it about four times a year!

Okay, you need to stop telling people to reformat their systems. And the fact that you do it four times a year is NOT something to brag about.

[jkolak]

You might try a clean boot to see if something in startup is affecting your computer.

Otherwise, if you have had rootkits, you may have to go into the malware help section.

[dahlarbear]

1.  Please avoid using registry cleaners.  For the average user they create more problems than they solve.

2.  If your system has been "crashing" you may have some memory dumps that could be examined.  Find and examine the "Minidump" directory.  The directory path is probably "C:\Windows\Minidump".

Are there any dumps in there whose date-time-group coorelates with time of crashes?

3.  A "Clean Boot" is an excellent idea, but it might be easier for you to start with a Safe Mode boot.  Both methods allow you to boot to a minimal configuration.  If that works OK, it would suggest your problem lies with the hardware, software drivers, or additional applications (especially video drivers and security suite software) that your normal boot currently loads.

[Vega]

Okay I checked Minidump and nothing in there correlated to my crashes.

I also did a clean boot but I still crashed.

I ran it a second time with the same settings, and it crashed again but a good 20 minutes into me using my computer. So it doesnt usually crash right away, but sometimes works for a long time before crashing.

So yeh, still being random and temperamental.

[dahlarbear]

I kinda think it might be a virus of some sort since this started immediatly after Avira blocked a few Rootkits for me, but Avira isn't picking up anything.

1.  Malware.  You should ensure your system is "clean" (not infected) before any serious recovery effort.  (And yes, that includes "rootkits" if anyone knows how to detect them.)  See what the boys over at "Graves and Registration" have to say.  Oh wait...  Your computer is still warm!

See here.

2.  Backup Data.  Backup any data you can't afford to lose...

3.  Minidumps.
     a.  How many dumps were in "C:\Windows\Minidump"?
     b.  What were the "date(s)" (for the last three)?

4.  Clean Boot.
     a.  Which "clean boot" did you perform?
     b.  Method 2, Step 4; permanently removes all restore points from your computer.  Probably best, not to do that yet.

5.  Restore Points.  Do you still have your system restore points?

6.  Event Viewer.  Look for anything interesting in the Windows event logs.  To access:  Start -> Run -> type "eventvwr.msc" without quotes and hit <Enter> key.

7.  Monitor Temperatures.  Download and install a program to monitor the temperature sensors within your computer system.  A couple to choose from:
     a.  SpeedFan 4.40
     b.  HWMonitor

Don't just take my word for it...  See Is there a way to tell how hot my CPU is running?

8.  Hardware Diagnostics.  Test the system RAM and/or the hard disk drive.  Even if you don't believe they are the problem and see if the "freezes" follow you there.  If they don't, maybe it's not a "heat" or "hardware" issue.
     a.  General.  Disconnect and/or remove any "extra" cards or peripheral devices you don't need to eliminate them as the source of the problem.
     b.  Memory.  Download the "free" diagnostic software at either www.memtest86.com or www.testmem86.org and create the desired bootable media.  Boot the program and let it run indefinitely (<Esc> key to exit).
     c.  Hard Drive.  Most hard drive manufacturers provide "free" diagnostic software to test their drives.  Find the appropriate download for your drive, download the software, and create the desired bootable media.  Boot the program and run the non-destructive tests (don't overwrite your data).  See Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (TTID #287).

9.  System File Checker (sfc).  To eliminate missing or corrupt system files as the source of your problems you could run "sfc" utility.  It might ask for your Windows XP Install CD (to replace missing or corrupt system files), so have it handy.  It would be best if CD was up to service pack level of your installation.
     a.  System File Checker How To's, How to run it with and without a Windows CD
     b.  Scannow SFC - Marc Liron
     c.  System File Checker (sfc) - Windows XP Profession Product Documentation