Some big problems

[Bobandabit]

My computer has just recently started acting up in a BIG way. first off, turing it on is a pain. sometimes the monitor doesnt come on and the computer doesnt sound like it boots all the way at all. then when i do get it on the BIOS comes up saying i have inproper CPU settings. I have reverted all the settings back to default and this problem wont stop.

today i turned my computer on to find that exploer (or something more than that) Has developed a big fault. first off, it freezes on boot up when it starts to load programs. as in, task bar freezes and wont let me do anything. i have to mess around in task manager to get it running.

Now i tried to load up Trillian just now and nothing happened, so i tried one or two more programs...seems like anything that puts icons in systray wont load.
I also cant get into control panel, just freezes up explorer. also, no matter what now, the windows key doesnt work, at all. It has also started making the noise that it makes when it shuts down, kinda a coughing noise that i assume is comming from the HDD

looking over the CPU usage bit on Task manager, it isnt even using the CPU at all fronm the look of things, less than 10% at all times.

any help would be apperciated. This computer has run, without problems for months now.

EDIT: just found out i cant get into any of my files either...crashes exploerer he same as control panel.
DOUBLE EDIT: Found system specs

 Operating System
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 (build 2600)

Processor a         
1.67 gigahertz AMD Athlon XP
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Board: ASUSTeK Computer INC. A7A266-E REV 1.xx
Bus Clock: 133 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software, Inc. ASUS A7A266-E ACPI BIOS Revision 1011 03/01/2002
Drives

DVDRW IDE1108 [CD-ROM drive]
GT3714U IXI840E SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive]
GT3714U IXI840E SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive]
GT3714U IXI840E SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive]
LITE-ON DVD SOHD-16P9SV [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

MAXTOR 6L080J4 [Hard drive] (80.05 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 664204851390, rev A93.0500, SMART Status: Healthy
Maxtor 6Y160P0 [Hard drive] (163.93 GB) -- drive 1, s/n Y44E5T0E, rev YAR41BW0, SMART Status: Healthy         

768 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DDR 1' has 256 MB
Slot 'DDR 2' has 512 MB

Edit, again: Sorry to keep adding things
Just reset the thing, my custom boot up screen failed, then when it got all booted up...no crash, no forzen toolbar or anything. exept the rest of the symptoms are still teher, cant load trillian or alot of other programs. when i was shutting down, everything worked for a moment, which leads me to think its a file doing it...but when it was shutting down trillian loaded and so did a few other things before closing down.
Edit, once more  : And now it all works perfectly, nothing wrong, all programs running happy...please help?

[patio]

List all the protection programs you have.
When is the last time you ran the scans ? ?
Defrag.

And DLoad and install SP2...it is a major OS upgrade not just a security patch.

Let us know...

[ale52]

Need...more...info...gasp 

Operating system (why only Service Pak 1?) / antivirus & antispyware protection / when did it start happening / did it ever work right / installed any new software?

One thing you can try is to boot into Safe Mode (F8) when the system starts and do a system restore to a point prior to the problem starting:

Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore / choose a restore point.

Back up your data / reinstall Windows & DEFINITELY get SP2 installed.

Alan <>< :-)

[soybean]

You listed 5 CD drives.  Do you actually have that many?  Any hardware changes just prior to this problem?  What power supply do you have? 

[Bobandabit]

Thanks.

my computer says it DOES have SP2 installed...so thats odd.
I have Spyware doctor, AVG and Zonealarm running, all latest versions.

the werid, turning it on problem started about half a month ago. it had worked perfect before hand.

installed one or two games, but thats about it.

And I have 3 virtual drives. One CD drive and one DVD/CD burner

I run antivirus, antispyware and Tuneup utlitys about once every 2 weeks, if not more.
I will try a defrag in a moment, thanks for the help.

Bob

[patio]

What make and capacity is that PSU and how old is it ? ?

[Bobandabit]

Etech and 400w
was replaced about 3-4 months ago when the origanal (less powerful and older) one blew

[patio]

It's not a name i am familiar with ...but i don't know them all.

[Bobandabit]

Well thanks anyway for the help, i apperciate it. Everything seems to be running just fine right now...
no doubt as soon as i turn it off the HDD will explode, tthe PSu set on fire and my motherboard will melt..all in a golrious 30 seconds.

I am honestly perplexed by this whole thing, I am kinda computer adept and have gotten though werider problems than this...i just cant think what would cause it other than my processor going a little funky.

Anyone with more information or anything that could stop these problems permanently, i would greatly apperciate it.

Bob

[Dilbert]

Well thanks anyway for the help, i apperciate it. Everything seems to be running just fine right now...
no doubt as soon as i turn it off the HDD will explode, tthe PSu set on fire and my motherboard will melt..all in a golrious 30 seconds.

I just mentally pictured that... that would be one heckuva half-minute!

I am honestly perplexed by this whole thing, I am kinda computer adept and have gotten though werider problems than this...i just cant think what would cause it other than my processor going a little funky.

That's what I think happened, actually. I obviously am not certain, but I think that your processor is either malfunctioning... or overheating. The second seems more likely, actually; it sounds like it would cause all those errors, AND would screw up the sound made when booting.

Check your heatsink. Seriously. You may be slowly (or rapidly) cooking your motherboard.

EDIT: If it is your heatsink, don't log on to tell us; replace the cooler ASAP.

[soybean]

If you don't have a way to get a reading on system temperatures, download SpeedFan and install it.  It will also show some voltage info on many systems.  So, take a look at that info, too; look at it at different times and see whether you observe some fluctuation in voltages.

[Zylstra]

If you have ever overclocked the CPU, now would be an excelent time to set it back to its normal speed and power settings. Over time, CPU's that are overclocked, ware out. The more overclocked, the faster that ware.

Are all of your fans working? (Specifically the PSU fan, and the CPU Heatsync, and at least one main computer fan)

If you leave the computer off for a few hours, and then turn it on, does it work better?

When was the last time you ran Scandisk? Part of what you are describing may be caused by a disk error.

Also: Enter your BIOS, and dissable the "quick system diagnostics" so that it will do a full memory test.

[Bobandabit]

i think this has to do with an overheat problem. I will e going to the store tomorrow to buy some new fans and heatsinks hopfuly.

the CPU is not overclocked to my knowlage, and as i said i have reverted the settings to normal everytime bios came up automaticaly.

The PSU and CPU fan work perfectly...the PC fan, now there is a little odd...
I acctualy had to manualy start it spinning...when it started it was ok from then on...definalty getting that replaced.

I ran scandisk yesterday, only one erorr that was fixed.

the problem started in the morrning when i switched it on, i turned it off agan to go to college (about 4 hours turne dof) So, no on that one i guess.

will do that BIO thing asap.

I dont think i'd have so many problems with heating if my room wasnt such a freaking microclimate...basicly all the pipes in the house pass around my room. uncomfortably warm in winter, too hot to breath in summer.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Dilbert]

i think this has to do with an overheat problem. I will e going to the store tomorrow to buy some new fans and heatsinks hopfuly.

Even if this doesn't solve it (and I think it will), it's always good to invest in your computer.

the CPU is not overclocked to my knowlage, and as i said i have reverted the settings to normal everytime bios came up automaticaly.

If you didn't do it, it wasn't done.

The PSU and CPU fan work perfectly...the PC fan, now there is a little odd...
I acctualy had to manualy start it spinning...when it started it was ok from then on...definalty getting that replaced.

Definitely.

I dont think i'd have so many problems with heating if my room wasnt such a freaking microclimate...basicly all the pipes in the house pass around my room. uncomfortably warm in winter, too hot to breath in summer.

That may have something to do with it. If you know a local computer whiz (there's a clique of them in every college ), he may be able to help install another fan for the PC, if that becomes necessary.

Thanks for all the help guys.

For my part, you're welcome.

[Bobandabit]

Im not so sure if it us overheating thats doing all this now...

the computer was off all night, when i turned it on, i have the smae problems as yesterday...
unless ive already screwed my processor?
also,. any pointers as to why it would only be a few programs that didnt work? they are some of the more im[rpatnt apps i use, but still...alot more run perfectly.

Edit: Left the comp off for a hour, made sure room was really cold...just checked heatsink, thats freezing.
Same problems.

[viking]

The processor heats almost "instantly". So, change the CPU cooler (how well are working the other coolers inside?) and we will see forward if there are new problems.

[Bobandabit]

Ok, new, bigger concern

Coolers/Fans/everything working fine

Just booted up to this
"WARNING! please back up all data hard drive failure immenent"

trying to find a way to back up data to my Z drive without using Explorer...

Im gonna assume all my problems are now HDD related? Or is the processor still at faulyt too or what?
Probably gonna take it into the shop now.

Thanks again for the help

[patio]

Hook it up as a slave drive in a working machine so you can retrieve your data.

And yes it could have been the problem all along...you'll know soon enough after you put a new HDD in that machine.

[viking]

Just saw a post where someone complained about problems cause by RAID (he did not meant to activate the RAID). Be carefull not to activate RAID when you install your hard drive on another computer! (check BIOS settings on the other computer before installing the drive).

[Bobandabit]

Thanks for all the help again guys

commuter died yesterday, complete HDD failure.

im getting a new one and installing windows, see if that works...We'll see soon enough indeed.

thanks again for the help. I'll write again after i tried that and if anything else happens.

[Bobandabit]

Its now 1:20am over here, and my computer is running great after a full wipe of the C drive and a windows reinstall

I will be replacing the hard drive ASAP, i can promise you all that, but im too tired right now
Thanks again for all your help
Bob

[Zylstra]

Be sure to run Scandisk if you plan on using the old HDD any longer

The following came from http://www.computerhope.com/software/scandisk.htm#06

WINDOWS 2000 / XP SCANDISK

Keep in mind that if Windows 2000 and XP is a networking operating system and it's possible that the privileges to run scandisk may have revoked by the system administrator. To run Scandisk we recommend you follow the recommend steps.

Double-click My Computer
Highlight a local hard disk drive by clicking on it once.
Right click the highlighted local drive
Click properties
Click the tools tab and click check now to check the drive for errors.
The computer will need to restart in order to run scandisk in a safe mode.