Browser Causing Restarts/Disk Checking

[Stogey]

I'm running Windows XP Home Edition with SP2, 1.2GHz Celeron, 512MB RAM, 9250 Saphire (I think) 250MB video card.  I have to run chkdsk every time I turn my computer on, regardless of how it was turned off.  Also, recently, about 50% of the time I try to open Opera, my computer restarts.  I don't know if this can happen with Firefox, but it hasn't yet, despite a few attempts.

I remember disk checking saying there was a problem with cross-linking or something like that.  I'm putting a new computer together this week, but my dad will still be using this one, so I want to kix the major problems with it since I kind of screwed it up originally.   Any idea what's wrong?

[TheEmperor]

Download the ultimate boot CDhttp://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ burn it, boot from it, run the hard drive diagnostic. Sounds like you might have a failing drive.

[patio]

I'd be cautious recommending UBCD to just anyone...there are quite a few dangerous tools on there.

[TheEmperor]

So long as they don't go delving randomly through it and running things they should be fine. The hard drive diagnostics is the second option on the first screen as I recall, so it shouldn't be too hard for people to find and run.

[patio]

I agree.
However this is why it may be best to steer them to the HDD manuf. site for the tools.

A few years back on another Help Forum a few people caused irreversible consequences just moving around in UBCD.

That's why i try to make sure the user has a good understanding of diagnostics tools and command line syntax before i'll suggest it.

Not being critical here...just cautious.

[Stogey]

So are there any safer alternatives?  I remember seeing something during disk checking that looked like hexadecimal.  Could there be a problem in the registry I could fix with a little guidance?  I'm still learning so that might not make any sense, but I'd rather avoid such a risky fix.

[patio]

Find out who makes your HDD and travel to their site and DLoad their diagnostics...they're Free and are used to create a boot CD/floppy to test the drive.