[RESOLVED] windows freezing up

Can somebody help me before I smash this thing to little pieces. My computer keeps locking up and I can't do anything but restart it. It happens at all kinds of different times, sometimes when I start a program or after I've downloaded something on the web and click on the download completed box or anytime it feels like it, then when I reboot it starts up then locks up after my desktop loads then I have to restart once again. One night I had to restart 8 times!!! I'm so bloody frustated I can't stand it. Not sure were to start should I have the hardrive reformatted and reinstall windows? It's a pentium 100, win95b, IE4, Cirrus logic 5446 video card, Microsoft intellipiont mouse. I've downloaded the latest drivers for the video card but haven't installed yet.{yes it actually worked for that download}. Please help!

I have had this exact problem this week also with a Intel P100 system running OSR2. I finally got the system stable by upgrading the RAM from 16Mb to 24Mb and oveclocking the chip to 133MHz. This may sound strange and drastic but it was a long shot and it worked. Give it a try, it's just something that I have come across.

I installed the downloaded drivers but no difference and I've alredy added memory a couple of months ago so it's at 48mb. I haven't tried overclocking cause I heard it might cause more problems. Thanks for the tips, I might try that but would like some other suggestions...anyone??

It could be incompatibly problem with the memory (dif models)
Or a bug in the Bios

Zorro_98,
You may want to try removing your sound card and/or disabling your CD ROM drive. If doing either/both clears up problem, run for a few days or a week without 'em to be sure. You DON'T NEED THEM to surf & download. Next, reinstall one at a time and retry.

It could be your motherboard or cpu. While rather drastic and slow, try disabeling your onboard cache and run it hat way as long as you vcan stand it. Next try your cpu cache. If those don't work remove the "enum" key from your regestry, remove all cards but the video, and install one at a time. restart after each one and often.
Use the computer after each install to try to find the culpret. Allways check the DEVICE MANAGER FOR CONFLICTS OR PROBLEMS

OK Folks - I'll add MORE to the mix: I do PC tech support as my profession. My system (Win98) (128MB ram swapped), Client1 - Win NT4, Client2 - Win95 then 98 then new mobo/ram - are all having a freeze problem.
System simply stops - no errors - no determinate time (except that a hard disk access may be key - personal observation). Mouse - no action. Keyboard - no action (can't toggle LED's or three finger it). Turn off or hard reset. I recently swapped ram - still happens. Client 2 had the problem (w/ me at the kbd) before we upgraded his mobo/ram. After the upgrade - it still happened (yes we removed all old systemboard devices and let the OS redetect for the new one - D.Manager was happy - no yellow or red lines - the system runs fine except for this freeze.) I noticed a change after I installed a version 2 (beta) of the AOL/Netscape Instant Messenter. Client 1 uses full AOL. Client 2 has not touched AOL.
I'm searching everywhere on this one. I did the SFC on my system the other night - updated many DLL's. Has fozen since. Shortly I will try a Win98 reinstall ontop of itself but for me it might only lock up twice per week - so it will take a while to be able to pin it down.

Jim Williamson
...the Computer Lab

Some video adapters that use early
revisions of some S3 graphics controllers(Trio64V+*/V2*/DX*/GX*, Virge*
and Virge/DX*/GX*) conflict with the PIIX4 chipset and can cause the motherboard to lock up. This is due to a conflict with the device that is used to configure the
SMBus, which can connect to a hardware monitor. Contact the video card manufacturer for more Information or use a newer graphics device.

Silly answer time!!!!!!!!!!

Have any of you checked that the CPU fan is spinning and not causing the CPU to overheat????????????????????????

I've had the freeze up problem on my AMD K6 300. It turned out to be my monitor was causing it when ever the Power Manager tried to put it to sleep. Goto Control Panel and set Power Managment to Always On. It worked for me with Win98 and Win98 beta.

Hey Jim
What type of systems are they? PII, AMD, etc?
Also what other hardware are the using? Is Video PCI or AGP, cuz I've had some similar problems using agp on socket7 boards.

Try running the system in safe mode for a night . Yes I know it's going to be hard but see if theproblem happens then. If it doesn't then you know that the most likely cause of the prob is driver conflicts.