• First the basics: I'm running a self-built (2000) Windows box: Tyan Trinity KT-A (VIA 6383 Chipset) mobo AMD Thunderbird 1GHz 768MB SDRAM Creative SB Live! MSI GeForce 4 MX 420 (NVIDIA) 3Com Ethernet adaptor 3 case fans, and the processor fan is a Dragon Orb, running at 7800 rpms. Windows ME - last virgin installation of Windows about 2 months ago. Most frequently used programs: Eudora 5.2 for mail Gravity 2.5 for news Mozilla 1.4 for browsing Problem: In the last 2 weeks or so, I've been suffering intermittent lock-ups. If I open more than 4 tabs in Mozilla, the program malfunctions and my memory meter (FreeMem Pro) will show processor usage at 85% and memory usage at 300MB. Eudora has been crashing intermittently, giving "Eudora has caused an error in rundll.32" message. Processor usage shows at 100%, memory at 250-300MB. Closing everything in the task manager does not help. Re-booting helps temporarily. Spybot S&D reveals no malware, McAfee shows no viruses. Re-running Windows setup appears to have no effect. Any ideas what's causing this strange behavior? Suggestions? Am I looking at a possible processor replacement, or is there a software solution? --Missy


  • Thanks for the opportunity, missy! Reposted as answer: I'm pretty confident it's memory or processor... When you reseated your memory, and/or played the shell game with it, did you try to open those apps? A memory error at a higher address could be your problem - towards the end of the module rather than the beginning... Best regards, arimathea-ga Researcher and computer geek :)


  • Hey missy, Have you tried reseating your RAM?


  • When you've been staring a problem down for a while, you tend to get tunnel vision. A little outside perspective is a great kick-start to remind you of the things you haven't tried yet. Thank you so much for the desperately needed kick-start - you've alleviated the frustration.


  • Jordan: I've run setup twice, with no change. Arimathea: Eee...no, I didn't try opening those. That's something I'll try this afternoon, though. I'm trying to avoid a virgin re-install, if possible. Even with a CD burner, backing up the data is a honking pain. --M


  • If I were in your position, I would open up the case and let a real fan blow into the the case on medium or high while you use the computer. I have seen several AMD processors freeze at temperatures that they should work fine at. It is best to rule this one out early. Note it could also be that your video card is getting hot. Also, it could be a problem with your Windows ME installation and another application. If this always happens with Mozilla, you might want to try uninstalling it completely, rebooting and reinstalling. If it is a problem on the Windows side of things, you would have to reformat to check that out. Unfortunately, Windows ME is not very good at catching and preventing crashes and freeze ups, (in fact I think it is a lot worse than both 98 and 95). tisme-ga


  • While RAM is a likely candidate for the source of the malfunction, a CPU fan that doesn't run or is running slowly could lead to the same effect. I even wonder if if your motherboard's front side bus is run at a speed compatible with your RAM. Ruling those out, let's see if registry errors are contributing to the fiasco. :)


  • I'm pretty confident it's memory or processor... When you reseated your memory, and/or played the shell game with it, did you try to open those apps? A memory error at a higher address could be your problem - towards the end of the module rather than the beginning... jbf777-ga's suggestion also sounds cogent. If neither of these things work - I hate to suggest this - try a reinstall? See also question #222188.


  • Try re-installing the OS? One of those basic installs where it keeps your data intact and refreshes all of your core data? You need to first determine if it's either software or hardware, and you can determine the first one most easily without spending much/any money. :) You might also want to get one of those Norton programs that will analyze your system for potential anomalies.


  • Arimathea, Claim your fee, please! It proved to be a cranky RAM stick! --Missy


  • Yep. I even went so far as to take it all out, and boot the box up a single stick at a time (in case one was dead), then replaced and booted one stick at a time until all three were in again. No change. I'm flummoxed. --M







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