XP PC randomly crashes

Okay, so for the past 6 months or so my computer has been acting up in odd intervals. It'll go for a week without crashing, and then suddenly the next week it will crash every 5 minutes (exaggeration, probably about 10 minutes post-boot-up). I've tested the memory, and it's not a RAM problem at all. I've scanned it with McAfee Antivirus much to no avail. Perhaps it needs a whole system restore? If so, would uninstalling XP and installing Ubuntu make the system more stable?

Thanks,

mahlersreincarnation

#451759

a clean install should sort it out , used to happen to me all the time on my old pc.

#451763

This I advise because I have seen no less than 6 crashes so far this week due to powersupply failure: Check your powersupply, all the voltages etc. It may be a shot in the dark, but I have this funny feeling Murphy is acting up...And also: go easy on the caps, else u'll be fishing for a new keyboard also.

#451778

ubuntu is the way to go . Ubuntu is practically CRASH PROOF!

i love Ubuntu. its the best windows replacement out there

#451780

//Thread Title Edited. Try to avoid creating mass hysteria--read the rules, eh?

Ubuntu is ridiculously easy to crash if you feel like mucking about with the kernel.

-NC

#451803

Any particular program, command or action causing the crash?...

or does it just randomly crash when you have nothing open, sitting there for a period of time...?

#451851

whole system restore, best thing ever feels like a brand new computer again,

#451853

Okay, so for the past 6 months or so my computer has been acting up in odd intervals. It'll go for a week without crashing, and then suddenly the next week it will crash every 5 minutes (exaggeration, probably about 10 minutes post-boot-up). I've tested the memory, and it's not a RAM problem at all. I've scanned it with McAfee Antivirus much to no avail. Perhaps it needs a whole system restore? If so, would uninstalling XP and installing Ubuntu make the system more stable?

Thanks,

mahlersreincarnation

Two things...

Do the crashes correspond with any windows updates, its the intervals of the crashes that make me ask.

Also... do not take offence I have to ask... Is it a genuine copy of XP?

#451874

if you didn't change anything, its either a hardware or xp update problem,

i have crashes on this machine if it runs too hot and i've been taxing the cpu too much, or if i push the gpu too much, i know its the dust.

#451876

//Thread Title Edited. Try to avoid creating mass hysteria--read the rules, eh?

Oh, so you're Canadian now too?

As for the problem at hand, I'm thinking it's a power supply problem, especially if it crashes without you doing anything. It could be the dust too, as Slewed pointed out. Dust acts as insulation, and your computer will absolutely shut off without warning if it gets too hot.

So I'd suggest checking out that power supply, or buying a can of compressed air and letting it rip!

#451881

Alright, just an update:

We've figured out that it's the power supply, but the computer is just too old that we've decided just to buy another computer xD

Thanks for all your guys' help!

#453115

if thats the case, get a mac

#453228

Another update:

Of course, metallica, I'll be getting a mac for a new computer xD

I just installed Ubuntu onto my system, and it's working a LOT better than XP ever did. It hasn't crashed yet *crosses fingers*, and I have my hopes up.

#453369