Freezes

[Laura Schilling]

I just bought this computer (used) with XP Pro...it
freezes up all the time, and I can't shut it off without
cutting the power at the power supply. This can't be
good. Any insight would be helpful :)
Thanks

[Quinoa S]

No, it can't be good, but it doesn't have to be bad either.

Suspect #1 is hardware drivers (that's the software that allows your
hardware devices to communicate with Windows). In general, it's always a
good idea to use the latest drivers. You can download them from the vendors'
web sites, which should also provide detailed instructions on how to install
them.

Suspect #2 is lack of maintenance on the part of the previous owner. First
thing to try is disk error checking (you can learn about it in Windows Help
and Support).

After that, the suggested solutions become more complex, so try those first.
Whatever you do, don't rush to reinstall Windows. That's major surgery for
your computer - why go through it if you don't need to? And it won't do you
a bit of good if the problem is hardware related.

Quinoa S

"Laura Schilling" > wrote in message
...
> I just bought this computer (used) with XP Pro...it
> freezes up all the time, and I can't shut it off without
> cutting the power at the power supply. This can't be
> good. Any insight would be helpful :)
> Thanks