On Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:46:52 -0000, "Tim Meddick"
wrote:

This could be a symptom of whatever bootmanager you are using is not doing
it's job properly.

If you are using the Window's XP bootloader (i.e. the OS options list comes
up as laid out in your "boot.ini" file in the root of the XP partition)
then it may be another type of HD data corruption that's a possible cause.

I have used the boot.ini method on another setup, and am familiar with
that. On this machine, I found that the BIOS allows F8 to give full
selection of bootable drives, and so it is quite simple to select the
drive I wanted. Also, I though I mentioned this earlier, but I did do
a full restore from a two-week old backup just to see if data
corruption was involved. In any case, it is now another morning, and
the machine with just the one XP drive has not froze, despite that I
have left it on.

Have you tried something as simple as booting from the XP setup disk and
selecting the "press R to repair using Recovery Console" option. Then
running CHKDSK C: /P from the RC prompt?

I have run CHKDSK /F on both drives.


You could also try booting into one or other OS in "safe-mode" and
consulting the Event Log (NT, XP, Vista, Win7).

Have not done this.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Duke

Just don't be so eager to jump to the conclusion that it's got to be a
hardware conflict....

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:07:23 -0000, "Tim Meddick"
wrote:

Could be.......

However, the most common cause of Window's PC "freezing up", by far and
away, is a software conflict....

Hardware conflicts usually result in the PC freezing very soon after
start
or being unable to start at all!!

Check any recently installed software.

Pay particular attention to exactly WHAT was going on / you were doing,
when the "freeze" occurred.

On reboot, take a look in the Event Log for any additional clues.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)


Thanks Tim

I thought that too. But I have dual bootable hard drives and it
happened with either drive booted. As a further test, I have
disconnected one of them and am running solely from the other.
So far no freeze. This AM though when I powered up I heard a slight,
unusual, sound coming from the CPU fan. I wonder if the fan is
binding up and CPU heat is the culprit. I need to watch that, and I
can since the tower is running with the cover off.

Duke