HELP! ENDLESSLY HAVING TO REBOOT MY COMPUTER

[geoffkin]

I have a 6 month old DELL computer running XP HOME.
The main aps we run on it are MS Explorer for websurfing and aol messenger for non members
SOMETHING keeps making Explorer lockup and it won't even close using TASK MANAGER.
It just keeps saying 'NOT RESPONDING'
It won't let me do ANYTHING, so I have to unplug the computer and reboot.
Sometimes it goes a long time without doing this and sometimes it does it time after time.
Can't figure out what's causing it! Can you help me?
Is this common? I can't figure out how to save my computer from this nightmare!

 

[Psych]

Exactly what are you doing before the computer locks up? If the error is really bad, XP should tell you or give you a stop error. I think this is the work of some virus or some very badly written spyware. There is a stickied post on the forums for how to deal with it.

What is the longest time you've ever waited before trying to restart?

 

[us3rnotfound]

Adaware

Spybot S&D

If you had any knowledge about computers you would know to turn to those 2 programs first.

 

[geoffkin]

Well it so happens I DO have SOME knowledge of computers and have used adaware 6.0 and cleaned up all that garbage already.
All we are doing when it happens, is surfing the NET with MS Explorer and then all of a sudden, it doesn't respond! So when I click the X box to close Explorer the dialog box comes up and says it's not responding and then it won't close ever. It just sits there dead in the water.
I'm thinking maybe it's something running in the background? Like aol messenger or something...

 

[warcrow]

If you've run adware, spybot, and you anti-viri software (full system can), then you to make sure you have the latest drivers on your video card, chipset, and soundcard. Also, you might want to think about flashing the BIOS...but only as a last resort.

 

[GhettoFob]

Does it lock up if you use another browser (Firefox maybe)? And do you have the latest Windows Updates?

 

[geoffkin]

HAD to make sure XP was up to date cause of the SASSER WORM. Don't have any other browsers installed, only MS EX. What is firefox?

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: geoffkin
HAD to make sure XP was up to date cause of the SASSER WORM. Don't have any other browsers installed, only MS EX. What is firefox?

here