OLD PC Problems...Going out the window...

[orion23]

So this has become more of a challenge than anything else...Hi!

Trying to fix and old PC with about 512MB of RAM.

I removed all PCI cards and the only card in use is an AGP 8MB VGA.

Windows XP Home Edition.

PC will work for a little while and then it will freeze. Sometimes it freezes @ the welcome screen, or the video signal goes missing

Other times, it will make a horrible noise (kind of like a modem dialing) and then it freezes or loses video signal.

I installed XP Pro to a different partition and different HD and the same problem occurs.

REPLACED PSU, HD, RAM, VGA, AND REMOVED ALL PCI CARDS, FLOPPY, CD-ROMS.
Cleaned CPU and re-applyed CPU thermal paste. Cooler runs "cool" to the touch

Same thing.

Weird thing is that the computer will allow me to install Windows, which takes @ least 1 hour in this system, but it will crash when trying to run for the first time, @ the welcome screen, or a bit later after loading.

With the old installation (HD), I cannot even make it to the welcome screen anymore. It just dies there and reboots again!

 

[montag451]

Check for bulging capacitor on the mobo.
Some older mobos had big problems with these cheaper components.

And anyway - it looks like the only component that hasn't been pulled apart from the cpu.

 

[Sinn707]

Did you check if your pc meets the windows xp minimum requirements fully?

 

[orion23]

The PC is an Athlon @ 1.1ghz, USB 2.0 with an AGP slot, to it isn't "that old" in a way.

I brushed the entire motherboard with a soft brush, dusted it, looked @ every big capacitor. Put a fan over the chipset and still no go.

I hate this damn thing!

 

[Polishwonder74]

Can you get her started in Safe Mode?

If you're almost getting to the desktop every time, it kind of sounds like a bad driver. That was a very smart move removing all unnecessary devices, it makes it a lot easier for us to help you troubleshoot.

Where is Mechbgon when you need him?

 

[orion23]

Sometimes it makes it to the desktop, but it does this with the clean installation, no drivers other than those of XP SP2.

I really don't care about this system anymore and I will take pleasure in BREAKING IT against the pavement, but before, I'd like to know if I might be overlooking something here!