My computer started freezing up occasionally after start up and it had been sitting awhile. My power management should not have changed, and it only froze 1 out of 10 times. Over a period of three days it got progressively worse. I noticed that I had to push the On button several times before it would power up. Then it would suddenly power up a MINUTE or two after I had given up on pushing the power on button.
Needless to say it was running scan disk every time because of having to turn the power off due to the freezing. Then it begn freezing during scan disk. Now it freezes during the RAM memory test. I traded RAM from another computer (same type) and it froze up again on the memory check. So what's fried? The M /B, the CPU, or the power supply? Whats the specs of the computer and OS. Can you boot up in safe mode. if you can check for virus and spyware. make sure there is no dust build up in your system and check to see if its over heating. reseat your ram in a diffrent slot if you have one. Scan disc hard drive for any bad sectors try a system restore set your bios to default settings remove the cmos battery and if this still dont work Reinstall your windows.I took out the cmos battery and put it back in, but it still took a while for the power to come on. When it did, the black screen said check sum error - defaults loaded. So I held the F8 key down to watch every step. The screen went black and nothing happened for ten minutes. I hit the reset button, but nothing happened.  I did that 2-3 more times, finallyturning off the power strip. I removed the case, disconnected all the cords and cables, blew out the whole case (with my gas blower - I don't have any canned air), reconnected everything, turned on the power, it came on right away, went into scan disk, and lo, and behold it completed the scan. I knew that was a good sign. When windows loaded normally, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved.
So now I don't know if it was the dust or taking out the cmos battery or taking the case off.
If it acts up again , I'll let you know. In the meantime I'll leave the case off and see if it acts up again. Thanks a MILLION!Well, it froze up again. Fortunately, I was able to use it long enough to back up all my recent work files.
Here are some specs: Pentium II, 350mhz, win98se, not sure what else you need. I did notice the memory check did not total up to what I put in the slots, so I will experiment with that first. The memory sticks I know are good because I took them out of this computer (swapped). I don't want to have to rewrite this so I'll post this, but no need to respond until I finish testing all the memory. I do have two speeds of memory a store salesman sold me stating that the memory would work at the slower of the two speeds, but that there should be no conflict - and there hasn't been. Now I need to find out if that has changed.I tested every stick of memory I had. The pc133 256mb sticks checked out as 128mb (half what the label indicated), PLUS the computer froze. The pc133 128mb stick checked out as 128mb, but the computer still froze.
I now have only pc100 sticks in it and it seems to be working fine - so far. I now have the two pc133 256mb sticks in this computer. Hopefully they will not mess up this computer. I've had them in here for over a year.
Incidently both m/b's have top bus speeds of 100mhz.
Does this make any sense to you?Stick with the pc 100 as the FSB is 100mhz. pc 133 is to much thats why it freezes, because its more then it can take. Pc 100 is what your computer can take.Got to use what the motherboard was designed for. In you case that's PC100With only pc100 memory, it still freezes, sometimes wafter 2 hours of working, sometimes during scandisk, sometimes during RAM check. My Bios usually reads "check sum error" and gives me the opportunity to go into setup. I usually don't because when I have I haven't found anything wrong. This is really getting annoying! I even traded the cmos battery with an equivalent battery from another computer. What part COULD be wrong or so worn out that it works for a while and then quits? Doesn't that rule out the power supply? Doesn't that rule out the memory? Memory is either good or bad, right? I'm leaning toward m/b, cpu or Windows as being the culprit. What do you think?The problem with Freezing is it can be alot of things i have covered the obvious ones but there are also other possibilities hard drive could be on its way out windows could be corrupt. Did you check for virus and adaware. It also depends what your using the computer for as its not a high spec machine. Have you tried running in safe mode for a few hours and see if it still freezes if it doesnt this will tell you its a software problem. Try some more compound between the cpu and heatsink. Let us know how you go on.I bought a new power supply, but when I tried to install it. it had more pins than my motherboard would accept. I was so FRUSTRATED, I gave in and did a long-overdue upgrade. I bought a new motherboard, CPU, case w/power supply and a new hard drive. My old hard drive works fine in it. Problem avoided, but not solved.

I have since tried to return the power supply, only to be told that the four extra pins were detachable - now they tell me! I'm going to reconnect it even though I have a NICE new computer with all my old stuff intact.  I hate to not solve the problem. I like learning. I'm guess I'm half-geek!Yep, we will never know what it truly was but congrats on the new setup!   Now that it's all new & shiny how about a fresh install of w2k with partion for linux too.  You're preachin' to the choir!  

(That doesn't sound like Mac too much, does it?)   I had several Dells do the same thing, they were surplus business machines.  Sounds like dust in the memory slots.  Remove all plug-in cards, cpu and memory and clean all the slots with contact cleaner or circuit board cleaner.  If the mobo is removed, do it upside down over a towel or outside.