HELP PLEASE:-re-installing windows-it keeps freezing & can't format dis

[thegeeman]

First things first is that my spec is in my profile but in a nutshell i have-Win 2k SP2,Intel P4 3.4ghz, 2gb Ram, 360gb, ATI Radeon x600, sony dvd-rw and LG dvd-rom.

Problem began a couple of days ago when pc would freeze and absolutely nothing worked-i mean absolutely nothing!! Only way was to power off at mains supply to reboot. It would last a day or so and then do it again. Finally the whole thing just froze and windows would freeze (i.e just theXP logo and then nothing) everytime on reboot. I coincidentally ran Easy Cleaner (registry cleaner) just prior to all this and i suspect that that 'may' have screwed it up as there is a MS article on an issue with that prog.

Totally stumped and annoyed i decided to run the Recovery disc. I did this about 10 times (because it crashing) in both drives and everytime it stalled and came up with error messages about being unable to copy certain files to the hard drive.

In frustration, i decided to install windows disc and do a format and fresh install to see if that corrected it. NO it didnt!!!! Now it keeps crashing with error messages about being unable to format the disk. If i skip the format and go straight to windows setup, then windows install gives error messages about not being able to copy certain files or it goes straight to the 'blue screen of death' instead!!!!!.

I really dont know what to do as i cannot get past the blue screen on start up now. This all leads me to believe that a registry error through Easy Cleaner may have caused windows to 'freeze' by deleting a significant key and now may be my persistence and frustration could have caused a hard drive problem. Albeit it seems odd that it would since it worked perfectly fine before. I'm only assuming so because it keeps crashing on format and on windows install.

Please help if you can with ANY suggestions as to the likely cause. I am a newb when it comes to techy stuff so plain english would be great. Many Many Thanks guys.

[gadgetguy]

No matter how screwed up the registry is, it should not keep you from booting off the W2K install disk and format/reinstall. Can you boot into the BIOS? I'm not familiar with your motherboard but usually pressing the Del key or F1 during the bootup will take you to the system BIOS. Check whatever parameters are available in the BIOS regarding temperatures and fan speeds. If you have trouble running only in the BIOS then it's time to open the case and give it a good cleaning/inspection (this should be done periodically anyway). Pay particular attention to the fan and heatsink fins on the CPU. If they are coated with dust you need to remove, disassemble, clean, apply new heatsink compound and reassemble. If that sounds like too much for a "non-techie" to handle take it to a service shop.

[nic2k4]

Open the case and look at the capacitors on the motherboard (look like small metal cans); do any of them have bulging tops, cracks or look like they leaked? In this case replace the motherboard.

While you're there, take a small brush and clean the dust out of the CPU heatsink, be gentle taking care not to move the heatsink. You can use compressed air can too, but don't let it spin the fan.

Next unplug the power cord and remove and re-install the memory. At this point you can try to install Windows, if it still won't go chances are your power supply as had it, just replace it.

[winifreid]

It is also possible that your HD is going bad. Also, are you using XP or 2000? Either should allow you boot and format the HD regardless of the registry.

[ozymango]

If i skip the format and go straight to windows setup, then windows install gives error messages about not being able to copy certain files or it goes straight to the 'blue screen of death' instead!!!!!.

Check your RAM -- I build computers constantly as part of my job and I've had several cases of bad RAM causing errors when trying to copy certain files. It could just be dirty contacts on the simm or dimm, in any case, unseat your RAM modules and pop 'em back in, then try again, sometimes that'll fix it. Good luck!

[fatbloke88]

Have to agree with ozymango on this one,try running Memtest86 on it to see if the ram's bad you can get it here.
http://www.memtest.org/ you need to let it run for a few hours though.

[thegeeman]

Thanks guys for all of your suggestions. I will give all of them a try later today and update this post.

[Krispy Kritter]

Aside from the RAM noted above, I've had issues of an install failing which was related to a failing cdrom. Replacing the cdrom corrected the problem. However, from your comments above, I would suspect the HDD.

[aedipuss]

if you can, open the comp, find the hard drive and get the manufacturer, go to the maker's website and get their hard drive checking software on a floppy. run it. i go with the guys here suggesting a dying hard drive. most likely the bearing is going, as they will run for short periods til they get hot then freeze up.

[thegeeman]

Thanks for your replies.

However, from your comments above, I would suspect the HDD.

That's my suspicion also.

Anyway, i have taken on board what everyone has said and spent a few £'s on a new 460w psu (Zalman ZM460B-APS 460W ATX2.03 PSU) , cooling fan (Zalman CNPS9700-NT nVidia Tritium CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/LGA775)) and hard drive (Samsung SpinPoint T 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache ). Machine was a bit noisy anyway, when encoding, so these may help.

Never heard of Zalman, just Samsung. Not a techie so not sure how good they are but apparently they are not bad. Just went for something that i found on special offer and what was supposedly quite good. If anyone thinks they're crap-let me know and i can change.

Thanks alot.