Computer Freezing All The Time, a possible remedy Options

[Gae]

For the last few days my computer screen has been freezing on me. It started to do it ocassionally at first and then constantly over the last couple of days. The screen was freezing/locking and I couldn't even bring up the task manager using Ctrl + Alt + Del. The only thing I could do was to reset the computer. Anyway, I tried several different things to solve the problem...checked for viruses, adware, checked all my hardware devices/drivers, memory performance etc and at one point I even re-installed Windows as a last ditch effort. Unfortunately nothing worked. Even a search of various computer help forums and microsoft support pages failed to do the trick. Finally, at the point of throwing the computer out of the window I had a brainwave. Could it be overheating? I opened the computer up and lo and behold, the computer fan and chip fan/filter were absolutely full of dust almost to the point of not being able to see the light through the blades. I blew all the dust of with a little rubber blower I have for my projector and so far everything has been fine and the computer has been running smoothly once more.
So if any of you have the same problem in the future, hopefully my little experience and last minute discovery might save you a lot of time and effort.

Gae

[Wobby]

lol, I never thought of that! Maybe our D drive needs clearing out, coz it can't play any CDs without the sound jerking. Obviously, a more permanent, yet more expensive solution, is to buy a new computer! That works everytime, providing it's good enough!

Wobby

[cecilia]

Wow, whoever thought that dust could cause such chaos. I wish I'd known to check that before- thanks Gae!

[indy]

Gae
you are very lucky - overheating could easily have blown the CPU and motherboard, which would be the most difficult and expensive bits to replace. You may have been looking at a new computer!
Well spotted.
I've lots of experience in this field, and when I built my last 'music/video editing' computer, I ensured there was lots of cooling and ventilation and put extra fans in strategic locations to force air to circulate.

This overheating issue applies to all electronic appliances too - so don't clog up those electronic piano vent holes everyone, and keep out of direct summer sun - especially laptops, I would recommend.

For those who have a computer which is used a lot over the years, this might be a good time to open up your computer (switched OFF of course and unplugged from mains!) and delicately vaccuum - adults only please!

[Gae]

Its amazing that whenever we get a computer problem we automatically think it must be a software/hardware issue without even thinking about anything else so straightforward. The corner of the room where I have my computer is a notorious area for collecting dust with all the cables and plugs etc. From now on, I will make a point of cleaning the inside of the computer from time to time, power off of course. Dust does seem to be more prolific in this balmy weather too!

Gae

P.S. So far, the computer hasn't frozen once since the dusting down last night. I'm pretty much 99% certain now that that was the problem! :)

[AnotherPianist]

lol, I never thought of that! Maybe our D drive needs clearing out, coz it can't play any CDs without the sound jerking. Obviously, a more permanent, yet more expensive solution, is to buy a new computer! That works everytime, providing it's good enough!

Wobby

Do not buy a new computer just because your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive doesn't work.... New computers are expensive and a new CD-ROM drive costs £12 even a DVD writer only costs £34, even if you don't feel brave enough to fit it yourself (usually involves 4 screws and plugging the two cables that were in the back of the previous one into the new one) a computer shop will fit it for you for an extortionate-for-what-they-do but not-as-expensive-as-a-new-computer fee. If it's always the same disk that's causing the problem it may just be that the disk needs cleaning. Do not, however, take the case off your CD-ROM drive whatever you do, it's dangerous!