What's wrong with my computer?

Question

Okay I've had my computer for a long time, and have wiped it multiple times. It started freezing up on games so bad to the point that I have to restart the computer just to get things running again. So I wiped it, and reinstalled my games but it continues to freeze. I'm running Vista Home Prem. 32 bit by the way. At first I thought it was the game, being it's an older game, and I figured okay Vista doesn't like it, so I installed the Sims 3. Everything installs fine, but it did the same thing with it. I get no error window, no information on why it's doing this. Oh, and I have updated the drivers, twice.
I hope this is enough information can someone plz help.

Answer 1

You didn't say how much RAM you have so I am saying that 2 gb memory will help your problem a lot. But you said your system is older it could be a combination of memory (RAM) and your processor.



I would upgrade the RAM (2gb) and go from there.







Good luck

Answer 2

Well Vista was not the best O/S that Carries the windows name. If the is an older game you might want to try and install it on a computer with XP. The where games that I have played that required an older version of quicklime such as the complex game MYST. There could software that was installed for the game that may conflict with another type of software that is already on your computer. Try this. Close all program that you are running and make sure they are not still running in the task-bar. Than start the game and see if the problem persists.



I hope that is information helps you remedy the issue in which you having trouble with.

Answer 3

does it freeze in any other applications?



can it freeze when at idle i.e. not doing anything other than just running windows and nothing else?



when the game freezes does the sound freeze and repeat itself or stop?



are any other applications running slower or different than before?



if yes then you may have a faulty motherboard or hard drive, but before we consign the computer to the dustbin contact me and we can go through together to try and diagnose the issue further



email me on my profile and i will try and help FYI its 00:15 GMT over here in the UK and im going to bed so a response will not be immediate

Answer 4

Check your fans, especially the cpu fan (the one sitting on the processor). If they are not running properly or full of dust, overheating will cause your problem, especially when running games that use large amounts of resources and increase the heat output.

Answer 5

by wiping it, if you mean format and reinstall system, it should run fine, how ever either the system doesn't see yer ram or it doesn't use it or you need more for the games. could be too many prgrams running, and always the chance of malware. all will affect speed.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, this is not enough information. How much ram do you have? What is your graphics card? What is your page filing set at? Have you opened task manager to see what is using so much cpu when this happens? The variables are virtually unlimited.

Answer 7

There are several reasons your computer will freeze, but here are the most common factors and solutions: Firstly, try pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys simultaneously, then release quickly, to open up the Task Manager window. Select the program that is not responding, and click "End Task " to close that application. If this unfreezes your computer, then proceed to the following info. If it doesn't work, then proceed to the more aggressive solutions at the very bottom in addition to the following info:



*DRIVER INCOMPATIBILITY: Driver updates are NOT enough, especially for gamers. Having a driver compatibility issue is MAJOR reason for freezes. If you are a gamer, then there are specific video and audio drivers that are recommended for certain games. Having the wrong version of these drivers could lead to your computer freezing. You'll have to check that you have all the necessary drivers for each game. To do this, simply refer to your game's prerequisite drivers, then make sure you have them; if not, buy them. For free assistance through MS, visit the Solution Center, which can help detect which drivers you need with installed games: http://support.microsoft.com/select



*SYSTEM ERRORS: Generally, after long time use (sometimes even in new PCs), your PC collects junk, compiles disk volume errors, bad sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked files and directory errors, and other things that clutter your PC and cause it to run slow and freeze. A great solution that is automated and FREE is Microsoft 'Fix It", also known as Microsoft Automated Troubleshooting Services. I recommend you run it and if it finds problems (which I'm sure it will), then it really does "fix it", automatically! Visit: http://support.microsoft.com/fixit



*OVERHEATING: One of the biggest reasons for a computer freeze is because there is a hardware component that is getting too hot and causing a failure. Try to buy a fan for your PC to keep it's components cool HERE:

FOR DESKTOPS: http://www.amazon.com/USB-Mini-Desktop-Fan-Black/dp/B003FO0LG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287363412&sr=8-1



*MORE AGGRESSIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE MORE AGGRESSIVE ISSUES*



*RECENTLY INSTALLED SOFTWARE: If new software is incompatible with your operating system, then this will cause your PC to freeze. Either install a compatible version, (if installed incorrectly, uninstall then reinstall that version from another source) or if not available then you will have to uninstall it and find an alternative to it. You can run a check with Windows Compatibility Center to see if you have any software that conflicts with your version of Windows HERE: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/Default.aspx



*INSUFFICIENT RAM: RAM (Random Access Memory), the capacity to store data and run different applications and hardware, has it's limits. Try to have at least 20% free and your computer may stop freezing. If you're a gamer, be sure to have dedicated graphics memory. Check your memory with Windows Diagnostic tools HERE: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp



*MALWARE: Modern viruses, malware, trojans, rootkits and spyware are more sophisticated than ever. All it takes is one click and your computer can become unresponsive! I would suggest running a check with these powerful and free antispyware and antimalware/rootkit software: Super AntiSpyware AND Malware Bytes for antispyware/malware/rootkit/browser hijackers. Then use AVG for Anti-Virus. Get them HERE free:

SUPER ANTI-SPYWARE: http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html?tag=mncol;1

MALWARE BYTES: http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?tag=contentMain;contentAux

AVG: http://download.cnet.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition-2011/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?tag=contentMain;contentAux



*REGISTRY ISSUES: Commonly accumulated unwanted junk files and invalid and broken shortcuts are a huge reason for cluttering disk space and freezing your PC. The software below will help that and offers tools to manage start-up programs and memory optimization, PLUS a government-standard file shredder to securely delete data in my faves below. I like Glary Utilities AND Advanced System Care Free. They are, ALL free software and are top rated: Visit:

GLARY UTILITIES: http://download.cnet.com/Glary-Utilities/3000-2094_4-10508531.html?tag=mncol;lst

ADVANCED SYSTEM CARE: http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-SystemCare-Free/3000-2086_4-10407614.html?tag=contentMain;contentAux

Answer 8

You need to try to run the game in combatility mode.