Have a close look at the componets on the motherboard. After 8 yrs the capacitors might have blown off their tops. This also causes the symptoms you describe. Or it is the power supply. To be perfectly honest after 8 years you really should replace that computer. The cost of repair is not worth the effort. I am preety sure you can get budget machines(or secand hand one if $$$ is a problem) that are much faster than what you have.

:biggrin:Buy yourself some canned air and blow out all your fansa and vents, check to be sure all your fans are still running ( don't forget power supply fans(s). While you have your case open to do this look for swollen capacitors as you pc is the correct age to have been hit by this flaw( although it usually showed up in under 3 years)

If this does nothing to correct your issue you have crossed into real money territory to fix and MAY want to consider flat out replacing since in computer years yours is ancient. If not the start running free diagnostics you can find online, check your RAM, Hard Drive, Motherboard, and and video card as all can cause this to happen in the wierd and wacky world of computer diagnostics.

Oh and take a look at how many programs are running at start up and remove any that are not critica,l this will reduce load and free up some memory so you machine will run faster and reduce conflicts and make it less likely to crash on you


If all this fails cut small hole in case and fill with cement and call it an anchor as your frustration level will have made this seem as a positive step

Thank you for all of the ideas. Its been about 2 years since I last blasted the tower out with an air compressor so I did it again today. It was pretty bad in there so hopefully that solves the problem for now. I still plan to get a new computer sometime within the next year once I start working again in the Spring.