Old computer freezing question

bad RAM possibly. its only freezing up once it fills up memory to the point it hits the bad sectors.

try running memory tester(?) i think..you can boot it off a USB stick and it will take probably 6-8 hours but should go through your RAM completely & diagnose problems.

if its a RAM issue, that's a cheap fix to buy a different chip.

ETA if you have another PC with good RAM, swap it and see if that helps..might be easier than running that RAM test.

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try running memory tester(?) i think..you can boot it off a USB stick and it will take probably 6-8 hours but should go through your RAM completely & diagnose problems.

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I will try that. Thanks.

I sort of thought converting a dvd from 8 or whatever down to 4 gigs would stress it, guess I thought wrong.

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Check the CPU fan, make sure its turning and doesn't have a chunk of dust bunnies in it.

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This. A friend's computer did the same thing. I vacuumed and dusted everything, especially the air vents and fans. I unseated and reseated everything, with emphasis on the memory sticks. That helped a lot but it still froze. Just not as often.

I could see the cpu fan turning, although not very fast. I could feel very little air coming out of the back of the unit.

I had to undo the four screws holding the cpu fan and remove it to see a film of dust blocking the airflow over the cpu. I cleaned that up and the overheating problems stopped!

Make sure you ground yourself before touching anything inside the case. This will discharge any static electricity buildup in your body. Touch the metal chassis and try to leave a finger against the chassis all the time you are in there!