computer not responding after I stop using it for a while

I am having a problem with the computer not responding after I stop using it for a while. When I go back on to it the computer is on and running as well as the hard drives, but it will not respond to the key board or mouse or show anything on the monitor. I have a printer on this computer which I use as my network base. I run a peer to peer network on a few computers including my laptop. The desktops are wire connected and the laptop is wireless using my linksys router. When I use the shutoff switch to turn off the computer and turn it back on it work fine until I stop using the computer for a while. I printer will work when I hard reboot and will not when I try to come back to the computer. It also goes off the network.

I am running Windows XP pro build 2600. I have an ASUS mother board P4T-E. The processor is a 1.6 gig intel pentium 4 with a 512 secondary cache. The memory is 512 MB. I have two drives: A C drive 40 gig Maxtor hard drive running the windows software and a D drive 120 gig Western Digital hard drive storing all my data files.

I did a repair reinstalled the windows xp pro OS and it still does the same thing. Any ideas as to what is wrong?

 

What are your temperature readings?
How old is this computer?
How old is the Power Supply?

Do you have the most current possible BIOS?

I would remove the video adapter, RAM and any other adapter found on the system. Clean the contacts gently with a clean pencil eraser and reinstall all adapters boards and the RAM.

Check all other cable connections, including for the disk drives and the power connectors from power supply to the motherboard.

Clean any dust accumulation.

 

I have the same problem and is the exact reason that I am here. I am new and looking for answers.
I have XP on a Compaq Presario Laptop and have had this problem since we purchased the computer and downloaded our first set of updates. It is an update problem for us. There is one of the updates that causes this problem. I was here looking for someone who knew which update that is was. I used to have it wrote down and always could "not install" that update. But that was a long time ago and I now had to restart the computer fresh due to a virus problem and I didn't have the update listed and since there is now like 72 updates, I'm looking for someone who may know the problem one that i can avoid.
Unfortunately this has been a problem for us forever with XP and i am hoping that I can find an answer here.
Thanks!

 

The only update that has seen a fair amount of recent user complaints has been KB908531. You can remove it via Control Panel/Add or Remove Programs -- Select Show updates in the top Box.
A reboot is required.

Problems in Windows Explorer or the Windows shell after you install security
update MS06-015:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165

For HP computers running the HP included VERSCLID process:
Download Q918165_HP_Fix.reg below and save to Desktop. Right-click the file
and then choose Merge. Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/reg/Q918165_HP_Fix.reg

 

Thanks for the information. I will try this and see if it works. Also the help guide you linked me too. Thanks again