Computer Freezes, Uncertain Why....

Over the last few months, I've been having a problem with my computer freezing up; as in completely siezing, the only way to fix the problem being to shutdown manually.

At first, I attributed it to some Java-related issue, as it always occured when I used the Limewire P2P program, which uses Sun Microsystems JRE. However, recently the computer also froze when I accessed one website's link page, and again when I was using the Ares P2P program.

These instances lead me to believe that it may be some problem with my download settings, but I don't know specifically what the problem might be. My Internet connection is DSL through a wireless SMC router, accessed with a D-Link wireless adapter.

On the same token, it may well have nothing to do with the connection, but merely some problem with my processor. It seems to freeze when I do too many things at once, such as use an IE browser while using Limewire. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

OS is Windows XP Pro with SP2, and IE version is 6.0 (with some SP2 coding after that). As for the spy/adware, I run a pretty tight ship; there's nothing that I'm unaware of, and I keep my background programs to the bare essentials. Furthermore, the Limewire version I have is Pro, which guarantees no such software bundled in, and Ares is an indy program; the author didn't want/need spy/adware to fund it. A labour of love, one might say.

The frustrating part about this problem is that it didn't happen before; only over the past few months has it steadily deteriorated to the point where even using Limewire is a serious gamble.