PC freezes every night

I always leave my PC on overnight so updates, virus detection etc. can run. However recently when I come down to the PC in the morning it is completely frozen. Hard disk access light, DVD Reader and CD writer ligths are on and the only option is to pull the plug, nothing else works. I have rescheduled all the nightly programs so they don't run at night, but it still freezes. Can anybody recommend a way of finding out what programs are running at night that I don't know about (I have already looked at the event logs and cant see anything wrong)?
Rgds
Per

Windows XP SP1, all updates carried out, Office 2003, Adobe suites of programs, AVG anti virus, Zone Alarm etc. Pentium IV 1.6, 512MB, 280GB (1x80 IDE 1x200 SATA).

 

It may not be a program causing the freeze. Sorry to hear there are no event log entries though - that would certainly have helped things.

Things I'd suggest at this point since it could well be a hardware issue of some sort:

- disable any screen saver you have running so you can at least see what screen display you have when things freeze.

- do a full scan including a drive surface check. start~run~cmd followed by chkdsk /r and tell it to do the scan at next reboot then reboot. No need to watch since it will take quite a while with your drive and the scan results will be in the event logs.

If it freezes again and if your 512Mb of memory is more than one stick, try removing all but one stick. If you get the nightly freeze, try removing the one and using another.

 

Thanks Newt,

I have of course been considering hardware problems. I have a hardware test program "HotCPU" which tests memory etc. and that has not found any faults. Also, why does it only happen at night? If it is a hardware fault it should happen at random. Perhaps at prolonged times of inactivity but that also some times happen during daytime. The sames goes for your suggestion of running a chkdsk.

The task manager shows a large number of processes I can't recognise. I was wondering if any of those were perhaps spyware doing something at night time. But last time I ran AdAware I managed to delete so many valid cookies etc. that it took me quite a while to get things back in order again, so I am a little concerned with running that again.

I thought there was perhaps some kind of "snoop" program which could write to a log each time a program was running, and that this program would manage to write to the log before the PC froze so I could tell what was the last program running.

I was also hoping that the fact that all disk lights lit up, could be an indication one of the readers of this forum might spot as an indication of a certain program or fault.

I all else fails I will have to look at the hardware, but at this time I don't really believe it.

Rgds
Per

 

I admire your open mindedness. Good luck.

 

Hello per,

I notice that you have ZoneAlarm in your sig.

If you've updated to v5.0, this version is giving users some not so obvious problems - such as errors with chkdisk and defragging. If you have Task Scheduler enabled, XP's defrag is doing periodic defragging. Try shuuting it down and running that way.

If your connected to the net, make sure you have ICF enabled when ZA is disabled.

Regards - Charles

 

Per, if Steve's solution not the case, one way to see if ZA is doing any interferring is to do a chkdisk and see what happens. Chkdisk is one of those things that are not done very often.

Regards - Charles

 

SS is what was causing me the COMPLETE ( plug pulling ) lockup.

I was on here ( this BBS ) and left for a few minutes. Came back to a FIRMLY LOCKED UP machine. Turned off the SS and no problems since.

BillyBob

 

First, Use XP's Disk Clean Up. Check everything but "compress old files ". Defrag. Reboot.

Use AdAware, just have it leave your cookies alone. Let it clean up all it finds. Get Spybot 1.3, update it and run it, too. Run a scan for free at RAV. AFTER you have eliminated spyware as your freeze problem, post a HijackThis log. Do not fix anything, wait for the experienced advice, first.

This is probably a bit paranoid, but you will never know unless you run some scans and eliminate malware as the cause of the problem.

Now, having said all that, Rockster2U makes a very valid point with his usual dry wit. There are several hardware problems that will cause the symptoms you are describing. If I suspected hardware, and in your case you haven't ruled anything out yet, I would take advantage of someone like Rockster's expertise and ask him what diagnostics he would recommend first. But don't waste his (or anyone else's) time until you eliminate "net nasties" as the cause of your random freezes.

Johanna