Random Lockups Are Often Caused by FAT Problems or Overheati

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One of the most frustrating problems to troubleshoot is a random one, one that doesn’t seem to have one specific cause. The key to troubleshooting such problems is to remember that the symptom is not always directly indicative of the cause. The program or utility that it locks up on is not necessarily the issue.

Suppose Windows starts normally, but then starts crashing, freezing or giving serious error messages shortly afterward. Many times running Scandisk (or Check Disk in Windows 2000/XP) will solve the problem. That’s because such problems are often caused by errors in the FAT or NTFS file system, and this utility will fix them. In Windows 9x/Me, choose Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk. In Windows 2000/XP open My Computer, right-click the drive and choose Properties, and click the Check Now button on the Tools tab.

- If checking the disk for errors turns up nothing, overheating may be the culprit. Check the following:

Make sure the CPU fan is installed correctly and functioning.

- Check for missing backplates behind expansion slots. You would think that having more air in the case would not be an overheating cause, but it often is. That’s because the case is designed to pull air in from the power supply fan and force it through the case in a certain path. If the case is open, or there are extra air holes like missing backplates, the air doesn’t flow as designed.

- After the PC locks up, turn it off and then touch the larger chips on the motherboard and the video card to find any that are especially hot. If you find one, try blowing compressed air on it to cool it off; if this causes the system to work again, that chip is probably the problem.