Is your computer crashing in Windows 98?
Crashing is probably the most frequent complaint that users have. The panic is generally that the RAM or the motherboard has started to give trouble. Well, there is good news and there is bad.
The good news is that the problem is usually not hardware related, but just one of the joys of working with Windows :-) The bad news is that it's won't be easy to locate and fix. However, we do have some suggestions.
First, what is the nature of the crash? Does the mouse stop moving? Do you get blue screens? Have you noted the number of the fatal exception error? Does the fault happen only when using a certain program, or just while on the internet, or does it happen in several programs? Does it happen after you've been using the PC for a while, or soon after you put it on?
If the fault happens only in a certain program, then the program is obviously the culprit. If it happens in several different programs then read the below before resorting to extreme measures.
Many problems can be rectified by following a logical approach. Save time by always ensuring you do a scandisk (for the moment you don't need a surface scan. If the problem persists you can try that later). When scandisk is complete, do it again. Yes, it is necessary to run it at least twice. Do also run a defrag. Then re-boot your PC. Follow all these steps before trying ANY of the below suggestions. You may find that your problem has gone away.
First identify if it's a mouse problem or a wider issue. See if the keyboard works. Hit the Windows key (between control and Alt on your keyboard) or try using Control + Alt + Del to call up the Task Manager. If the PC responds as expected then the PC is fine - it's probably just your mouse playing up.
Solution: Remove the mouse, try another one if possible, or clean the mouse roller ball. If it's a serial mouse it could also be an IRQ conflict. Windows' built-in help should give you some advice on IRQ conflicts.
Is it the whole system that's frozen up?
If it's more than just your mouse, and it's the whole system that does not respond then gather as much information as you can. How often does it happen? Is it a problem you can reproduce? Does it happen at random, or only at certain times? Document this because if this page doesn't solve your problem we have links at the bottom of the page to other help sites on the web where you will need more information on the symptoms.
If it only happens after long periods of use it could be that your free memory has dropped to unacceptable levels. Click the System icon in the Control Panel and click on performance. How much of your system resources is free? 70% and above is acceptable. Below that and you probably need to reboot your PC. (see also using MSConfig and Taskmanager below)
If freezing occurs only when using the internet it could be your ISP or the fact that your ISP's modem racks "don't like" your modem. Try another ISP; most offer free trial periods. You could also try uninstalling and re-installing Dial Up Networking and TCP/IP. (Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs> Windows Setup).
Very often there are cryptic numbers embedded in the blue screen message. These often help to locate the device, the driver or the vxd that is causing the problem. You can try other help sites to identify what the message means. You can even use that number or text string in Search Engines like Google and Deja.
Fatal exception errors are generally caused when a program that you started up and shut down has not released the memory it was using. This is a common problem. Trial and error should help you locate the offending program. Uninstall and re-install it (add/remove programs in control panel). See also step-by-step. Does the problem happen in several programs? Then you may have to take extreme steps.
Very often there are cryptic numbers embedded in the Fatal Exception Error message as well. You can try other help sites to identify what the message means. You can even use that number or text string in Search Engines like Google and Deja.
There are several programs running in the background whether you realise it or not. We need to boot the PC with ALL those programs turned off. Use the msconfig command. Click on start, go to run and type msconfig. When the System Configuration Utility opens click on startup and uncheck ALL the boxes that are ticked. Reboot the PC. Call up task manager. There should be only one program listed here i.e. Explorer. Any other programs listed are not required and can be terminated using the End Task button.
Now that you're in Windows and have no programs running in the background it's time for the trial and error. Open up the suspect program and use if for a while to see if it crashes. If it does it may need to be uninstalled from the control panel (add/remove programs) and re-installed. Does the problem persist? Does the problem happen in several programs? Then you may have to take extreme steps.
Task manager tells you what programs are running in the background. You can call up the task manager by holding the Control and Alt keys down and tapping the Del key once. Note here that hitting Del twice while holding the other two keys down will actually result in shutting off your PC.
If nothing else works then it may be some part of Windows that is faulty and it may mean a complete re-installation. Don't fancy that? Well, you could try uninstalling and re-installing every program that you ever loaded. You may find that biting the bullet and reinstalling actually saves you time.
OK, it's not simple but it's probably the most effective solution. Make a backup of your files and always ensure that you format the hard disk first before attempting a new installation of Windows. After the installation always use the latest drivers for your devices rather than the drivers you received when you bought your PC.