Apps Freezing in Windows ME - Out of Ideas

[Dshazzarin]

For the longest, I have been researching a problem with my config that causes my apps to randomly freeze. Fortunately, games never freeze, but it's annoying nevertheless.

Before I begin this dissertation, here's my setup:

AMD 1.1Ghz CPU
Gigabyte 7IXE4 Mobo - BIOS dated 11/03/2001 (the latest)
Visiontek Geforce3 AGP
D-Link NIC (PCI)
Linksys NIC (PCI)
Soundblaster Live Value (PCI)
Iomega SCSI Adapter (PCI)
Iomega 1GB Jazz Drive (internal)
HP 9100 Series CD-R/RW (IDE)
Primary Master C: drive = Maxtor 12.6 GB
Slave D: drive = 40GB Western Digital
ISP = Charter Cable Modem (Surfboard external -- connects to D-Link)
Logitech IFeel Mouse (PS/2)
Microsoft Natural Keyboard
Windows ME OS
Direct-X 8.1a
NVidia Reference Drivers Version 21.83

The app freezes occur randomly. The app in question freezes the system completely and usually I can still move the mouse arrow, but this is not always the case. Here is a list of things that I have tried to no avail:

1). HD Defrag
2). Internet Explorer History/Cache Cleanup
3). Reducing my Video Hardware Acceleration in Video Properties
4). Reducing the color palette from 32-bit to 16-bit.
5). Reducing the screen resolution from 1280x1024 to 1024x768.
6). Replacing an older 250-watt PSU with a 300-watt
7). Switching the NICs around a little to avoid IRQ sharing with the video card (D-Link currently shares with the AGP, which is IRQ 11)
8). Removing the SCSI adapter to free up an IRQ
9). Flashing the BIOS to the latest version (as of this morning -- still encountered freezing)
10). Clean format and Re-install of Windows ME
11). Installing latest AMD chipset drivers that are authenticated by Microsoft
12). Tried using generic Microsoft mouse driver in place of Logitech MouseWare.
13). Downloaded all critical ME patches from Microsoft
14). Modified ME config to exclude all non-essential TSR's at StartUp

Please, if anyone has any ideas, I would certainly appreciate hearing from you, as I have run out.

Thanks.

[Dodge]

HI welcome to Cybertech.

Have you tried going into Msconfig and turning off all the unneeded Apps from loading at startup?

Also, how much Ram do you have in that system?

[Dshazzarin]

Yes, per item #14. :)

I have 256MB 133mhz SDRAM.

[maxximilian]

Looks like you have tried just about everything, but the kitchen sink. ;)

What are the apps that are freezing?

Have you tried the DirectX diagnostics tool? Probably a long shot since your games seem to be running fine, but couldn't hurt to run the tests.

Please don't be insulted by this but ;) .........any chance this could be heat-related and it is just by coincidence that it is applications running at the time? I only ask because I use apps much, much more than I play games, so if I developed hardware trouble, it would likely seem to manifest itself during those operations. Just need to mention this possibility. :)

[Dshazzarin]

Max, you have really good ideas there, but I have run dxdiag, and all checked out ok.

As far as the heat issue goes, I downloaded a copy of "Motherboard Monitor 5". The results were:

Sensor 1 = 43 degrees C
Sensor 2 = 18 degrees C
All voltage readings appeared to be normal (ie: not overheating due to malfunction or overclocking)

Fan = approx 4396 RPM
CPU = 1111mhz

Hmmmmmmmmmm... :)

[Spider]

Originally posted by Dshazzarin:
Primary Master C: drive = Maxtor 12.6 GB
Slave D: drive = 40GB Western Digital

If it were me I'd swap these two around.
Make the WD master and the Maxtor slave. I'd also make sure
DMA is selected on the WD and it rides an 80 wire ribbon.

You didn't say what's on the secondary IDE controller so I don't
know what your posibilities are. I'll assume you have a CD-ROM
and the slave is free and if so I'd line them up like this...

WD on primary IDE controller on an 80 wire ribbon...DMA.

Maxtor on secondary IDE controller as master...DMA.

CD-ROM on secondary IDE controller as slave...DMA.

If the CD is a CD-RW then I'd make it the master and
the Maxtor the slave.

[Dshazzarin]

Well, I appreciate the insight, and yes, this would be the idea situation; however, I took the plunge today and upgraded to Windows XP.

I must say that I like the feel to it, and that it seems like a more robust system all-around.

So far, so good. I appreciate the thoughts and wonderful pieces of advice.

I will certainly post my results once I have had ample time to test.

Thanks again.