I am running Windows XP on an HP Media Centre computer. The system has started freezing frequently and randomly. The only thing you can do is pull the plug.I have had it in to an "expert" they checked for virus's added Ram etc but couldn't find anything wrong. Brought it home and it froze in the first ten minutes. 1 person needs an answerI do too

I am running Windows XP on an HP Media Centre computer. The system has started freezing frequently and randomly. The only thing you can do is pull the plug.I have had it in to an "expert" they checked for virus's added Ram etc but couldn't find anything wrong. Brought it home and it froze in the first ten minutes. ========================================Did the 'Expert" mention that the system might be overheating?Maybe the following articles would offer some ideas:Detect and Fix an Overheating Computerhttp://www.computertooslow.com/overheating-computer.aspClean your computer towerhttp://www.computertooslow.com/clean-computer.aspHow to Clean the Inside of a Computer Casehttp://www.technibble.com/how-to-clean-the-inside-of-a-computer-case/Why my Toshiba laptop suddenly shuts down by itself without warning?http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/01/04/toshiba-laptop-overheating/How to Stop Laptop Overheating Issueshttp://www.computer-adviser.com/stop-laptop-overheating.htmlLaptop Overheating Problems - The Easy Curehttp://ezinearticles.com/?Laptop-Overheating-Problems---The-Easy-Cure&id=1269144Volunteer J - MS-MVP - Digital Media Experience - Notice_This is not tech support_I am a volunteer - Solutions that work for me may not work for you - ***Proceed at your own risk***

Insufficient information unless you just want guesses.You need to try to stop with the plug pulling or you will be back with a new topic that reads:My system will not boot and I see a message that says:Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM What is your system make and model?What is your XP Version and Service Pack?Describe your current antivirus and anti malware situation: McAfee, Norton, Spybot, AVG, Avira!, MSE, Defender, ZoneAlarm, PC Tools, Comodo, etc.Does the afflicted system have a working CD/DVD drive?Do you have a genuine bootable XP installation CD (this is not the same as any Recovery CDs that came with your system)?Please provide additional information about your system:Click Start, Run and in the box enter:msinfo32Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.For video driver information, expand the Components, click Display, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.There will be some personal information (like System Name and User Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just delete it from the pasted information.Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs:Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/They can be uninstalled later if desired.When the scans run clean, then troubleshoot any remaining issues.Windows XP has a built in feature to help you figure out the cause of random lockups, hangs, not responding, etc. I would suggest using it.If your system stops responding, hangs or freezes and you can't figure out why, you can force a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) which will create a crash dump file that you can analyze and see what is running at the point of the freeze and get some ideas that do not involve guesswork.While it may seem odd to think about purposefully causing a Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD), Microsoft includes such a provision in Windows XP. The feature is built in to XP specifically to diagnose the problem when a system stops responding.This will eliminate trying things or guessing about what might be happening maybe. You will know for sure.Here's how to force your system to create a BSOD:First make sure your system is not set to automatically restart on a system failure.Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, Settings.In the System failure section:Put a check mark in the "Write an event to the system log" boxPut a check mark in the "Send an administrative alert" boxUncheck the "Automatically restart" boxIn the Write debugging information section, choose:Small memory dump (64 KB)Set the Small dump directory to:%SystemRoot%\MinidumpClick OK twice to save the settings.Now enable the XP feature to generate a crash dump on demand.Before making registry changes, backup your registry with this popular free and easy to use tool:http://www.snapfiles.com/get/erunt.htmlFor PS/2 keyboards, launch the Registry Editor (Start, Run, regedit.exe) and navigate to:HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\ParametersFor USB keyboards, launch the registry editor (Start, Run, regedit.exe) and navigate to:HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\ParametersClick Edit, select New DWORD Value and name the new value:CrashOnCtrlScrollDouble-click the CrashOnCtrlScroll DWORD Value, type 1 in the Value Data text box to enable the feature, and click OK. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows XP for the changes to take effect.When you want to cause a BSOD (when your system has stopped responding), press and hold down the [Ctrl] key on the right side of your keyboard, and then tap the [ScrollLock] key twice. Now you should see the BSOD and you will have a crash dump file to analyze.You may not see the information about your problem on the BSOD screen, but you will find the answer in the crash dump file. You may need help interpreting your crash dump file if you have never seen one before.You can read about the feature here:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff545499.aspxThere is no harm in leaving the feature enabled (mine is always on), but if you are compelled to remove it, just undo the change you made in the registry.Launch the Registry Editor (Start, Run, regedit.exe) and navigate to:HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters orHKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\ParametersSelect the CrashOnCtrlScroll value, click the Edit menu, and select the Delete command. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows XP. Don't guess what the problem might be - figure it out and fix it. I need YOUR votes and points for helpful replies and Propose as Answers. I am saving up for a pony!