Here's my issue: I'm running Windows XP Pro SP3 and recently have had an odd lock up issue. Randomly my screen goes haywire and locks up-- the entire screen looks like "dragging remnants" or sort of like if you pasted a 1 px high by 1024 px wide image over and over again. No blue screen, no ability to use the mouse, it's just locked on this screen. I've tried a few things -- I've run Windows Memory Diagnostic and Memtest to check the RAM, which seems fine. I've defragged, virus scanned, and checked CPU heat-- all normal. I've rolled back the video drivers and reinstalled and hunted online for answers, but still I get the random lockup. Sometimes it's after 10 minutes, sometimes it's after 2 days but usually it's 3-4 times a day. There's no specific program I'm running that makes it happen. Any idea where to go next would be awesome. I've had a blown MOBO before, but all the capacitors I've seen are good. Since the RAM checked out, I suspect either MOBO, the onboard video card or drivers (in this case an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 with updated drivers) or CPU? I don't want to reinstall windows as I don't think it's a software issue. Of course, I've run chkdsk with both /F and /X parameters to no avail. Any ideas?! Thanks

If the video is on board try installing an add in card, if you have something tying around that fits. Also try the monitor on another system to eliminate it.

If this happens only on-line, i suspect your ISP connection is slow due to heavy traffic. If all returns to normal by simply waiting, the page is just taking a long time to load. If this is not the case, post your FULL system specs along with your ISP connection type and specs. I'm on Dialup connection and see something similar quite frequently. There is nothing to learn from someone who already agrees with you.

Thanks for the responses - It's not an online issue, as it most often happens when my computer is just idle. I suspect the onboard video card but don't know of any way to test it, outside of getting another card and plugging it in.

Do you have an LCD monitor?

I do have an LCD monitor, it's a Optimquest Q9 monitor

Then try the monitor on another computer to make sure the issue is not the monitor. That is a cheap test.