I help folks with problems, but this one's got me stumped. I'll try to be brief. My computer freezes. Solid. Mouse won't move and keyboard won't respond. This has happened perhaps a hundred times in the three weeks since I had the computer completely rebuilt with all new parts except for the hard drive (for different myriad problems). This can only be undone using the restart button. Occasionally, if I wait after a freeze, an hourglass appears for a while, then I get a BSOD (Blue Screen) with the message 'Disk Write Error' and beneath 'Unable to write to Drive C'and 'Press any key to continue'. Pressing keys does nothing. This always requires using the restart button, whereupon WIN98 (original) boots with difficulty, sometimes stalls & must be booted to safe mode after which, if shut down completely, will boot normally. My system: Micro Pro PII400. Intel SE440BX Motherboard 128MB RAM IBM 1.2 GB HD (7200RPM) Rage Fury 128 32MB Graphics card This problem happens most frequently when entering text, primarily in Email (Outlook98, Eudora Pro, Outlook 5.0), but also when on the Internet or creating graphics. Norton SystemWorks & WinTune98 indicate no problems. I scan, defrag and run WinDoctor twice a week. I limit the starup programs (including those that write to the registry). Any ideas?

How much space left on that Hard drive? I'm wondering if there isn't a problem with the size of your virtual cache?

Plenty, thanks. That was a typo. On the 'C' partition I have about 5 GB free with 2.85 used. The total drive space should have read 10.2GB, not 1.2. Thanks for posting. Any ideas are most welcome to this frustrating situation.

Checkout this web site, sailcat, I think you will find the information there interesting even if it doesn't solve your problem. http://www.tomshardware.com/moth-bx-comp.html

Hi! I have a similar, although not so persistent, problem with a K6-2 400 system. The only thing I haven't seen so far are the BSODs. However I'll take my time, because the bug seems to me to be disk I/O related. To be sure I'll try to check on that: I have two HDs, C and D. I'll try to eliminate the D (without disconnecting it from power to differentiate from current overload problems) and see. For some time the S.M.A.R.T. mechanism of my MB indicates that D is about to fail. That's another strong clue. In your case I would first believe the system message and check: 1. the UDMA setting of your HD drive which should most likely be UDMA33 (not UDMA66) for the MB you use (jumper issue?) or, if not, make sure that you have a UDMA66 IDE cable, 2. compatibility of the IDE drivers (update them), 3. failure of the HD (by replacing it), which is not likely since you own my dream-drive (!) Regards, PP.

I have experienced the display "freeze" more times than I care to count. In my case, the freeze typically occurs when I am on the internet using Internet Exolorer and / or ICQ Chat and / or MS Windows (Office 2000) Applications (Excel mostly). This freezing is unpredictable except that it never has happened when I have had the PC on the bench at the supplier's shop. The latest theory at this end is possible telephone line signal problems - Strength, continuity or ??? I am in the process of checking this out witht he tel co. I do live in a small town area about 60 km from the main city (where the supplier is located). Another theory is that Win98 just does not fit well with other applications like ICQ and my supplier has quoted Microsoft techs as saying that MS designs these kind of non-compatibilities into their shipped OS. I have at this point partitioned my 13GB HDD, moving everthing out of C: except Windows 98 core stuff into separate Apps and Data partitions - When NT5 is available here I will instal it to use for surfing-related stuff and reserve the Win98 just for games that won't run elsewhere. According to some of my expert contacts, this may fix the stability probs. Not an expensive fix if you are going to the new NT5 anyway. MY son has a second PC that has had identical probs plus some others - We are doing a complete re-install of the O/s and other stuff and will give it a few weeks testing without insstalling ICQ to see if the above theory is supported. Hopefully one of the above will work but this has been going on now for quite some time.

I have what seems to be a major breakthrough (at least for me) - IF you have system display / mouse /keyboard freeze try this: 1. Start \ Run \ msconfg 2. Back up existing (In case you ever want to restore it) 3. Disable all StartUp programs and reboot After applying this routine, I operated for half a day connected to IE, Chat line, with many large apps up and running and not a sign of a freeze or any other error message. I cannot take credit for this great suggestion - I found it in this Forum page. Now I am at the point of re-enabling my default StartUp programs, one at a time until I pinpoint the offending program(s). Any offending programs will be re-installed and hopefully that will allow them to run in background w/o conflict - If not the worst thing that can happen is leave them disabled and call them up manually when needed. Good luck!