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Old 04-25-2004, 11:25 AM   #1 (permalink)
final_identity
Tilted
 
Location: Jackson, MS
Regular Screen Freezes, Floppy Driver

OS: Windows 98 second edition
Processor: Intel pentium 533
Hewlett Packard "Pavilion 8660C"
Sony Trinitron Multiscan 100ES
Dial-up 56K modem

The screen regularly freezes when I'm typing to the internet. This will happen if I'm in IE or Netscape, and also in Eudora and MS Outlook Express. It's been like this since I first got the computer four years ago. Along with this, the floppy drive is wonky -- it will write a file, with the proper length, but it will be all blank spaces (exactly the right number of blank spaces) except for the first three lines. As I have a CD writer, I just use that instead. But it would be nice to be able to write to floppies, since I did pay for that.

I've tried messing with drivers and such, but can't find anything that would be an improvement over what I've currently got. I never got an adequate fix while I was on warranty when I first bought the computer (gee what a surprise) and now am just trolling around wondering if I'll ever find a way to browse the 'net without expecting a crash.

The actual problem event is a "freeze up" in which everything just ... freezes. The mouse cursor no longer moves, the keyboard no longer enters keystrokes (not even ctrl-alt-del), the speakers don't play sound. My only recourse is to power-down at the socket (yup; the restart button won't work; I flip the switch on the extension cord!) and restart everything. The problems seem more common with Java than without; otherwise, they are fairly predictable -- using the internet and wordprocessing = 75% chance of problem. Using the internet with multiple windows or images = 66% chance of problem. Browsing the internet one click at a time, no text-entry-boxes = 25% chance of problem. Not using internet = 10% chance of problem.

So, any suggestions? Do you need further information? Or is this a hopeless case?
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