Mysterious and fatal?? computer problem (windows)

[ritaxis]

I don't need Mac comments, okay?

Lately, and I'm afraid with increasing frequency, my xp-pro computer does this insanely frightening thing. All of a sudden, with no event to mark it, it freezes and becomes unresponsive to mouse, keyboard, and reset button (I hate hate hate the way that modern computers do not have an off button). The only way to even turn the thing off is to unplug it (and this is why I think computers ought to have an off button).

I pulled the plug three times in the last two hours.

Yep. I did. I was trying to write the lead-in to the Great Confusing Party Scene, with mistaken identities, overheard and misheqrd snippets of conversation, etc. I got two paragraphs written. And then written again, and finally I saved after every sentence so I wouldn't have to write them a fourth time.

I suspect it has something to do with the internet. We have DSL, and I'm often cruising in the background while I'm writing. Especially downloading trinkets for my Sims. I'm going to try unplugging the ethernet cord while writing, but that means I can't have lj or rasfc in the background either.

I have saved my entire documents folder to my jump drive. I'm not making the mistake of being undersaved again! (most of my writing is also stored in a web-based file too).

Comments

[ellarien]

That sounds scary, and backups and frequent saving sound like a good idea. Have you checked the Event Viewer? (Under Computer Management in the Admin Tools folder under Control Panel.) That might tell you if something bad is happening. My first guesses (mostly because those are the bad computer things I've had experience of in the last year or two) would be either the early stages of disk failure, or some spyware-ish thing taking up too many resources. Running the Task Manager might give you a clue what is happening, as well.

The trouble with disconnecting modern PCs from the internet is that they then waste cycles trying to find the connection to do whatever background things they want to use it for.