"g" wrote in message ...
The machine running Windows XP(32 bit) with Service Pack 3 has the
required Windows patches/updates, Avast antivirus(the definitions are set
to autoupdate every 8 hours), Zonealarm free firewall utility(which also
is set to auto-update). Did a Avast boot scan(which did not detect
anything), no records in event viewer which can point to the cause
of a freeze, it has 60GB free of out the total 250GB, 4GB RAM(and the
programs being used on it are Word, Outlook, Firefox browser, notepad in
addition to MySQL, Coldfusion, JRun and IIS services). It was OK before
3-4 weeks, but now has two such freezes in a day. Did a scan
with Malwarebytes(after updating its definitions, but that too did not
detect anything). Ran Hijackthis and did not see anything strange in that
also. The cookies in Firefox are set to be deleted when the browser
closes. Ran the Temp File Cleaner utility by OldTimer which removed the
temporary files, but the issue of freezing persisted. I checked using the
msconfig utility and in the registry too and no strange programs are
starting up when Windows starts.

When it freezes, I have to manually hold the power switch for 5-7 seconds
to turn it off, then after 10 seconds use the same switch to turn it on.
If I don't do this, nothing changes. I left it for 12 hours thinking
something would happen, but nothing occurred.

I am not using a wireless keyboard or mouse.

The hard disk(Western Digital model) is fine. I ran a Western Digital
diagnostic extended test and Smartfan(temperature monitoring utility's)
extended test on it and both tests were cleared without any errors.

The motherboard is a Intel Lakeport-G i945G and CPU info is below

Version Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
External Clock 800 MHz
Maximum Clock 6000 MHz
Current Clock 3200 MHz
Type Central Processor
Voltage 1.2 V
Status Enabled
Socket Designation XU1 PROCESSOR

The machine was purchased in May 2006 and is out of warranty.

I have 4 sticks of 1GB RAM. I ran Memtest 86 for 18 hours till Pass 12 on
all 4 sticks and it had no errors.

I used Speedfan to monitor the CPU, HDD temp and they are

HDD temp 35C
Core 0 42C
Core 1 46C

I opened the tower, cleaned the dust inside it using a compressed gas
duster, opened the CPU fan, cleaned the dust around it also. Thought that
would fix the issue, but the freezes persisted.

Then, I picked a dc7600 minitower(same build as my initial one), replaced
the memory and hard disk on it from my original dc7600 to see if the
CPU/motherboard of the original dc 7600 are faulty, tried using
it(replacement dc 7600 minitower) but after a few hours it also froze.

The CPU and all other hardware components are found to be OK by HP
diagnostics(http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...swLang=13&mode
=2&taskId=135&swItem=ir-45591-1) in a complete test of 25 loops for
both(original and replacement) dc7600 minitowers.

I checked the capacitors on the motherboard(Intel Lakeport-G i945G) of the
replacement dc7600 minitower. Three of them were yellow colored which had
text like

F(which had a hyphen above it)
6.3V 680uF
-55C - + 105C

There were lot of brown colored capacitors which had text like

KZG
6.3V
820uF

The freezing CPU(my initial dc 7600 minitower) is being used by a temp
worker in the office and and current replacement dc 7600 was being used by
a temp worker without any issues, but they work only 20hrs/week, have 2GB
RAM and do not run as many programs as I do. They have used it for 4 days
now for typing some documents in Word, using Outlook and using a web
browser.

Few more strange things are I used a Ultimate Boot CD for 7 hours and
there were no freezes in the initial dc 7600 minitower.

Also, there have been two days without a freeze when using Windows, then
two freezes on the third day.

When it freezes some keys in the keyboard operate(sometimes) like the caps
lock can be toggled, but the windows key, alphabets/numbers do not. I can
move the mouse pointer from one corner of screen to other. Could it mean
Windows is functional and it is a software issue. But, if it is a software
issue why there are no logs in the Event viewer or a Windows BSOD(Blue
Screen of Death)?


What else can I try to diagnose the hardware issues?

It sounds like you found the problem - either one of your memory sticks or
the hard drive, since you swapped them into another machine and then that
other machine experienced freezes.... so did you isolate which one of those
things was the cause? Does the problem continue?