Sydney2 wrote:
Hello all

My computer seems to stop from time to time :
After the startup, the machine runs normally for a while. Then
everything is stopped. The computer won't respond to the keyboard,.the
mouse can be moved, the hard disk telltale lamp is off. All I have to do
is wait. Then everything returns to normal. I have tested successively
the RAM modules by removing one after the other.
I suspect the processor. How to make sure ? What else can be wrong ?

If a processor was defective, it would most like "crash and
go off into the woods".

If there is a delay (freeze) and a continuation, a culprit
might be a kernel call that is jammed up. The kernel calls
should serialize and block, and if one stops when it isn't
supposed to, all activity stops too.

An example of an "unexpected condition" in the computer,
would be a bad sector on the hard drive. It might take
up to 15 seconds for the issue to be resolved (sector
spared out or whatever). In which time, the
computer could experience a delay. And finally,
a release, when the kernel call returns.

Note - freezes can be very hard to figure out. If you
remain puzzled by the source of yours, you would not
be alone. We're all at the mercy of "freezing". Only
by luck, do you figure them out.

You can check the Event Viewer. That's one place to
look. But there's no reason for an event to be
reported. Freezing doesn't have to leave "bread crumbs"
when it happens. Sometimes, the cause can be some
driver you updated, some software you added, and
so on.

If you boot an alternate OS (say, a Linux LiveCD), and
the computer halts in exactly the same way, you'd suspect
a hardware fault. If symptoms manifest in a different way,
then you're no further ahead, in terms of collecting
evidence.

*******

I had a situation very similar to yours just yesterday.

1) Power up computer not used for six months.
2) Unit had PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse connected.
3) When to Start : Run, and tried to type in devmgmt.msc.
As I was typing, the keyboard and the mouse stopped working.
4) Reached for my trusty USB keyboard and USB mouse.
Plugged those in (leaving PS/2 devices in place). You
can run with two keyboards and two mice if you wish.
Windows detected new hardware. So it wasn't "frozen".
5) I was able to finish typing, using the USB keyboard.
6) After I was finished whatever I was doing, I rebooted,
and the PS/2 devices were able to complete test case (3)
without a problem. When I did Start : Run and entered
devmgmt.msc, it worked and Device Manager appeared on
the screen.

What was the problem ? I haven't a clue...

Paul