Well, this isnt my PC, it belongs to a friend, and I think its 1-2 years old, Windows XP SP2. Recently she has been complaining about it freezing. She says the problem is as follows: PC turns on, windows loads, but when she tries to run a program, it freezes. All her programs are installed on her E drive while windows is on the C drive. She thinks its a harddisk problem, but I thought I'd ask for her here, since some of you guys know a lot about this stuff

thanks!

Hey

Not know much about, so think before doing anything what I say !

Ok, lets see... Did it freeze with every program, windows program too or only with programs which not in windows own ? Which ?
If with windows programs too, then problem could be deeper.
If only with not windows program, then it could be that specific program or the E drive, where they all are.

1. Try to run every correction programs for driver(s), so windowns try to fix any problem it finds in that harddisk.
Did it makes any noice, that you don't be heard before ?

2. Is memory alright ? If she have more then one card, take another off and try how it runs. If she have only one you/she need the one which you knowing it works (from your machine ?)and replace old one with that and see how it runs.

If you don't find any problems from harddisk or from memory cards, then you could try to find out what program cause the problem.

This is from microsoft, what I get from them when having problems to get windows to load. You can find it from ms site, I think and this is basic thing.
I try to change it to english.

"Kokeile koneen toimintaa jos teet seuraavan ohjeen"
Try how to computer works, if you do as below.

"Käynnistä Windows ilman lisäpalveluita:"
Start windows without extraservices:

1."Varmista tätä ennen että Windowsin palomuuri on päällä tai tietokone on kytketty irti tietoverkosta
(Käynnistä –valikko > Ohjauspaneeli > Tietoturvakeskus)"
1.Be sure that windows protection is on or computer internet cable is off.

2."Avaa Käynnistä-valikon kohta Suorita, ja kirjoita Avaa-kenttään komento ” msconfig ” ja klikkaa OK"
2.Open Start up-menu and select Run, write the open up-field "msconfig" and select OK.

3."Mene välilehdelle Palvelut."
3.Go to Services tab.
Second last tab.

4."Pane merkintä ruutuun ”Piilota kaikki Microsoftin palvelut”"
4.Select "Hide all the Microsoft services"

5."Paina nappia ”Poista kaikki käytöstä”, jolloin jokaisen rivin kohdalta ruudusta lähtee merkintä pois."
5.Click "Unselect all", every marks clear away from the other services, expect those MS services, which you have hide away.

6."Mene välilehdelle Käynnistys.
Paina nyt suoraan ”Poista kaikki käytöstä”
Paina nappia ”OK”"
6.Go to "Start" maybe "Run" tab and select "Uncheck all" and click "OK"
This is the last tab, where all the programs are, which load up with windows.

7."Käynnistä Windows uudestaan."
7.Restart windows.

When computer restart, msconfig opens too.
Before you select "Normal start up" or whatever it calls, check how to machine work, will it still freeze ? If so, I think it's deeper problem with windows or with some device or ofcourse some program, which not be list in there.

If it not freeze, select some programs (one by one or 2/3 in time) to load up with windows from that "start" tab in msconfig.
Every time restart windows and see how it works.
When it freeze you have found out, what program make it.
Again if you didn't find anything problem with these programs, it may not be list in there and you can select them all to load up with windows.

Sorry for bad english, hope you understand.
Maybe this didn't help you at all, but I think you should try some basic things before reinstalling everything.

Others continue.

Might be Spyware...

Download SpyBot Search and Destroy from here: www.safer-networking.org and see if it finds anything.

I'd boot into safemode,see how the pc reacts first,defrag the HD from there if everything seems ok,reboot and then run antivirus after that

Ok, well I talked to her again just now, and she told me that with the E drive removed, it works fine. She also said that the HDD itself was running VERY hot. Not a virus, methinks? But I'm at a loss as to what could cause that.. Well, she bought a new HDD, so I guess problem solved, lol. Thanks to all 3 of you for your suggestions

Could be a voltage problem or simply a defect/short in the harddrive like a blown capacitator.

Also seen harddrives that just kept spinning because of some kind of junk spyware wich was installed on there, that way it gets hot also after a while, but ive only seen that once and it was a few years back...

To be sure the voltages etc. are ok, download HWMonitor from www.cpuid.com and run it for atleast 10 to 15 minutes while the system is under load.
It also can monitor the HDD tempratures wen S.M.A.R.T. is enabled