computer freezes · DIGIT-ARC

i installed crunchbang linux on my hdd 2-3 months ago.
since then, there have been random freezes of my system.
only a cold reboot has any effect.
also, sometimes it freezes in the bootup screen (before bootloader)

specs : 4-5 years old
core duo 2.4 ghz
1 gb ddr2 generic ram
1 tb seagate hdd
^^ both the above are less than 6 months old

today, i got a corsair vx450 from theitwares, and installed it on my system, so that rules out psu problems, as i suspected before.

but now, its freezing more often, it froze several times in the bios setting dialog too

this is my prognosis, from bad to worse
1. k/b is faulty (broken, keys missing, generally crap)
2. ram is faulty (np, replacable)
3. mobo/cpu is faulty (np, i was thinking of replacing the entire rig anyway)
4. hdd is faulty (nightmare, has all my critical data, read, pr0n)

i really cant think of anything else that can cause problems of such magnitude.
any help would be appreciated

P

There are many possibilities with this kind of problem. It's not practicable to list them all here, so I suggest you start out by investigating some of the more obvious ones (you may have already done some of them):

1. HDD cables (including the power supply connector) intermittently faulty - I've seen this causing a lot of problems.

2. CPU heatsink not seated properly or clogged with dust. Not likely dust though, as it will take some time to overheat the CPU.

3. RAMs not seated properly. If it's a seating problem, it's often not enough just to push the sticks in. You have to remove the sticks, clean the contacts, clean the sockets and them put them in again.

4. RAM(s) defective. Test them with memtest86. Personally, I find it more convenient to use the USB flash drive version of memtest86. This version is called memtest86+ (with a plus) and is NOT the same as the traditional memtest86.

The download URLs are different too. The + version is availabe at Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool. The classic memtest86 is at *www.memtest86.com.
Watch out for memtest86.org. This is a bogus site.

Yup, check all power cables, HDD connections and any other connections on the mobo.
Do a MemTest.

Could be a problem with faulty PS/2 ports.My old system had been getting stuck in the BIOS screen.Soon the PS/2 ports stopped working.Used a USB keyboard and mouse and the
BIOS freeze was gone too.

@Neuron, maybe you are right, my k/b is a p/s2

@pimpom, techfreak, i'll check the ram and the hdds. cpu temps are around 50-60C

doomgiver said:
cpu temps are around 50-60C

Are they on idle? If yes, they are a bit higher than desired.

its an old core duo (not core2duo)
and i dont think we have replaced the thermal paste in the last couple of years.

yup, its on idle. temps around 70 under load, esp in summer

more often than not...its a faulty ram...maybe not seated properly...even a dead one!

next,u might try this: unplug all power...unplug the mobo battery,short the clr_cmos jumper for 5-10secs,replace battery and power up....it once worked for me...

is it the jumper which is used to reset the bios password?

Jumper resets the bios and deletes all settings in it.
So password is removed.

it was the ram. cleaned out the entire thing, my room looks like sahara desert now, so much dust.