Hardlocks in Windows XP?

I get frequent hardlocks in XP, and I've tried every thing I can think of. Individual RAM testing shows that the RAM itself is fine, I removed all hardware (and tried 2 different video cards) to no avail. Now I just reformatted and I still get the hardlocks.

They occur whenever I'm downloading a file or strain is being put on the processor.

This leads me to believe it is a processor error, any way I can test this hypothesis?

cpu testing? try something like the ultimate bootcd so you can eliminate driver issues. If you pass memtest and cpu benchmarks, then it's obviously something with xp.

No if he reformated and windows still won't work stable it's NOT a problem associated with the OS, it's definately hardware. But I am thinking it's probably a motherboard problem either bios config or hardware... not processor, it's hardly ever a processor problem if the computer still works at all. BTW were the graphics cards you tried both AGP? If so try a PCI card see what happens. Once I had a Pentium 3 motherboard with VIA chipset (they suck btw, always causing me problems, have had 3 of them and every single one has ended up in the gutter.. maybe they just have a problem with me) and it would hardlock all the fucking time for NO REASON AT ALL, all the hardware in it was tested on other computers and bios settings were also in order, but the moment I switched to a PCI graphics card it suddenly started working perfectly. Faulty AGP bus :|

It could just be the CPU overheating. Try cleaning heatsink/fans/etc.

And of course, reseat the CPU fan/heatsink with a new application of thermal grease - if the thermal interface material has dried out it won't conduct heat to the heatsink properly.

I can only recommend what >>5 says.

This is OP.

Yeah, both cards are AGP, the real problem is I don't have a PCI card laying around. I thought I had a voodoo5 laying around, but apparently I junked it.

I just cleaned the CPU fans/heatsink and I'm having the damndest time getting the heatsink off of the CPU. Note that I haven't ever had to take the heatsink off since I built the computer.

And thermal grease? Where might one obtain some?

>>7
Hehe. And don't smudge your fingers. That silver shit won't go off.

Modern computers don't lock when the CPU gets too hot. They have a threshold that turns off the PC specifcally to protect the CPU, usually you'll get system beeps too. The BIOS sends a system power message that tells windows to shut down.

>>7

Any computer parts supplier should be able to supply thermal compound - look in their CPU cooling/accessories section. Since you've already taken the heatsink off, I'd strongly recommend a new coat of thermal compound anyway (remembering to clean the old stuff off both the heatsink and the CPU's heat spreader first, of course) - putting it back and just leaving the old thermal gunk on there won't be as good.

>>10
In addition to #10: Clean the old thermal compound off THOROUGHLY using alcohol and/or benzene/thinner (remove the CPU from its socket before cleaning it, you don't want any solvents on your mobo). Apply the new compound SPARINGLY, just a thin film is enough.
RAM testing is not 100% reliable, if in doubt, try new RAM. Also, since you are experiencing the locks during heavy data transfer the problem might be with the southbridge. Check the heatsink on the mobo chipset as well.

Okay, OP yet again!

After airdusting the entire PC out, and reseating EVERYTHING just in case, I now start the computer and it freezes before it gets to the XP loading bar...

Now this leads me to believe it COULD be an HDD problem. But I'm ordering a new mobo, RAM, and processor regardless, because I need the upgrade.

But any more help to fix it before that time would be great.

>>1's computing skills fail for weak configging.