Windows XP Programs Crashing

I'm not totally illiterate with computers, but I've been having a problem I can't explain this weekend. I'll be running a program like IE or a game I have, a totally legit copy with original CD's and key's, and the program will just disappear without a trace and no error messages.

I've run my virus scan and a malware/spyware scan to see if anything is fishy, and I'm pretty clean like always.

I'm running XP Pro, again a legit copy etc., and I think it must be either hardware or OS to be giving such a problem.

One odd thing to me was that it seems like it bails at the same times, like if I go to a particular webpage (my cable bill pay) or at a certain point in my game where it is loading. Some program seem unaffected by it as well.

I've run a defrag since the problem occurred, as well as a scan disk.

Help us, save us, take us away!

Thanks.

What are your computer specs?

Who made it?

CPU
RAM

ect ect

My first instinct was a cooling problem, sometimes if your cpu gets too hot it'll crash the program to save itself and wont' say anything about it. But just running IE shouldn't overload your computer.

Have you updated your virus and spyware software lately? New definitions are up at least once a week.

Check for viruses and spyware (like LiquidClown sugested).

If the ploblem still occurs, do an In-Place Upgrade (don't forget to run Windows Update afterwards).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

I used to have problems with IE where it would spontaniously crash, and it my case it was a RAM issue. My PC didn't like me having a 256 MB stick in slot 1 and a 512 MB stick in slot 2. I switched them around and it seemed to do the trick. Could be that Windows has somehow been corrupted (it happens) and the only way to fix it is to reformat. (re-installing IE in XP never worked for me).

I have two different PC2700 512 MB chips on my board for RAM, so I don't see why that would present a problem.

I've got a mostly self built 2.1 Ghz Celeron 4A Processor, MSI 845GE Max board, 1 GB of PC2700 RAM (Kingston) DDR SDRAM, Nvidia GeForce Mx/Mx 400 64 MB video, USB 1.1 and 2.0 slots, I've got a 4x DVD RW/R Burner, I've got 2 Seagate 120 GB hardrives (one for OS, other for video capture), and one Maxtor 40 GB HD for old data.

I do Virus & Spyware updates everytime I scan, which is multiple times a week.

OS: XP Pro, Serv Pack 2
IE 6.0
Direct X 9.0C

I don't think it's a cooling problem either, because I can freshly boot up my machine and get to the game screen in about 2 minutes and the game will crash. Keep in mind that it's not so much my whole machine or even XP crashing, just the programs that are crashing. IE was crashing on the same page for some reason, my cable bill pay page, and that's the only page I've come across where it did it.

My temperatures don't seem out of whack either:
motherboard 93 degrees F
CPU 118 degrees F
hardrives averaging 102 degrees F

My cooling fan is running 2755 RPM, not sure if that's the right speed or not.

I don't think it's a cooling problem either, because I can freshly boot up my machine and get to the game screen in about 2 minutes and the game will crash. Keep in mind that it's not so much my whole machine or even XP crashing, just the programs that are crashing. IE was crashing on the same page for some reason, my cable bill pay page, and that's the only page I've come across where it did it.

My temperatures don't seem out of whack either:
motherboard 93 degrees F
CPU 118 degrees F
hardrives averaging 102 degrees F

My cooling fan is running 2755 RPM, not sure if that's the right speed or not.

Very odd to say the least, Temps are quite normal.


I'm honestly stumped, it still may be something to do with a virus and/or trojan that's causing the crashes but I'm fresh out man... Keep us posted, hopefully someone else here can help ya out.

I have two different PC2700 512 MB chips on my board for RAM, so I don't see why that would present a problem.

I've got a mostly self built 2.1 Ghz Celeron 4A Processor, MSI 845GE Max board, 1 GB of PC2700 RAM (Kingston) DDR SDRAM, Nvidia GeForce Mx/Mx 400 64 MB video, USB 1.1 and 2.0 slots, I've got a 4x DVD RW/R Burner, I've got 2 Seagate 120 GB hardrives (one for OS, other for video capture), and one Maxtor 40 GB HD for old data.

I do Virus & Spyware updates everytime I scan, which is multiple times a week.

OS: XP Pro, Serv Pack 2
IE 6.0
Direct X 9.0C

I don't think it's a cooling problem either, because I can freshly boot up my machine and get to the game screen in about 2 minutes and the game will crash. Keep in mind that it's not so much my whole machine or even XP crashing, just the programs that are crashing. IE was crashing on the same page for some reason, my cable bill pay page, and that's the only page I've come across where it did it.

My temperatures don't seem out of whack either:
motherboard 93 degrees F
CPU 118 degrees F
hardrives averaging 102 degrees F

My cooling fan is running 2755 RPM, not sure if that's the right speed or not.Uninstall Service Pack 2 and see if the problems go away...