Michelle,

>I'm calling on the group mind to see if anyone has any idea what's going on with my home computer. For the last month or two, I've been having a problem with it locking up for 10-30 seconds at a time. The only pattern I see is that it happens when I start a new task that uses a lot of resources. Playing a video file or opening IE are big ones, but other programs do it, too. The whole system freezes for 10-30 seconds and then it comes back and everything is fine. It's more a nuisance than anything, but it's really getting annoying, so I thought I'd ask here.
>
>Nothing changed on my system hardware-wise immediately before this problem started. I did add some new memory, but that was months earlier. I do wonder if it is that, though, and just was a delayed effect? I know PC100 and PC133 is _supposed_ to co-exist peacefully, but...?
>
>Software-wise, I install all sorts of junk all the time, so it's hard to pinpoint if anything there is causing it. I did run a virus scan and came up clean.
>
>I know that's not a lot to go on, but I'm hoping someone will recognize the symptoms and be able to give me a clue. :)
>
>System specs:
>P3-600 (not overclocked)
>128 PC100
>128 PC133
>IBM Deskstars 20GB & 75GB
>Windows 98SE
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Michelle

Am I reading correctly that one bank of memory runs at 100 Mhz and a second at 133? I'd get those in balance and, quite candidly, I'd get the memory from the same manufacturer. All electronic parts are 'made to spec' but all electronic parts are not equal. <g>

Also, from the Windows Run command line you can run 'SFC' which stands for 'System File Checker'. This little tool essentially checks the various versions of programs against their Registry entry's expected version number. It will prompt you to make changes as needed. Make sure you have your CDs handy. I'd recommend that you run this before the SCANREG process (see below).

I'd also try this: Boot to DOS from W98. Then, from the command prompt type 'SCANREG /FIX' which is one way that MSFT provides for cleaning out errant Registry entries.

Clean out Temp files. Run Scandisk & Defrag your HD. Check your virtual memory and all the other things everyone else has suggested.

If your system is still too slow - reinstall from scratch :(