For the past month my computer has been acting very badly with me. My monitor will suddenly and randomly turn black while my CPU will still run (with a strange orange light).
The only way I can get it back is to shut it down manually.
This has happened twice while I was writing this thread post.


I do not have the following:
*Windows XP disc for a fresh install.
*An extra harddrive laying around.
*An extra computer.
*Extra money.



System Stats:
Intel Celeron CPU 2.40GHz, 2.39 GHz, 512 MB RAM.
Windows XP Home 2002. Service Pack 3.
BIOS A05.

I've adjusted my power settings as follows:
Turn off harddisks - Never
Turn off monitor - Never.
Hibernate - Never.

I've switched off hibernation.


This problem is driving me up a wall. Literally. I am sticking to a wall by my frustrations while writing this.

I would find another monitor to swap with to see if this is a monitor problem, or computer problem.

The monitor is fine. The CPU cuts the connection to it like it is going into a power-save mode (none of the power saving or hibernation modes are enabled) The keyboard is unresponsive, the mouse will not work.

Okay, we need to get the right terminology going here. The CPU is the main processor unit, an integrated circuit (chip), and it is mounted in a socket on the motherboard inside the computer case.

So, what it really sounds like is the computer is locking up, and the monitor, sensing no signal, is going to sleep.

This can be caused by many things. Failing motherboard, failing graphics card, leaky capacitors, heat, even malware. Is the interior clean of heat trapping dust? Do you know your temps? Any errors in Event Viewer?

So far you've been the closest to actually helping analyze my problem. I tip my hat to you sir (the avatar's hat, who is Ivan Issacs from Priest).

There shouldn't be any malware since I've run a host of different scans such as rootkit scans (which I found one that had been on my pc for quite some time but was not the cause of the troubles) and the ilk.

My power supply had died on me a few weeks back but it was fixed by a family friend who is extremely well versed in anything related to computers (ex-military).

Event Viewer.
System Errors:
*The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
Lbd

*The MCSTRM service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

Application Errors:
Faulting application vlc.exe, version 0.9.8.1, faulting module libavcodec_plugin.dll, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x001f3bf7.
The above is to VLC media player.

Ok... I've been trying to transfer some files to a harddrive from an old Gateway computer I had forgotten I had (it used to have Windows ME as it's OS, but the drive has more storage space than the current one I use).

It is tough since the computer locks up (still runs, but wont respond to any command) randomly and messes up the transfer process.



I've been writing down the times when the computer fails on me and so far since my last post it's shut me out over 230 times.


Is there any way I can keep it from locking up until I can get it properly repaired?

Not without knowing why it is locking up - and that could be any number of reasons - heat, malware, failing PSU, failing motherboard, failing RAM, failing graphics card and more.