Hi Thanks in advance

Ive got a Sotec Pc station computer with FIC motherboard, AMD Sempron 2600+ processor, 1.5gb ram. runs win xp sp3.

Main Problems

1. computer freezes when left on at night (when there is no use) and also occasionally when being used.

2. System reboots while performing backups to usb external seagate drive, and randomly at other times.

I have tried many things before posting here listed below

malware virus checks, cleaned all found , and re-checked on multiple scanners, avast, malwarebytes, sas, spybot, ad-aware, and multiple online virus scanners. All clean.
Clean fan, cpu and inside computer
re-pasted / greased heatsink onto.
turn off screen saver
turn off power management
CHKDSK
seatools drive check on external drive
WINDOWS repair install
VIDEO DRIVER RE INSTALL
Installed MicrosoftFixit50365.msi
ram tested with memtest

I cant actually remember everything I have tried but, there are more things that have been tested than I have actually listed here. I searched to try to find the solutions, but there seems to be too many choices too try.

I was hoping someone who can read minidump files or know how to interpret the event viewer files may be able to pinpoint my problem, please. Thank you in advance for your time in taking a look at my information.

Potentially, any available most recent BIOS update for your specific motherboard might fix your reliability issues - worth checking out.

Thank you. Another thing I have already checked. My motherboard isn't listed on the their web site, nor ftp server, and I have contacted them with no success. Its a FIC motherboard the am39.
BIOS Vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
BIOS Version: 6.00 PG
BIOS Release Date: 09/16/2004

According to WhoCrashed, the two dumps were caused by two different drivers.

:Sometimes caused by your anti-virus.

On Fri 8/19/2011 8:17:10 PM your computer crashed
This was likely caused by the following module: atapi.sys
Bugcheck code: 0xD1 (0x66C, 0x7, 0x0, 0xBA6A8D26)
Error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini081911-01.dmp
file path: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\atapi.sys
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: ATAPI IDE Miniport Driver
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect, possibly the culprit is in another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.

:Sometimes caused by older versions of Roxio (4 and 5)

On Sun 8/21/2011 5:23:38 AM your computer crashed
This was likely caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe
Bugcheck code: 0xD1 (0x0, 0x2, 0x0, 0x0)
Error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini082111-01.dmp
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect, possibly the culprit is in another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.

Ok. I dont have Roxio installed anymore, but did previously, and I think one of those old versions..... Seems there is an uninstall tool roxio zap, so Ill run that, yes ?

Antivirus. I run Avast free, so I am guessing I will uninstall and then re install that, is that correct procedure? Hopefully that takes care of the reboots.

What about the freezes ? It doesn't create the minidump files, so thats why I included the event viewer log. Any clues in there that can help with the freezing problem please ?

The one I saw

0x000000d1 (0x00000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

is almost always due to a device driver though it can be caused by bad RAM. I noticed you have SandBoxie installed. When did you install it? Any chance it was around the time these freezes started?

You might want to try uninstalling it and see if that helps.

You've tested so much that I'm inclined to think that either windows has gone bad or something is seriously wrong with your computer. ntoskrnl.exe is the Windows kernel and atapi.sys is a driver for your hard drive. Your problems could be caused by sandboxie especially if this started just after it's install. If it where me I'd try a reinstall first and hope that your problems end there. How old is your computer?

Used roxiozap to delete remnants. Uninstalled and re-installed avast. Still freezes!

Ztruker - Sandboxie was only a recent install. Freeezing was happening way before that, so its not the issue. Will uninstall to test anyways though. Ive memtested the ram, and it appears to be ok. I can try a ram swap from another cpu - it was on my to do list :-) Ive done a windows repair install already - I am guessing this replaces all the device drivers, right? How can I find what driver is the issue ?

townsbg - see bios date already posted - 2004 ~old~. Reinstall ? you mean windows re-install ? Or sandboxi ? I am trying to avoid a windows reinstall if possible.... last resort only - windows reinstall will mean all programs need to be reinstalled right ? I guess thats why I am here, to find out from anyone with more experience than me to figure it out, if possible. I have done a windows repair install already though, I figured this would fix "windows gone bad". Sandboxie as above - problem was pre existing.

Little more info - a sure fire way to "ensure" a freeze, is to run maxblast, my backup program to write a backup to external seagate hard drive. Freezes every time, and doesnt write the back up properly to hard drive. I was getting delayed write errors originally, but the windows repair install seemed to fix that problem. I can backup if i boot from the maxblast cd, but not when windows is running, so its a pain.

The inability to backup within windows is probably because of your driver problem since it pertains to hard drives. As for the reinstall I brought that up since with all you've tried I can't think of anything else except perhaps SFC. Although windows repair is a good thing to try it doesn't always work. SFC doesn't either however a reinstall would almost certainly rule out anything except hardware. Usually we try to use a reinstall as a last resort however most haven't tested as much as you have before they come to us. The windows kernel (ntoskrnl.exe) is the very heart of the operating system so you either have hardware issues or very low level OS problems (possibly corruption). You aren't getting memory errors and memtest passed so I think it's safe to rule out that.

You should test that external hard drive in another computer or use the manufacturer's diagnostic tools especially those that you can boot into. Now that I think of it I also recommend that you test your internal drive.

As for a bios update I personally do not recommend that since if you did that incorrectly (or it went bad) your motherboard could be rendered completely inoperable even to the point of it being a paper weight. In my opinion that would be a last resort when everything but the motherboard has been ruled out. http://www.d-a-l.com/help/drivers/69...s-upgrade.html

SFC = already tried :-)

All drives already tried- tested with segate's seatools. All good.

I don't want to waste your or anyone elses time on here - its easy to google to find solutions in 99% of cases. This one has me stumped,hence my post.

Re bios update, yes I've seem this type of info before. Given lack of info on manufacturers website,and when queried, they sent me the wrong drivers, I dont think a bios update is on the cards at all.

Well since my previous post, "other problems". Avast shields turned off, and can't boot to safe mode. I've tried, but Cant fix, and I suspect spyware. So here is my plan. 1. Post to spyware forum, get it clean. 2. Back up and the start the longwinded process of fresh install. I will repost to let you know if this is the fix of freeze / bsod.