I just put a system together using a barebones and I installed Windows 98 se. Whenever I started it it would freeze sometime around the first 5 minutes of use or if I tried starting a program like internet explorer. So I upgraded to Windows Me and it worked good for the first start up and now it does the same thing.

850 athlon thunderbird w/ a big fan and giant heatsink
128mb pc133
300 watt power supply (i'm not sure if it's certified by amd)

Don't see the words "upgrade" and "Windows Me" in the same sentence much around here. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Unfortunately, this is the classic behavior when the CPU is overheating.

Start up briefly with the case open and make sure the CPU fan is working.

Double-check the 'giant' heatsink to make sure it hasn't come loose.

Did you use thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink?


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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

The cpu fan is running, heatsink is steady, and I don't know if thermal grease was used because the cpu came w/ the barebones system.

[This message has been edited by bjam2 (edited 06-04-2001).]