First the basics:

I'm running a self-built (2000) Windows box:
Tyan Trinity KT-A (VIA 6383 Chipset) mobo
AMD Thunderbird 1GHz
768MB SDRAM
Creative SB Live!
MSI GeForce 4 MX 420 (NVIDIA)
3Com Ethernet adaptor
3 case fans, and the processor fan is a Dragon Orb, running at 7800
rpms.
Windows ME - last virgin installation of Windows about 2 months ago.

Most frequently used programs:

Eudora 5.2 for mail
Gravity 2.5 for news
Mozilla 1.4 for browsing

Problem:

In the last 2 weeks or so, I've been suffering intermittent lock-ups. 
If I open more than 4 tabs in Mozilla, the program malfunctions and my
memory meter (FreeMem Pro) will show processor usage at 85% and memory
usage at 300MB.  Eudora has been crashing intermittently, giving
"Eudora has caused an error in rundll.32" message.  Processor usage
shows at 100%, memory at 250-300MB.

Closing everything in the task manager does not help.  Re-booting
helps temporarily.  Spybot S&D reveals no malware, McAfee shows no
viruses.  Re-running Windows setup appears to have no effect.

Any ideas what's causing this strange behavior?  Suggestions?  Am I
looking at a possible processor replacement, or is there a software
solution?

--Missy

---

Clarification of Question by missy-ga on 30 Jun 2003 18:23 PDT

Arimathea,

Claim your fee, please!

It proved to be a cranky RAM stick!

--Missy

Thanks for the opportunity, missy!

Reposted as answer:

I'm pretty confident it's memory or processor... 
 
When you reseated your memory, and/or played the shell game with it,
did you try to open those apps?  A memory error at a higher address
could be your problem - towards the end of the module rather than the
beginning...

Best regards,
arimathea-ga
Researcher and computer geek :)

When you've been staring a problem down for a while, you tend to get
tunnel vision.  A little outside perspective is a great kick-start to
remind you of the things you haven't tried yet.

Thank you so much for the desperately needed kick-start - you've
alleviated the frustration.

Hey missy,

Have you tried reseating your RAM?

Yep.  I even went so far as to take it all out, and boot the box up a
single stick at a time (in case one was dead), then replaced and
booted one stick at a time until all three were in again.

No change.  I'm flummoxed.

--M

If I were in your position, I would open up the case and let a real
fan blow into the the case on medium or high while you use the
computer. I have seen several AMD processors freeze at temperatures
that they should work fine at. It is best to rule this one out early.
Note it could also be that your video card is getting hot.

Also, it could be a problem with your Windows ME installation and
another application. If this always happens with Mozilla, you might
want to try uninstalling it completely, rebooting and reinstalling. If
it is a problem on the Windows side of things, you would have to
reformat to check that out. Unfortunately, Windows ME is not very good
at catching and preventing crashes and freeze ups, (in fact I think it
is a lot worse than both 98 and 95).

tisme-ga

Try re-installing the OS?  One of those basic installs where it keeps
your data intact and refreshes all of your core data?  You need to
first determine if it's either software or hardware, and you can
determine the first one most easily without spending much/any money. 
:)  You might also want to get one of those Norton programs that will
analyze your system for potential anomalies.

I'm pretty confident it's memory or processor...

When you reseated your memory, and/or played the shell game with it,
did you try to open those apps?  A memory error at a higher address
could be your problem - towards the end of the module rather than the
beginning...

jbf777-ga's suggestion also sounds cogent.

If neither of these things work - I hate to suggest this - try a
reinstall?

See also question #222188.

Jordan:  I've run setup twice, with no change.

Arimathea:  Eee...no, I didn't try opening those.  That's something
I'll try this afternoon, though.

I'm trying to avoid a virgin re-install, if possible.  Even with a CD
burner, backing up the data is a honking pain.

--M

While RAM is a likely candidate for the source of the malfunction, a
CPU fan that doesn't run or is running slowly could lead to the same
effect. I even wonder if if your motherboard's front side bus is run
at a speed compatible with your RAM. Ruling those out, let's see if
registry errors are contributing to the fiasco. :)