Presario 5365/Win98SE - inexplicable shutdowns to a blinking cursor

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:06:50 -0500, Mediamon
wrote:

With 256MB + 256MB installed OS reported incorrectly (380MB).
With 64MB + 256MB + 256MB installed OS reported incorrectly. (444MB)

So it can only see 1/2 of one module. Doesn't necessarily
matter, run memtest86 and see if all that it can see, tests
stable.



Now from the numbers above I am suspecting one of the 256MB modules is
actually a 128MB module. Didn't notice that before.

Maybe, or it's as I wrote previously.


They system is running cool, including power supply and CPU.

How long has it been since you took off the CPU and
reapplied heatsink grease? It does wear out after a few
years if the cheap silicone based goop. You might try
runnign Prime95's Torture Test, large in-place FFTs setting
to see if the CPU is stable at elevated temp.



Also I should have included in my orginal post that during the Windows
Start Up, when the Add New Hardware Wizard dialog appears (for PNP
Monitor... which I don't want to install INF for this temporary monitor I
am using for troubleshooting), if I let the PC idle at that dialog screen
the PC does not shut down inexplicably.



Just let it install the PNP monitor then, or manually tell
it to use the same INF file for the present monitor as it
had used for the former monitor, IF the monitor will accept
that, is compatible enough at your target resolution.


Again it does not shut down in safe mode.

Check your power management settings, particularly the time
interval set and consider trying, temporarily disabling all
such power management including in the bios.



PC only shuts down only after Windows has been fully started-up for
awhile.


3. Viral/malware infection (mutating so cannot be easily
identified/removed)?

Not likely... not only not likely to be actively mutating
now, not likely to be making the system hang this way
either. You should be able to see what's running in the
background though, and just kill anything not deemed
essential to windows functioning and see if the problem
persists.