Computer problem - files seem to keep getting corrupt, freezing etc

[peteyt]

Hi

My computer has started to get worse than usual - it is getting on 4-5 years etc. Basically it keeps freezing occasionally needing a forced reboot/shut down - basically holding the power button as nothing will worse - sadly this will make it worse and for a while it will fail to boot.

It has days when it can do everything I need it to and it seemed to be okay the other day until it kept getting error messages when opening most thing - something to do with explorer something (can't remember the part of explorer it was but it wasn't explorer.exe). It did a disc scan and found corrupt files but after removing them has been failing to boot.

I'm at my radio station's studio at the moment but wouldn't be surprised if I got home to have it fully working again. I keep doing start up repairs and so on and sometimes it will work for a day or so then go back to being strange.

Is this the sign of just an old computer? Could it be the hard drive is faulty - is there a way I can test this - I do need a new computer but won't be able to afford a new one for quite some time and don't fancy buying new parts If I'm not sure what part is playing up. If there's a way to test a hard drive better than the disc can I wouldn't mind trying it (I have access to other computers that I can download stuff from)

Thanks and rep to everyone who has any ideas!

[Recursion]

Reinstall Windows, then run something like HDTune to check the hard disk's SMART status.

[peteyt]

Reinstall Windows, then run something like HDTune to check the hard disk's SMART status.

Is there anything like that I could do without re-installing windows e.g. booting it from a disc.

[Recursion]

Is there anything like that I could do without re-installing windows e.g. booting it from a disc.

You could boot a Linux live CD and do it I guess.

[Jack!]

You could boot a Linux live CD and do it I guess.

Or a bootable USB.

OT: YOu could partition your drive, so you can back everything up, then reinstall.

[peteyt]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I ended up trying something called Hiren's BootCD - basically a collection of handy tools for different tasks and while it found errors and got them all fixed (following scans showed no errors) it still didn't boot and after playing around with it I ended up making it worse and messing with the boot settings more.

I have a caddie however and so decided to plug it into the family computer, back some important files for safety and thenreformatted- it managed to keep the files after all andall seems okay.

Sadly now I don't have office though - I had office unlimited a life time license that I got cheap while I was studying at university and the serial was emailed to my uni webmail account which I don't have access to any more as I have left. I was sure I had put the serial in notepad format but can't find it anywhere.

[Twista500]

That sucks Just Get a cracked Office Btw If its still bad try Getting a new hard drive, I had this issue but got a new computer, It could be really anything a virus perhaps?
If The Format didnt work Get Windows xp from Microsoft (its free there) and Get that until you get Vista or w.e you want

[peteyt]

That sucks Just Get a cracked Office Btw If its still bad try Getting a new hard drive, I had this issue but got a new computer, It could be really anything a virus perhaps?
If The Format didnt work Get Windows xp from Microsoft (its free there) and Get that until you get Vista or w.e you want

Are you sure XP is free - there doesn't seem to be any download but they are slowly discontinuing it and wan't people on vista or 7 is possible. However it seems that the pc is okay at the moment, but I have a legal copy of 7 Ultimate anyway's. I'm seeing if I can find the office serial but its no good at the moment, I'd just rather use a legal copy if I can over an illegal one.

[Twista500]

Yeah Well I really recommend a lower Windows or dont use aero If you are slows the computer alot and for a free copy of xp i cant really find it atm but im sure if you search you will find :|)

[peteyt]

Yeah Well I really recommend a lower Windows or dont use aero If you are slows the computer alot and for a free copy of xp i cant really find it atm but im sure if you search you will find :|)

You can get one illegally yeah but I prefer having a legal operating system - avoids issues. I think it just needed a reformat but eventually I may replace the hard drive