System lock up or crash

Believe it or not, most W9X crashes are related to video issues.

The first thing I do for a system is to update the drivers.

Start with the drivers for the motherboard.
Then, DirectX (from Microsoft)
Finish with the video card driver and monitor driver.

Now, a PII 266 is around 4 years old.
Over that period of time, Windows can build up enough bad links and excess bagagge in the registry that crashes are unavoidable.

The BEST way to correct this, is to;
back up your files and settings,
format the hard drive,
re-install Windows from scratch.

You will be amassed at how much faster and better your system performs.

As an alternative, you can bring back most of the stability, and some of the speed with a good registry cleaner.
I have used both Norton WinDoctor and On-Track Fix-It (now V-Com http://www.v-com.com/)

Chas

The first thing I would do is use the utilities built into the win 9X operating systems. First run the cleanup utility...this safely gets rid of most of the excess files that are not used. Next do a defrag and finish up with a complete scandisk. I found that most win 9x problems are fixed this way. Also you may try pulling the PII processor chip if the disk cleanup didn't work. Just pull it up and put in right back in. This will clean off the connectors enough to make a better contact. You can also try cleaning the contacts on the video card with a *CLEAN* eraser. Not one used for ink but one used for a common pencil. Don't take the cover off the computer except as a last resourt. As a third step you can try the methods suggestedby the previous poster with a complete operating system install as a last resourt. By the way windows 2000 pro (with NTFS) will run on your computer and will make it run like you added some ram. (Win ME is junk...98SE is better)

Buy Norton System Works 2002 or 2003 Pro, run the WIN Dr., Disk Dr. & One Button Check, fix the problems in the registry (usually "no value" entries made by prior uninstalls) using the fixes it provides. Do take off the cover & blow out the computergetting out the dust bunnies. Then run the clean up in this order....Run Disk Cleanup, then Scandisk standard, Scandisk full, then Defrag. a few times (pack that drive). Or just use the Speedisk utility on Nortons after the Scandisk's. But don't useboth, they fight each other & defrag differently.

Before you even start though, uninstall any app's you don't need, use, or want.

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