Does it only lock up when you try to install? Try running some of the built-in apps, or deep scandisk operation, and see if it locks.
When you say it locks up, you mean it doesn't blue screen or bring up any other kind of error message, right? It just freezes?
Are you installing media on CD-ROM? If so, can you try downloading something and installing it? The lockups might be triggered by your CD-ROM drive, and this would be one way of checking...
I think crisc is on to something there! Also, ensure that the CPU fan is running, and not "struggling". Some CPU's will shut down whe the temperature gets too high, and often don't echo back an error before terminating the threads...
Here is something that I have encountered and just maybe will help.
I had a machine that would fail even installing Windows98 SE. When I finally got it up and running, like you I could not install any programs at all, without the system freezing or bluescreening. In the midst of commiting hairy-cary, I cleared the CMOS by setting the jumpers on the mainboard. Since that time, I have never had a problem with this machine again.
I'm also wondering if all the mainboard updates (for the chipsets) got installed.
This would ensure that the CD-ROM is fully functional, like the DMA is enabled.
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