Have you checked the ATI website for the latest XP drivers? Don't assume
that because the card or the system with which the card was purchased is new
that the drivers supplied with the system or card are the latest. Drivers
change quickly and are updated often and you have no idea how long that card
was on the shelf before it got to you.
Other crash diagnostics:
First, be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and run a
virus scan.
Second, download, install and run Ad Aware:
www.lavasoftusa.com
Note: you should always be well backed up before running an application of
this type.
If your system is clear of viruses, open Control Panel, open System, go to
the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, remove the
check from "Automatically Restart" under System Failure. This will cause
the system to blue screen instead of restarting on errors and the
information on the blue screen may give a clue as to the source of the
issue.
Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look for
errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the information
contained within may give a clue as to the
source of the problem.
Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in the
drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System Compatibility,"
the report it generates may point to problem hardware or software on your
system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can download this application
known as the Upgrade Advisor from the following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.
Check for the latest drivers for your other hardware as well, including your
soundcard and all peripherals connected to your system. Do not use Windows
Update for this, go to the device manufacturer's web sites and if you
install updated drivers, ignore the message about drivers being unsigned by
Microsoft.
And since its a new machine that should have been checked and tested at the
factory, assuming you have installed anything else as yet, you might want to
contact the manufacturer unless you added the graphics card, in which case,
you are right to suspect it is the culprit or at least in conflict with
something else that might need updating.
