"So the first step in troubleshooting a PC is to rule out problems with the hardware. This means running diagnostics on various system components. Typically, memory and hard drives (HD) are the hardware devices most prone to failure. For that reason we’re going to focus on memory and hard drive diagnostic utilities. When testing hardware it’s always best to do it outside of the operating system whenever possible.
Memory Diagnostic
"Two of the best memory-testing utilities I’ve found are Memtest86 and the Windows Memory Diagnostic CD. Both utilities are free and incredibly simple to use. Basically you just download the software and then use the ISO file to burn the application CD. Boot your PC off of the CD, and the tests start automatically.
"The utilities give you a few options, but frankly it’s boot-it-and-forget-it. The process runs automatically, and it prompts you if it finds a problem. I’ve used these utilities for years and consider both a must-have."
