XP computer freezes randomly

A kind soul helped me rid my system of malware/spyware and potential virii on this board. However, my computer still freezes up. The mouse doesn't work. Sometimes it seems to happen when I am scrolling with the mouse, loading pictures from my sd card. But other times it will freeze and I am not doing anything on it. I have heard so many issues with Service Pack 3. Didn't know if my problem could be related. I don't get a BSOD or any kind of error message. It just freezes and then comes back in a few minutes.

Could be some Windows Operating files were damaged!

Configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive. Then insert your Windows XP Setup CD, and restart your computer.

1.
When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

2.
Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.

3.
Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.

4.
In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

5.
Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.

6.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

Well, I have WinXP Home on this computer, and it was my dad's computer. He sent it to us when our other computer conked out and so I don't have the original XP cd. The only one I have is XP Pro. It's not installed on any machine right now, but it probably won't work for what you want me to do.

You really don't have many options other then to put xp pro on that machine or Remove to Service Pack 3 and see if the computer works better.

To remove SP3 from your computer try the following tips from Microsoft:

To remove Windows XP SP3 from your computer, use one of the following methods.

Important After you remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer, we recommend that you visit the following Microsoft Web page and then install the latest security updates:
http://update.microsoft.com (http://update.microsoft.com)
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Method 1: Use the "Add or Remove Programs" item in Control Panel
Click Start, and then click Run.
Copy and then paste the following command in the Open box, and then press ENTER:
appwiz.cpl
Click to select the Show Updates check box.
Click Windows XP Service Pack 3, and then click Remove.
Click Finish to restart the computer after the removal process is complete.
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Method 2: Use the hidden $NtServicePackUninstall$ folder
Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe in the Open box, and then click OK.
When the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Removal Wizard starts, click Next.
Follow the instructions on the screen to remove Windows XP SP3.
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Method 3: Use the System Restore process
Note Before you use System Restore, make sure that you have restarted the computer at least one time after you installed Windows XP SP3. By restarting the computer, you allow for any remaining servicing processes to finish.
Click Start, and then click Run.
Copy and then paste the following command in the Open box, and then press ENTER:
%systemroot%\System32\restore\rstrui.exe
Click Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next.
Click the date on which you installed Windows XP SP3, and then click Installed Window XP Service Pack 3 in the Restore Point box.
Click Next, and then follow the instructions on the screen to remove Windows XP SP3.
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Method 4: Use Recovery Console
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

If you cannot remove Windows XP SP3 by using one of the previous methods, follow these steps:
Insert the Windows XP CD in the CD drive or in the DVD drive, and then restart your computer. When you receive the following message, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD:
Press any key to boot from CD
Note The computer must be configured to start from the CD drive or from the DVD drive. For more information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD drive or from the DVD drive, see the documentation that was included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer. You can also use a bootable floppy disk to start Windows XP. For more information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
305595 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305595/ ) How to create a bootable floppy disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows XP
When you receive the Welcome to Setup message, press R to start the Recovery Console.

Note Multiple options will appear on the screen.
Select the correct Windows XP installation.

Note You must select a number before you press ENTER, or the computer will restart. Typically, only the 1: C:\Windows selection is available.
If you are prompted to type an administrator password, do so. If you do not know the administrator password, press ENTER. (Typically, the password is blank.)

Note You cannot continue if you do not have the administrator password.
At the command prompt, type cd $ntservicepackuninstall$\spuninst, and then press ENTER.
At the command prompt, type batch spuninst.txt, and then press ENTER.

Note The Spuninstal.txt file appears. As the file scrolls down, you will see errors and the files that are being copied. This is typical behavior.
After Windows XP SP3 is removed, type exit, and then press ENTER.
Restart the computer in safe mode. To do this, press F8 when the computer restarts.

Note After you restart the computer, the computer may stop responding, and you may see a black screen. The mouse will work. In this case, restart the computer again by turning the computer off and then back on. The second restart will let you log on.
When the computer restarts, Windows Explorer (Explorer.exe) does not run, and the Windows icons and the Start button are unavailable. To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL, and then click Task Manager in the Windows Security screen.
Click File, and then click New Task (Run).
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\RpcSs
In the details pane, right-click ObjectName, click Modify, type LocalSystem in the Value data box, and then click OK.
Restart the computer
Use one of the previous methods to remove Windows XP SP3 from your computer.
For more information about how to install and use the Recovery Console, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307654 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/ ) How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
If you need help about how to install, reinstall, or uninstall Windows, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/install-reinstall-uninstall (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/install-reinstall-uninstall)
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APPLIES TO
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3
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