Oh owbist, Thank you soooo very much for responding so quickly! This computer is all original....exactly as it came from Amazon about 6 years ago. I have done some Windows Updates. In fact, a few days before I started having the problems I had done an update. Not for optional but for all the security things. I didn't think my problems had anything to do with the update as the problems didn't start until a few days later. Yes, I checked the fan, heat sink, other fan....all were running as they always have. I shut everything down, got my handy-dandy wrist/shock thing and blew everything out then using a paint brush with soft bristles I removed dust that didn't come out with the blowing. Everything came back on fine, no loud noises, fan reacted as it always has. I have never saved or put anything in D Recovery as I know that it contains the information I need in case my computer should go down and I need to start all over with the factory defaults. I have no idea why all of a sudden I'm told D is short of memory as I've never even bothered with the D. I know my limitations and messing with something I know nothing about is not going to happen in my lifetime as far as computers go. :) The last few times with Blue Screen, the computer screen goes dark, looks as if computer shuts down but instead a Chkdsk program starts. I allow that to run. When it's done, the computer will shut down and start back up with the message in the right corner telling me I am short of D memory. After my first post here, I looked again at the Restore. The date was for April 17, 2013. I believe that was a day my AVG updated. I ran the Restore and got my D back. Here are the numbers I just got from 'Computer': C: Used- 52639744,000 Bytes 49.0 GB Free- 260,710,490,112 Bytes 242 GB Capacity: 313,350,234,112 Bytes __________________ D: Shows a bar with almost all red except a hair-width worth. Space Free: 105 MB Used: 52639744.000 Bytes 49.0 GB

dual boot means that you have more than one operating system installed and can choose which to boot to. I had xp and linux for a while, but finally gave up on linux. Dell doesn't supply the windows cd but you are supposed to make one (called the dell os restore cd) using a utility that comes on the computer. It must be easy to overlook that instruction in the material that comes with the computer because several people have posted with that problem. I doubt that you can use the utility to make the cd if you can't boot up, so if it comes to that you may have to contact dell support. Someone may know if it will work to borrow a windows cd and use the file check.

This did not work. I booted from the XP disk, got the first couple of screens including license agreement, but it will not let me do the repair. Here is the message: "The partition is either too full, damaged, not formatted, or formatted with an incompatible file system. To continue installing Windows, Setup must format this partition." C:Partition (Unknown) 131072MB (131071MB free)on 131068MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi (MBR) Caution: Formatting will delete any files on the partition." So I backed out, and now cannot boot into Windows at all. I have an Acronis boot disk, and it booted from that, but when I chose Windows, all I got was a black screen with a flashing cursor. I also had a boot disk from AVG, but it would not work at all. This XP disk says on the front Unlicensed Software, but I really don't think I can use it for a clean install, because on the sleeve is a Product Key, and a notation to use this every time you install this software. Of course, my daughter installed it on her PC, so no go there if I understand correctly. Now it appears my only hope is to use the recovery disks I made long ago. I won't be doing anything else tonight as I'm just too tired for that. Thank goodness I have another computer. Now I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the type of recovery where I don't lose my files, or if I'll have to do the full job. My HP manual explains both of those in detail. All I get on boot is the HP screen, and then it just goes black with the flashing white cursor.

yes lots and lots of things cause a blue screen notice, does not mean it is going to die but does mean you need to correct the problem that is causing it to happen. You need to get all of the exact message that is on the blue screen write it down that is essential because there are dozens of blue screen messages and with out the one on your's no way to know what is causing it. The other option is to go into the administrative tools section of control panel and then the event viewer and open each of the sections including system and look for any red or yellow flagged items double click on the entry and it will give you the info for what is causing the red flag, it will have a code number or event number write that down all of this stuff you have written down can then be googled to find out exactly what it relates to. You have to get it all exactly as it is written down, google it, and there it will tell you if it is some of your software causing it or hardware or if you have a system problem etc. You can go to this forum which is dedicated to helping people with a blue screen problem and they will be happy to help. BSOD, Crashes, Kernel Debugging