What is Wrong!!!!!!!!

Hello, i've been having issues with my Acer Aspire 3620.

its holds a
Celeron M 370
-14.1" screen
-2 gigs of RAM
-Intel GMA 900
-36 Gig HD


whenever i use WMP and FireFox at the same time, the mouse just doesnt function properly. as in, it wont click. the click, has no effect. the pointer is moving but i cannot select anything. if i press the power button, it enters, the background darkens and the pointer turns into an hour glass... if i press the windows key, the start menu comes up and thats it... i press it again so it goes away. Ctrl+Alt+Del= the task manager but i cannot select anything with the mouse or arrows... the only way i get it back to normal is to hold the power button... it then reboots normally and enters C drive scan... i noticed this happened a few days ago...

its happened over 10 times today. i dont have classes this week..
at times, at random, when i power up the computer, it goes to a black screen after saying "Acer" and states that an OS cannot be found... might this have anything to do with this issue?

I realize shutting down the lappie this way could kill it but sometimes i completely forget not to open the two...

-also, this evening i wanted to play starcraft... it enters normally then after 3 seconds, goes black and heads back to desktop. i click the program tab. it enters for 3 seconds and then black then back to desktop... this have anything to do with it too?? i only had SC open.

If i can offer anymore information on my laptop please ask!
i have everest and CPUZ(needa dig around for it)

 

you might want to check you memorey out by run memorey test on it

also i suggest you do same with hard disk

it most likely haitchi hard disk you can download burn cd will let you test it

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/downloads/ftool_207.iso

how old is this laptop??? i take it you add the ram and that is not stock configure

also you might want to check you event logs in xp

under administrator tools evenlog event viewer

 

Thanks for the reply!
How do i do a memory test on my HD and Memory?

i downloaded the program and made the cd already...-now what?

this laptop is 14 months. yes, the stock ram is out and replaced by two 1 gig chips..

i viewed the event long.. it have many Errors and TONS of Warnings(regarding CD-Rom)

 

how long has it been since a re-install of windows?

 

the last reinstall was the first day we got it. my cousin, who gave my family the laptop, partitioned the HD so that there would be memory of factory information or something... he used a ghosting program or something called ghost...

forgot... maybe i'll just give him a call... he works for NIST as some kind of computer tech