Game locking up

OK, I know nothing about computers except where the power button is..that being said here is the problem I am having:

Playing, lag is not too bad usually unless in towns then sometimes it is horrible but all in all it is tolerable. Then in the middle of a quest or mission the screen locks up. I can still hear and if I am in with guildies they can tell me that I am still attacking and moving so I usually hit c-spacebar and spam my skills until everything is dead, but then I cannot do anything but auto follow and attack when they tell me to. It doesn't work itself out with time I have to close GW and restart it and sometimes I can't even do that I just have to reboot the whole computer. I can get more info on my system if needed when I get home if needed, but there is no added hardware, just a HP from Best Buy that was new and mid-range price about 7 months old. I know that it more than meets the req listed on the GW box. I have a graphics card sitting in the box that I cannot get to install so 100$ paperweight. I am addicted to GW but cannot afford to buy new computer and cannot play like it is. When this problem happens and I have task mgr up it is 100% usage. Any ideas, tips on what I can do to fix it?

edit--- I also may need to mention that I have very few pictures, no music, no other games or any memory using stuff on the computer, it is pretty much as it came out of the box with only a couple of antivirus programs on it. It is used for nothing but GW, internet, and e-mail. I don't download movies, clips, music, or anything like that on it just web pages so I don't think I have any sort of virus or anything like that. I have tried shutting down all programs not needed but it didn't help and I run defrag once a week and virus/spyware sweep runs every night. I have cable modem and connection is nearly always good with GW servers so it is not lag due to bad connection.

The only thing i can think of would be to update your computer drivers, or perhaps lower the graphics settings in Guild Wars and see if it still happens.

oh....graphics settings all the way down. And yes I am computer dummy..where do I go to get the drivers and isn't that what the "hp updates" deal that seems to run every day does?

Check what graphics card you have and then go to the respective site, the sites aren't too hard to navigate. Or after you find out what card you have Google it's name, see if there are any common problems associated with it.

Yay that happens to me too! Lol during those long weekends where i play from 8am - 10 pm, my computer will usually freeze somewhere around 1 pm, when it starts to get kinda hot. For me, its an overheating issue. I suffer the same symptoms (im using an FX 5500 (yea i know it sucks)). I guess my solution is to lower the graphics settings or play less. Ok ill lower the settings.

Just some of the usual suggestions:

1. Make sure your computer is not full of dust, especially the fans and heatsink.

2. Scan for viruses and spy and adware.

3. Update your graphics drivers.

4. Don't run to many programs at once, your computer might not be able to handle it.

5. Disable any none essential processes and make sure your hardware can run Guild Wars and maybe turn down the settings and see how that goes.

Yeah, check your system like Tobash said, plus defrag, and make sure everything is cleaned out. Just to let you know though, doing this might not help (well it will help your system out), but might not help with GW. I have a self built high end system, and for the last few months GW has been running horrible. So keep that in mind, if your system is cleaned and your connection is good, it probably is just GW's servers. I am no longer playing Guild Wars because of this reason. I have a cable connection with upgraded speed, and my connection ping is awesome, but when I get on GW it spikes to over 1000, while my fps and connection speed is normal. It is frustrating to me that GW is the only game where there is lag. I love the idea that Anet sold a record breaking amount of this game, and we can thank them for taking the time and money NOT to upgrade their servers.... good luck..

Can you give us the model number of the Unit at the very least, so we can look it up to better help you.

Overheating video card is a common reason for the computer locking up. Sometimes this is due to a lot of dust inside the PC.
- Make sure nothing is blocking the air vents of your PC.
- Check if any other hot devices are near the PC (room heater is for you, not PC case)
- Try shorter gaming periods, instead of playing/having the PC on for 8 hrs straight, try playing for 1-2 hrs and then turning off the PC for a period of time.
- Try putting a fan blowing cold air into your case vents. It may be possible to remove one whole side of the PC case, but I don't recommend this to people I don't know.
- If you have air conditioning in that room, try using it to keep the room cold whilst you play.

You can clean the dust out of the inside of the pc by the following:
Note: same manufacturers may void warranty if case of PC has been opened
1. Remove power cords from back of pc case
2. Open case
3. Blow out all dust (use can of compressed gas from electronics shop)
4. Re-assemble

I used to have this lock up problem, and have seen 3 friends of mine with the same exact problem. GW freezing and you have to reboot the computer.

Each and every time it was an issue that the computer and/or video card was overheating due to a dirty/clogged heat sink or a broken fan on the heat sinks. And, each and every time cleaning them out solved the problem. In case you don't know, a heat sink will be a little silver 'box' with a number of raised ridges along it. If the area in between the ridges gets dirty, it can't do it's job as well, and hence the overheating.

You can buy better/another case fan(s) to help prevent said buildup.

Also many budget type computers do not have a dedicated 3D graphics card that is sufficiently capable for this game. The model number of your computer or computer specs will help us determine this.