well there is a way to see if it is a hardware problem or not. Take a test hd with a fresh installation of 98 on it and test it out. if the comp still freezes the likely possiblitiy is that its a hardware problem. Ive repaired computers that were freezing that had hardware problems like for example, someone didn't install the mainboard correctly and it was shorting out on on the tower. Or a loose wire in the box got too close to the processor fan and took a blade off, causing the machine to overheat. Sometimes its as simple as just removing all the dust from the fans. As far as conflicting software problems like i said your best bet is to pinpoint when the problem started and see if there was any software installed on that date. Now for flashing, i always thought the only real reason to flash a bios was to get a hd to be recognized. And i know for a fact its very very dangerous to your pocketbook. If u don't know what your doing or just don't feel like paying for a new board incase you screw up, you should take it to a tech shop where u can have someone else do it. If the tech screws up then they'll most of the time replace the hardware for free. Well at least thats how they do it in the states.
