Help! Computer partial freezes - Lateral thinking needed
in [Laptops]
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From: RobertL on 20 Apr 2010 11:05 On Apr 20, 12:39 pm, "Roger Mills" <watt.ty...(a)googlemail.com> wrote: > My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, and > I need some help to diagnose and fix it. > > It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop > with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse. > > The symptoms are as follows: > * The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and > then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update > * The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but > mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect > * I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open > * Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors) > continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even > responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's virtually > the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks > * This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but > usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to > happen at this time, which may cause it] > * The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red > switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again > * Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day > > Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . > It has only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based > Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another > location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still > occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell > the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch] > > Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas? I had something similar and it turned out to be overheating. When the PC gets hot it reduces the clock rate so it can cool off, but this makes everything grind to a halt. Use a vacuum cleaner (with hose) to suck through the air intake. You can get a lot of fluff in there. Also make sure there is plenty of fresh air getting to the air intake. You can also download some software that monitors the temperature sensors and see if that is happening. I use "SpeedFan". Robert
From: John Whitworth on 20 Apr 2010 11:18 "Roger Mills" <watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> wrote in message news:835i59FigfU1(a)mid.individual.net... > My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, > and I need some help to diagnose and fix it. > > It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop > with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse. > > The symptoms are as follows: > * The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and > then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update > * The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but > mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect > * I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open > * Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors) > continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even > responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's > virtually the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks > * This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but > usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to > happen at this time, which may cause it] > * The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red > switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again > * Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day > > Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . > It has only started happening since I installed the software for a > USB-based Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at > another location and so not physically connected - but the problem is > still occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't > tell the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch] In Device Manager, in View, have you ticked "Show Hidden Devices"? Can't remember whether that will show disconnected USB devices for which the drivers are still present. Failing that, could you uninstall the printer driver using Add/Remove programs? Then, when it is connected to the machine again, and you reinstall, you could experiment with disabling the hardware in specific profiles. JW
From: John Whitworth on 20 Apr 2010 11:23 "RobertL" <robertmlaws(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message news:08e8e035-3c8d-4931-bd9a-81da87d64922(a)r10g2000vbb.googlegroups.com... > On Apr 20, 12:39 pm, "Roger Mills" <watt.ty...(a)googlemail.com> wrote: >> My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, >> and >> I need some help to diagnose and fix it. >> >> It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop >> with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse. >> >> The symptoms are as follows: >> * The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, >> and >> then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update >> * The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but >> mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect >> * I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open >> * Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors) >> continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even >> responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's >> virtually >> the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks >> * This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but >> usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to >> happen at this time, which may cause it] >> * The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red >> switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again >> * Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day >> >> Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . >> It has only started happening since I installed the software for a >> USB-based >> Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another >> location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still >> occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell >> the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch] >> >> Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas? > > > I had something similar and it turned out to be overheating. When the > PC gets hot it reduces the clock rate so it can cool off, but this > makes everything grind to a halt. Use a vacuum cleaner (with hose) to > suck through the air intake. You can get a lot of fluff in > there. Also make sure there is plenty of fresh air getting to the > air intake. Given the fairly good timing that the problem is keeping, I'm not so sure it is that. Though it can't hurt to vacuum it out. Don't think you'll get much through the air intakes though. Just open the case up, and then very carefully hoover around with the crevice tool. > You can also download some software that monitors the temperature > sensors and see if that is happening. I use "SpeedFan". > > Robert >
From: tony sayer on 20 Apr 2010 11:15 In article <835i59FigfU1(a)mid.individual.net>, Roger Mills <watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> scribeth thus >My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, and >I need some help to diagnose and fix it. > >It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop >with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse. > >The symptoms are as follows: >* The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and >then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update >* The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but >mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect >* I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open >* Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors) >continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even >responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's virtually >the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks >* This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but >usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to >happen at this time, which may cause it] >* The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red >switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again >* Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day > >Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . >It has only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based >Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another >location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still >occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell >the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch] > >Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas? > >TIA. If it were me... 1. Power supply responsible for a lot of faults like this. 2. Video card overheating sometimes 3. Possible overheating prolly linked with 3 4. UN-install the Canon prog 5. Be thankful you've got XP and not Vister;).. -- Tony Sayer
From: John Whitworth on 20 Apr 2010 11:30
"tony sayer" <tony(a)bancom.co.uk> wrote in message news:kT2Kq+EvUczLFwKk(a)bancom.co.uk... > In article <835i59FigfU1(a)mid.individual.net>, Roger Mills > <watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> scribeth thus >>My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, >>and >>I need some help to diagnose and fix it. >> >>It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop >>with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse. >> >>The symptoms are as follows: >>* The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and >>then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update >>* The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but >>mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect >>* I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open >>* Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors) >>continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even >>responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's >>virtually >>the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks >>* This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but >>usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to >>happen at this time, which may cause it] >>* The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red >>switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again >>* Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day >> >>Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . >>It has only started happening since I installed the software for a >>USB-based >>Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another >>location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still >>occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell >>the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch] >> >>Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas? >> >>TIA. > > If it were me... > > 1. Power supply responsible for a lot of faults like this. Why would a PSU cause some most of Windows to freeze, but Mailwasher to keep going, at around 10.00am each morning? > 2. Video card overheating sometimes If it were a video card issue, everything would have probably stopped on the screen. But it seems to be application specific. > 3. Possible overheating prolly linked with 3 > > 4. UN-install the Canon prog > > 5. Be thankful you've got XP and not Vister;).. > -- > Tony Sayer > |