computer freezes

[highnote]

My wife and 7 year old son share a computer. The mouse freezes, but usually the keyboard can still be used to close it down. Lately, however even the keyboard is freezing.

I press the on/off button until it turns off. I restart it and it will work fine -- until it freezes again. So I don't think it is overheating.

I've defragged, run anti-virus and ad-aware, but to no avail. Can't pinpoint the problem.

Any idea what the cause might be?

Thanks.

John

[JustRalph]

what version of windows?

[highnote]

what version of windows?


XP

I just realized they're using an old NEC mouse from my old computer on their Compaq computer. Maybe it's a bad driver?

I added extra memory a while back, too.

[michiken]

Since XP should have a good driver database built in after all these years, I do not think an older mouse would be the problem.

Extra ram should only make the computer run better unless you installed a bad chip. Try removing the chip and see how the computer runs?

1. Have you done a windows update to make sure service pack 2 is installed?

2. Are you running Spybot Search and Destroy (http://download.com/) in addition to Ad-Aware?

3. Are you running a Firewall such as Zone Alarm (http://download.com/)? Windoz Firewall is weak at best.

4. Are you running Norton's piece of **** security software? You can unistall Norton and download AVG Free Antivirus (http://download.com/). This has proven to work because Norton is a resource HOG.

5. Did you try booting into safe mode (Press the F8 key as you boot) and bypassing all drivers and then running all virii/adware scans?

6. Have you opened a DOS box and run sfc /scannow? (If the system file checker finds broken files, it will prompt you to load your Windoz disk).

7. Are you using Internet Expoiter? A safer browser is Mozilla Firefox (http://mozilla.com/) because it does not use Active X controls.

8. Have you disabled 'System Restore' which has been used by virii/trojans as a place to hide?

[JustRalph]

do a search for " *.tmp " files.........see how many you have.........

this is a direct indication of how sick you system is............more than a few is bad.........a whole bunch means you are in bad shape

don't forget to kill the temps on your browser.........open the tools menu "internet options" "delete files"

delete them (make sure all applications are closed)

run "msconfig" and turn off all the crap in the background..........

go into " my computer" right click on the "c:" drive hit "properties"

go to the 'tools' tab and under "error checking" check the disk out,

that is the basics.......then you can go on from there.........

[highnote]

Michikin and Ralph,

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Some I had done already, but many I have not. I really appreciate the help. Thanks.

John

[KYJACK]

The mouse freezes, but usually the keyboard can still be used to close it down. Lately, however even the keyboard is freezing.

I just realized they're using an old NEC mouse from my old computer on their Compaq computer. Maybe it's a bad driver?
John
If you're still having problems, here's something else to check. Most PCs have a 'keyboard controller' chip whose job is to talk to the keyboard and pass the data on to main PC's CPU. Also, it has another duty, which is to talk to the mouse (assuming you're using a PS/2 Mouse). A defective mouse can not only fail to work, but 'hose up' the keyboard controller with bad/intermittent data such that the keyboard will stop working, as well! My theory is that your old mouse has seen a lot of wear and is failing!

So here's the test. Swap out BOTH the keyboard and mouse on the computer with known good devices. See if that helps! If you don't have substitutes - head to your local W**-mart. They sell a boxed keyboard/mouse combo for around $10. (Always good to have a spare keyboard standing by for the coffee spills! :rolleyes: ).

Good luck!
Jack

[highnote]

Jack,

Another great idea -- and inexpensive, too! Thanks.

John

[linrom1]

My wife and 7 year old son share a computer. The mouse freezes, but usually the keyboard can still be used to close it down. Lately, however even the keyboard is freezing.

I press the on/off button until it turns off. I restart it and it will work fine -- until it freezes again. So I don't think it is overheating.

I've defragged, run anti-virus and ad-aware, but to no avail. Can't pinpoint the problem.

Any idea what the cause might be?

Thanks.

John

Get yourself a USB mouse. There could be mouse/keyboard resource access conflict.

[highnote]

Get yourself a USB mouse. There could be mouse/keyboard resource access conflict.

THANKS!

[rrbauer]

It looks to me like KYJACK has chased down more than his share of computer-related problems. His solution will help you isolate the problem which IMHO is what you need to do. As an aside, I have been using Microsoft's Intellimouse on my XP boxes and have had zero mouse problems. It's a bit pricey, but I think WM might carry them. It will run via the mouse port or via a USB connection.

[KYJACK]

It looks to me like KYJACK has chased down more than his share of computer-related problems. His solution will help you isolate the problem which IMHO is what you need to do.Yup, career-wise, it was quite a run! I started out in my father's Radio/TV repair business as a kid, then moved on as a technician doing mainly maintenance work in the TV Broadcasting Biz. After a late college graduation, I moved on to computer programming, with a few years at IBM/Lexmark programming embedded firmware code inside of keyboards, mice, and pointer sticks!

From the maintenance standpoint, being able to eliminate possible sources of the problem by swapping out parts and modules with known good ones, can be a real time saver! With tech costs per hour being expensive, being able to quickly get at a problem can be very important to a company's bottom line.

These days, a key debugging tool is the use of the 'Google Search' engine (http://www.google.com/) when problems arise. If a problem occurs; chances are that someone else has already encountered it and found the solution! Entering the search words 'mouse freezes' brings up the following link:

John J. Fried's FAQ Site
http://inquirer.philly.com/newsroom/faq/pages/fdb7df9-37.html

Reading this, I noticed an interesting entry about "hardware acceleration"! It triggered a memory of a similar problem I had in the past. I think I installed some Microsoft product or upgrade, that by default always switched the hardware acceleration to 'Maximum'. My setup at the time could not handle it and the computer would lock up! If I backed off the setting, then everything was fine. I think it was finally corrected by upgrading something - maybe the drivers.

Finally another trick, is to test the machine in 'safe mode' and/or operate the computer without being connected to the internet (i.e. disconnect the phone line or turn off the cable/dsl modem), and see if you still have the problem. I've seen a lot of "!!**Stuff**!!" going on with a PC connected to the Internet. It's not just hackers, spyware and viruses that can mess up your machine. It could also be your software phoning home and waiting for a late-coming reply (e.g. your OS, your printer). It could even be your ISP or even 'Big Brother' doing something in these heightened times of security concerns. Get in the habit of watching your modem 'activity' lites when you sit at the computer. If you have an internal modem, you're operating in the dark! I've even seen internet activity happen when I'm not even requesting a web page, but doing local mouse clicks that normally should NOT require an internet access! e.g. you click on 'Add/Remove Programs' in Control Panel to delete an old program, and get a wait message while a list is being built. After about 5 or 6 seconds, the modem lites start flickering and you then get the list of programs! Or, you add a spyware site to your 'restricted sites' list after detecting it with Ad-aware to prevent re-infection (A very very good trick!) and it doesn't take effect until minutes later instead of immediately. Or just add a web-site to your favorites list and watch for Internet activity. If you're the least bit paranoid, consider your computer as just a terminal or copy of the real computer somewhere up the internet line (which may be recording everything! :lol: ) Even here on the PA site in the last few months, when reading a forum page - after about a minute, I hear annoying clicks from my speaker, indicating an internet web-site access is taking place! I figure it's the advertisements being updated, or that the site is merely checking to see that I'm still connected! But, you never know! :lol:

ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! ALREADY! Enough of the conspiracy theory! The point being is that in this day and age, a computer connected to the internet can/may act differently from one that is just sitting alone by itself! Operating the computer OFFLINE is another trick in one's search for a solution to pinpoint a computer problem!

Happy Hunting!

Jack

[Hosshead]

.........

go into " my computer" right click on the "c:" drive hit "properties"

go to the 'tools' tab and under "error checking" check the disk out,

that is the basics.......then you can go on from there.........When I go to error checking, it has 2 options:
1. Automatically fix file system errors
2. Scan for, and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Which One ? Or Both ?

Is this something you should do once in a while anyway... as general maintenance ? Or not until you have a specific problem?

[JustRalph]

When I go to error checking, it has 2 options:
1. Automatically fix file system errors
2. Scan for, and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Which One ? Or Both ?

Is this something you should do once in a while anyway... as general maintenance ? Or not until you have a specific problem?

if you are familiar with file system errors........you can have it just report errors and then make decisions on particular errors.........one at at time. If not choose "automatic" but this can result in data loss......not very often, but it can happen because the fix sometimes removes stuff. So "automatically fixing" can be a little dangerous......I emphasis little. But if it removes one little bit of data that you need........? you get the picture.

I back everything up , so I don't have to worry about it. so? choose your poison.

I usually run this option without scanning for "bad sectors" then run it again after viewing what it reports. the 2nd time I choose "recover bad sectors" but I haven't had a bad sector on a hard drive in 5 years..........if you just don't care..........use automatic, and recover..........

[Hosshead]

Thanks Ralph.