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Please Help! Windows keeps freezing


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#1
alianzista84

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Please Help. :tazz:

I'm not sure what could have cause this, but the two last changes I remember making were installing a video game and running the "Clean Up" software that people reccomend on this site to clean temporary files. After I rebooted the next time, once I logged in windows would freeze after loading some desktop icons and some stuff in the tray. I've tried everything I could think of, uninstalling what I had installed and even messing with the settings in msconfig.exe, but still about 5-10 seconds after I have typed in my password the entire system will freeze. When I say freeze mean absolutely nothing will work, the mouse will not move and crtl+alt+delete does not work either, my only is the hold the power button down to turn the system off. I got desperate and I even reformatted my hard drive...but the problem is still there and is becoming very irritating especially because I have no idea what caused it...any help would be appreciated.
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#2
somepeoplearebornleet

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Did you try another OS? Maybe a spare 2000 disk you have lying around somewhere....
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#3
alianzista84

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Unfortunately I do not have a spare OS disk lying around...XP was working fine until this morning when it wouldn't stop freezing
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#4
somepeoplearebornleet

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Well any CD can crap over time. I ALWAYS have atleast 2 spare Windows CDs.
Test using another spare HDD then.

Edited by somepeoplearebornleet, 15 August 2005 - 04:00 PM.

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#5
alianzista84

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So you think it was the CD that is faulty? The install after I reformatted seemed to go fine. The same problem was occuring before the reformat as well.
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#6
somepeoplearebornleet

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So your saying this happened before? Explain.
Well similar problems happened to my computer but it was all because my windows xp cds have been damaged.

Edited by somepeoplearebornleet, 15 August 2005 - 04:05 PM.

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#7
yardguard

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What was the Game you installed and did you play it a few times?

I only ask this because you said that was one of the last things you did before the trouble began. I'm thinking if you played it a number of times that maybe it might have been a game that used the CPU extensively therefore creating a lot of extra heat on the CPU die. If that is the case (and I hope not for your sake) then possibly it fried the CPU.

I just replaced a CPU in my son's computer for the same reason...HEAT! generated from CPU intensive games fried his chip because airflow wasn't good enough to keep the CPU cool.

There are many hardware components that can make this happen (Ram modules..CPU...HD...etc) and judging from your post you reformatted and reinstalled XP so that should have rectified any OS probs but it didn't.

Maybe before considering the worst as I have you could try another fresh format and install just to be sure...

Just some things to consider.(Although Dismal)
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#8
alianzista84

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ok, i'll try to explain what happend as best as I remember...

My computer was working fine this morning, I remember running the program "Clean Up!" recommended on this site, and for some reason or another I decided to restart the computer. Upon restart, I was able to log on fine, but then after about 10 or so seconds the computer just completely froze, and as I described above my mouse wouldn't work, neither would the keyboard keys, not alt+ctrl+delete, it was just like the computer stopped in its tracks and wouldn't move. I tried going into safemode and fixing whatever seemed odd, but none of that helped. As a last resort I decided to reformat and reinstall windows XP. I thought this would help solve the problem...but it happens just the same with the fresh copy of XP. It seems that I can only work in the Safe Mode Environment. Let me know if you need to know something else.

Thanks.
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#9
alianzista84

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ok, i'll try to explain what happend as best as I remember...

My computer was working fine this morning, I remember running the program "Clean Up!" recommended on this site, and for some reason or another I decided to restart the computer. Upon restart, I was able to log on fine, but then after about 10 or so seconds the computer just completely froze, and as I described above my mouse wouldn't work, neither would the keyboard keys, not alt+ctrl+delete, it was just like the computer stopped in its tracks and wouldn't move. I tried going into safemode and fixing whatever seemed odd, but none of that helped. As a last resort I decided to reformat and reinstall windows XP. I thought this would help solve the problem...but it happens just the same with the fresh copy of XP. It seems that I can only work in the Safe Mode Environment. Let me know if you need to know something else.

Thanks.

Oh, and just to be clear I'm using a different computer to post on this forum.

Edited by alianzista84, 15 August 2005 - 04:35 PM.

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#10
somepeoplearebornleet

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Hmm so you can control you computer fine in on Safe Mode?
Then press Ctrl+Alt+Del and check for some odd looking process.
Or you can try an even better way and find a process killer that can detect some hidden processes.

Does Safe Mode Disable Windows Manager?

Edited by somepeoplearebornleet, 15 August 2005 - 04:49 PM.

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#11
alianzista84

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The game I installed was Unreal Tournament 2004, which is pretty graphics intensive but was running fine and my specs were more than enough for what they reccomended:

2.0 Ghz, 512 ram, Pentium 4, Gforce4 4200 64mb...


This question might be dumb...but if my CPU was fried would I still be able to work in safe mode?
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#12
somepeoplearebornleet

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If it was fried it would not even start up i think. :tazz:
As far as i know the computer checks itself too see if it is A OK for work before it loads up an OS.
So what i am saying is will a person do anything without a brain?

Using a fresh copy of windows would not rectify a problem if the cd itself was corrupted right?

Edited by somepeoplearebornleet, 15 August 2005 - 04:51 PM.

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#13
yardguard

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My son's computer would start up and get to WinXP but hang much like you explain your situation to be.

But now that you mentioned you can work in Safe mode ok I'm not real sure if it may be a hardware prob at all. To me it sounds like a driver problem now since you can run safe mode.

Maybe you could try unistalling/disabling some of your devices in safe mode then restart in normal mode to see if that helps.......Like maybe disable a cdrom and restart...if no help..then reenable cdrom and disable another device and restart....etc...Trial and error....

To disable a piece of hardware right click my computer icon and select properties then chhose hardware tab then press device manager button..From there you can see your devices...If you want to disable/unistall one just riight click the device and select disable or uninstall.

HTH
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#14
alianzista84

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Yea, those are my thoughts as well

The computer runs perfectly fine in safe mode...I tried doing what you suggest presseing ctrl + alt + delete, while in safe mode...but nothing seems out of the ordinary....
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#15
alianzista84

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Yea, those are my thoughts as well

The computer runs perfectly fine in safe mode...I tried doing what you suggest presseing ctrl + alt + delete, while in safe mode...but nothing seems out of the ordinary....


sorry it keeps posting double....i'll only click once from now on

Edited by alianzista84, 15 August 2005 - 04:52 PM.

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