Mouse & Keyboard freeze up and I have to do a hard shut-down...

[Guest]

I have been having a problem with my mouse & keyboard freezing up for a very
long time! I even have a different computer that has been upgraded to Windows
XP Home Edition SP2, the only hardware that is from my old computer is the
hard drive and modem. The Windows XP was a clean install and all my
documents and software had to be reloaded. I have dail-up modem. I have read
everything I can find and tried everything I know to do, but can't figure it
out. I have scanned the C/D drives for errors and I have updated everything.
I don't have USB mouse or keyboard. I have replaced both to be sure it's not
that. I have uninstalled my Norton in case it was causing the problem. I have
run every type of AV, Spyware, Trojan to make sure it isn't a bug causing the
problem etc... It doesn't seem to have any pattern and it isn't exclusive to
being on the internet. It froze in the middle of writing an email before.
When this happens you can still see everything on the monitor, there is no
error message, you just can't use your keyboard or mouse and have to do a
hard shut down to escape. I have tried watching my task monitor to see if I
can tell what's going on, the process using the most CPU is the "system idle
process"!

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows what we can do to resolve
this issue....

 

[Galen]

In Rosie <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I have been having a problem with my mouse & keyboard freezing up for
a very long time! I even have a different computer that has been
upgraded to Windows XP Home Edition SP2, the only hardware that is
from my old computer is the hard drive and modem. The Windows XP was
a clean install and all my documents and software had to be reloaded.
I have dail-up modem. I have read everything I can find and tried
everything I know to do, but can't figure it out. I have scanned the
C/D drives for errors and I have updated everything. I don't have USB
mouse or keyboard. I have replaced both to be sure it's not that. I
have uninstalled my Norton in case it was causing the problem. I have
run every type of AV, Spyware, Trojan to make sure it isn't a bug
causing the problem etc... It doesn't seem to have any pattern and it
isn't exclusive to being on the internet. It froze in the middle of
writing an email before. When this happens you can still see
everything on the monitor, there is no error message, you just can't
use your keyboard or mouse and have to do a hard shut down to escape.
I have tried watching my task monitor to see if I can tell what's
going on, the process using the most CPU is the "system idle
process"!

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows what we can do to
resolve this issue....

Hmm... You mention that the HDD and the modem were from a past PC. Did you
build this one yourself? Get it as a "bare bones" system from an online
vendor?

Check your BIOS settings... Make sure there's nothing amiss... Specifically
RAM Latency times. In fact, grab one of the many RAM testing utilities and
test the RAM.

Memtest86 - Memory Diagnostic Page:
http://www.memtest86.com/

That one will work.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

When my previous system died (FYI: When your AV finds a virus don't assume
that you don't need a file simply because you don't recognize it! I deleted
a critical system file and crippled my OS, and I had purchased the computer
pre-loaded and didn't have windows to reload it!) I sent out a email to my
coworkers asking if anyone knew where I could get a cheap computer and one of
them responded. He diagnosed my computer problem as "I killed the
motherboard by repeatedly doing a hard shut-down when my system froze". He
took my computer carcass and put the HDD and modem into his old computer and
sold it to me for $100.00.

I will take your suggestion and check the BIOS, I'm sure I will learn what
that is as I go??? Thank you!

 

[Galen]

In Rosie <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

When my previous system died (FYI: When your AV finds a virus don't
assume that you don't need a file simply because you don't recognize
it! I deleted a critical system file and crippled my OS, and I had
purchased the computer pre-loaded and didn't have windows to reload
it!) I sent out a email to my coworkers asking if anyone knew where
I could get a cheap computer and one of them responded. He diagnosed
my computer problem as "I killed the motherboard by repeatedly doing
a hard shut-down when my system froze". He took my computer carcass
and put the HDD and modem into his old computer and sold it to me for
$100.00.

I will take your suggestion and check the BIOS, I'm sure I will learn
what that is as I go??? Thank you!

Definately check the RAM... 100 bucks to swap out a mobo and a few other
components? <g> Sheesh... An hour and a good Google and you coulda done it
all by your lonesome.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes