David said:
My mouse has been freezing for periods of time in windows. I got some
advice here and replaced it with a USB mouse but now my task bar
freezes for about 10mins when i start windows xp. when i put the
cursor over the task bar it brings up the hourglass saying its busy.
What is causing this??
I doubt this has anything to do with the mouse. Unfortunately, this is
not enough information for you to get a good answer. Your post is the
equivalent of saying, "it's broken". Your problems could be caused by
either software or hardware. Here are generic troubleshooting steps for
you to take:
A. For software issues - 1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means
a version not later than 2002 but using updated virus definitions); 2)
remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy (
www.security.kolla.de) and
Ad-aware (
www.lavasoftusa.com) - note that it is a good idea to do
virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode; 3) delete temporary and Temporary
Internet Files; 4) stop unnecessary services/programs from starting
with Windows - see
www.blackviper.com for services info and
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm for programs info - 5) look in
Event Viewer for clues.
B. For hardware issues - 1) open the computer and run it open, cleaning
out all dust bunnies and observing all fans (overheating will cause
system freezing); 2) test the RAM - I like Memtest86 from
www.memtest86.com - let the test run for an extended (like overnight)
period of time - unless errors are seen immediately; 3) test the hard
drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr.; 4) test the
motherboard. If you can't do this testing yourself, take the machine to
a good local computer repair shop (not a CompUSA or Best Buy type of
store).
Malke
