Why does Windows Spider Solitaire cause computer lockup?

[JD]

The game is played many times every day, and the lockups occur at roughly
one week intervals. I have no problems with any other computer functions.
I've swapped out the video drivers more than once. There are never any
events recorded. Dr. Watson finds no faults. I've run Scandisk successfully.
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows games. To no avail.
This began happening regularly months ago. Must I reformat and reinstall the
entire OS? Can anyone suggest a cause--or a solution?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Before you do a reinstall, try a repair install instead so that you don't
have to reinstall all your apps and files.

 

[JD]

Clearly you're suggesting that this problem can only be fixed by
reinstalling Windows. I feared as much.
If something is amiss with this one game, why doesn't scandisk identify and
"repair" it?
Will a "repair install" relplace ALLWindows files? Return Windows SP1, the
original IE and WMP?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No, I'm not. But it may be quicker than trying to figure out what is
corrupted.

If you are running SP2 on the hard drive but only have an SP1 cd then you
should make yourself an SP2 cd now. I use a program, nLite, to make what is
called a "slipstreamed" cd from the XP hologrammed cd and the current
service pack. It is easy (provided of course that you have a cd burning
program).

1. Download and install nLite. http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
2. Download the SP2 package for IT Professionals. (save it to your desktop
where it is easy to find)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
3. Following the guide on the nLite website as needed use your XP SP1 cd
and the SP2 download to create a new XP SP2 cd image (.iso). Burn the .iso
file to cd as is.

Using the new cd, run the system file checker to see if that fixes your
issues.
Start>Run, type "cmd" in the Run Box and hit Enter.
At the prompt in the Command Window, type "sfc /scannow" and hit Enter.

SFC will ask for the XP cd and that's why you need the XP SP2 cd and not
your original XP SP1 cd. It will only replace system files that it thinks
might be corrupt.

If that doesn't do the job, then do a repair install.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

A repair install will replace all your system files with good copies without
requiring you to reinstall your apps.

 

[JD]

I will study your suggestions. I note that when I ran SFC I was not asked
for the original installation CD, so I assume ran it ran from the SP2
version on the HD.
I wonder if the "repair reinstall" couldn't be run from the updated Windows
setup on the HD rather than from the "outdated" CD.
I also infer from your reply that the cause is something [presumably a
Windows file] that has been "corrupted." Frustrating that SFC doesn't find
it!
Thanks for your help.

 

[Elmo]

The game is played many times every day, and the lockups occur at roughly
one week intervals. I have no problems with any other computer functions.
I've swapped out the video drivers more than once. There are never any
events recorded. Dr. Watson finds no faults. I've run Scandisk successfully.
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows games. To no avail.
This began happening regularly months ago. Must I reformat and reinstall the
entire OS? Can anyone suggest a cause--or a solution?

Run DXDIAG and see if it finds any errors. Also, just as a test, try
lowering graphics hardware acceleration slide. You can lower graphics
hardware acceleration in Display Properties, Settings tab, Advanced
button, Troubleshooting tab.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

While SFC replaces system files, it does not necessarily regenerate catalogs
and such. Nor does it register the software. It would not address an issue
in the registry, for example.

If SFC did not request a cd then it did not need to copy a file from it.
That's good. But there are other things in the system that a repair install
can fix that SFC cannot.

Even though it turned out that you did not need the cd for the SFC run, that
will not be the case with a repair install. If you attempt a repair install
with the XP SP1 cd you will get an error message that the version on the
hard drive is not the same as the one on the cd.

Even if there was nothing wrong on the computer I would still recommend
making the slipstreamed cd to save yourself from getting caught with an
inoperable system requiring repair some time (and of course you would not be
able to make a cd at that point). You want to always be in the position to
use options short of a complete reinstall. You want that to be your
procedure of last resort.

I will study your suggestions. I note that when I ran SFC I was not asked
for the original installation CD, so I assume ran it ran from the SP2
version on the HD.
I wonder if the "repair reinstall" couldn't be run from the updated
Windows setup on the HD rather than from the "outdated" CD.
I also infer from your reply that the cause is something [presumably a
Windows file] that has been "corrupted." Frustrating that SFC doesn't find
it!
Thanks for your help.

No, I'm not. But it may be quicker than trying to figure out what is
corrupted.

If you are running SP2 on the hard drive but only have an SP1 cd then you
should make yourself an SP2 cd now. I use a program, nLite, to make what
is called a "slipstreamed" cd from the XP hologrammed cd and the current
service pack. It is easy (provided of course that you have a cd burning
program).

1. Download and install nLite. http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
2. Download the SP2 package for IT Professionals. (save it to your
desktop where it is easy to find)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
3. Following the guide on the nLite website as needed use your XP SP1 cd
and the SP2 download to create a new XP SP2 cd image (.iso). Burn the
.iso file to cd as is.

Using the new cd, run the system file checker to see if that fixes your
issues.
Start>Run, type "cmd" in the Run Box and hit Enter.
At the prompt in the Command Window, type "sfc /scannow" and hit Enter.

SFC will ask for the XP cd and that's why you need the XP SP2 cd and not
your original XP SP1 cd. It will only replace system files that it
thinks might be corrupt.

If that doesn't do the job, then do a repair install.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

A repair install will replace all your system files with good copies
without requiring you to reinstall your apps.

 

[JD]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have already done both of those things. No
joy. I really don't think at this point that the video card or drivers are
the source of the problem.

 

[JD]

I confess to being a little overwhelmed by your suggested course of action.
I will surely study the procedure carefully.
I also wonder whether I can do as you suggest if my original CD is an OEM
version--that came with my Gateway computer about six years ago.
I certainly agree that a complete reinstall should be a "last resort."
Though I'm not especially daunted by the prospect of reinstalling my
programs, installing SP2 (I have the CD), and downloading the IE and WMP
upgrades, what I am very apprehensive about is the prospect of losing my
Address Book and Outlook Express "identities" and saved e-mails. If I were
confident of being able to save and restore these things, I wouldn't be so
afraid of doing a "clean" reinstall.

While SFC replaces system files, it does not necessarily regenerate
catalogs and such. Nor does it register the software. It would not
address an issue in the registry, for example.

If SFC did not request a cd then it did not need to copy a file from it.
That's good. But there are other things in the system that a repair
install can fix that SFC cannot.

Even though it turned out that you did not need the cd for the SFC run,
that will not be the case with a repair install. If you attempt a repair
install with the XP SP1 cd you will get an error message that the version
on the hard drive is not the same as the one on the cd.

Even if there was nothing wrong on the computer I would still recommend
making the slipstreamed cd to save yourself from getting caught with an
inoperable system requiring repair some time (and of course you would not
be able to make a cd at that point). You want to always be in the
position to use options short of a complete reinstall. You want that to
be your procedure of last resort.

I will study your suggestions. I note that when I ran SFC I was not asked
for the original installation CD, so I assume ran it ran from the SP2
version on the HD.
I wonder if the "repair reinstall" couldn't be run from the updated
Windows setup on the HD rather than from the "outdated" CD.
I also infer from your reply that the cause is something [presumably a
Windows file] that has been "corrupted." Frustrating that SFC doesn't
find it!
Thanks for your help.

No, I'm not. But it may be quicker than trying to figure out what is
corrupted.

If you are running SP2 on the hard drive but only have an SP1 cd then
you should make yourself an SP2 cd now. I use a program, nLite, to make
what is called a "slipstreamed" cd from the XP hologrammed cd and the
current service pack. It is easy (provided of course that you have a cd
burning program).

1. Download and install nLite. http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
2. Download the SP2 package for IT Professionals. (save it to your
desktop where it is easy to find)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
3. Following the guide on the nLite website as needed use your XP SP1
cd and the SP2 download to create a new XP SP2 cd image (.iso). Burn
the .iso file to cd as is.

Using the new cd, run the system file checker to see if that fixes your
issues.
Start>Run, type "cmd" in the Run Box and hit Enter.
At the prompt in the Command Window, type "sfc /scannow" and hit Enter.

SFC will ask for the XP cd and that's why you need the XP SP2 cd and not
your original XP SP1 cd. It will only replace system files that it
thinks might be corrupt.

If that doesn't do the job, then do a repair install.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

A repair install will replace all your system files with good copies
without requiring you to reinstall your apps.


Clearly you're suggesting that this problem can only be fixed by
reinstalling Windows. I feared as much.
If something is amiss with this one game, why doesn't scandisk identify
and "repair" it?
Will a "repair install" relplace ALLWindows files? Return Windows SP1,
the original IE and WMP?
Before you do a reinstall, try a repair install instead so that you
don't have to reinstall all your apps and files.

The game is played many times every day, and the lockups occur at
roughly one week intervals. I have no problems with any other
computer functions.
I've swapped out the video drivers more than once. There are never
any events recorded. Dr. Watson finds no faults. I've run Scandisk
successfully.
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows games. To no avail.
This began happening regularly months ago. Must I reformat and
reinstall the entire OS? Can anyone suggest a cause--or a solution?