Jim said:
Twice today, and several times recently, my computer has
hung. Usually I have just opened a dialog box. I have
TopMost Clock running and it continues, even though there
is no response to keyboard or mouse. The cursor in the
dialog box stops blinking. It did this on a fresh install.
Any clues? Interrupts maybe?
IRQ sharing is not an issue with modern computers/operating systems.
Unfortunately, you don't provide enough information to get a specific
answer. 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). Be sure to update these programs before
running, and 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
