Computer freezes after idle time.

Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
Thank you !!
Eileen

HTML Document <> wrote:

>Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
>is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
>the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
>Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
>cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
>that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
>thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
>updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
>though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
>here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
>Thank you !!
>Eileen

Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?

Hi Manny,
What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
Eileen

"Manny Weisbord" wrote:

> HTML Document <> wrote:
>
> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
> >Thank you !!
> >Eileen
>
> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
>

HTML Document <> wrote:

>Hi Manny,
>What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
>Eileen

You should have been using an imaging program such as Acronis True
Image to backup your entire system to either a second internal hard
drive or an external USB drive.

If you don't have that, you might be up that proverbial creek:

Other than that, I have no words of wisdom to offer you.

Sorry.

>"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
>
>> HTML Document <> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
>> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
>> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
>> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
>> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
>> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
>> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
>> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
>> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
>> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
>> >Thank you !!
>> >Eileen
>>
>> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
>>

So what are you saying? My system didn't crash. It works fine...until it is
idle for an hour or two...then it freezes up. You are suggesting a system
failure....I don't have that ( I hope)

"Manny Weisbord" wrote:

> HTML Document <> wrote:
>
> >Hi Manny,
> >What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
> >Eileen
>
> You should have been using an imaging program such as Acronis True
> Image to backup your entire system to either a second internal hard
> drive or an external USB drive.
>
> If you don't have that, you might be up that proverbial creek:
>
> Other than that, I have no words of wisdom to offer you.
>
> Sorry.
>
> >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
> >
> >> HTML Document <> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
> >> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
> >> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
> >> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
> >> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
> >> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
> >> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
> >> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
> >> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
> >> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
> >> >Thank you !!
> >> >Eileen
> >>
> >> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
> >>
>

HTML Document <> wrote:

>So what are you saying? My system didn't crash. It works fine...until it is
>idle for an hour or two...then it freezes up. You are suggesting a system
>failure....I don't have that ( I hope)

I'm clueless about your problem.

System Restore takes care of a myriad of problems. It it's not
working, I don't know what to tell you.

I have used System Restore as a quick fix for many problems I've
caused over the years, and if that failed - which was seldom - I've
restored from my backups.

>"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
>
>> HTML Document <> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi Manny,
>> >What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
>> >Eileen
>>
>> You should have been using an imaging program such as Acronis True
>> Image to backup your entire system to either a second internal hard
>> drive or an external USB drive.
>>
>> If you don't have that, you might be up that proverbial creek:
>>
>> Other than that, I have no words of wisdom to offer you.
>>
>> Sorry.
>>
>> >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
>> >
>> >> HTML Document <> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
>> >> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
>> >> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
>> >> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
>> >> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
>> >> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
>> >> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
>> >> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
>> >> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
>> >> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
>> >> >Thank you !!
>> >> >Eileen
>> >>
>> >> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
>> >>
>>

Thanks Manny, I googled this problem and I am not the only one....there are
thousands........I will keep looking..there is an answer somewhere I'm sure.
Eileen


"Manny Weisbord" wrote:

> HTML Document <> wrote:
>
> >So what are you saying? My system didn't crash. It works fine...until it is
> >idle for an hour or two...then it freezes up. You are suggesting a system
> >failure....I don't have that ( I hope)
>
> I'm clueless about your problem.
>
> System Restore takes care of a myriad of problems. It it's not
> working, I don't know what to tell you.
>
> I have used System Restore as a quick fix for many problems I've
> caused over the years, and if that failed - which was seldom - I've
> restored from my backups.
>
> >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
> >
> >> HTML Document <> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hi Manny,
> >> >What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
> >> >Eileen
> >>
> >> You should have been using an imaging program such as Acronis True
> >> Image to backup your entire system to either a second internal hard
> >> drive or an external USB drive.
> >>
> >> If you don't have that, you might be up that proverbial creek:
> >>
> >> Other than that, I have no words of wisdom to offer you.
> >>
> >> Sorry.
> >>
> >> >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> HTML Document <> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
> >> >> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
> >> >> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
> >> >> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
> >> >> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
> >> >> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
> >> >> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
> >> >> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
> >> >> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
> >> >> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
> >> >> >Thank you !!
> >> >> >Eileen
> >> >>
> >> >> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
> >> >>
> >>
>

I wonder if the following is the culprit:
The VSS service is shutting down due to idle timeout
This was in the Event Viewer just before the freeze.



"HTML Document" wrote:

> Thanks Manny, I googled this problem and I am not the only one....there are
> thousands........I will keep looking..there is an answer somewhere I'm sure.
> Eileen
>
>
> "Manny Weisbord" wrote:
>
> > HTML Document <> wrote:
> >
> > >So what are you saying? My system didn't crash. It works fine...until it is
> > >idle for an hour or two...then it freezes up. You are suggesting a system
> > >failure....I don't have that ( I hope)
> >
> > I'm clueless about your problem.
> >
> > System Restore takes care of a myriad of problems. It it's not
> > working, I don't know what to tell you.
> >
> > I have used System Restore as a quick fix for many problems I've
> > caused over the years, and if that failed - which was seldom - I've
> > restored from my backups.
> >
> > >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
> > >
> > >> HTML Document <> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> >Hi Manny,
> > >> >What do you mean by system backup? I back up my data files weekly...
> > >> >Eileen
> > >>
> > >> You should have been using an imaging program such as Acronis True
> > >> Image to backup your entire system to either a second internal hard
> > >> drive or an external USB drive.
> > >>
> > >> If you don't have that, you might be up that proverbial creek:
> > >>
> > >> Other than that, I have no words of wisdom to offer you.
> > >>
> > >> Sorry.
> > >>
> > >> >"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> >> HTML Document <> wrote:
> > >> >>
> > >> >> >Hi, this happened out of the blue Thursday. When my Vista Home Premium-SP1,
> > >> >> >is idle for awhile, the computer freezes... the screen is a grayish color and
> > >> >> >the mouse circle just keeps twirling. I have to manually re-boot.
> > >> >> >Everything is fine until I leave and come back...and it is frozen again. I
> > >> >> >cannot ctrl-alt-delete either. When I went to do a system restore, I saw
> > >> >> >that all my restore points were gone. How could this have happened? I
> > >> >> >thought maybe a windows update could be the source so I uninstalled the many
> > >> >> >updates ( approx. 25)....the next morning , I saw they had all returned even
> > >> >> >though I have it set not to download automatically. I am hoping that someone
> > >> >> >here has a solution for this bizarre behavior. Please help.
> > >> >> >Thank you !!
> > >> >> >Eileen
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Of course, you don't have any system backups to fall back on... right?
> > >> >>
> > >>
> >