Tired of getting frozen!!!

Hi all,

So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for my
HD audio. After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did a
system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all options
for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode, both
with and without networking, and if I disable all services except those
and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything, it
freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody have
any ideas?


--
izzyreal82

"izzyreal82" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hi all,
>
> So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
> Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
> everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
> Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
> fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for
> my
> HD audio. After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
> random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
> everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
> cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
> sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did
> a
> system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
> days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
> including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all
> options
> for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode,
> both
> with and without networking, and if I disable all services except
> those
> and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
> time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
> freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
> I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything,
> it
> freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody
> have
> any ideas?
>
>
Hi izzyreal82
It`s time to look in your Event Viewer, and see if any errors/warnings
stand out, for you to investigate.

bw..

izzyreal82 <> wrote:

>
>Hi all,
>
>So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
>Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
>everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
>Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
>fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for my
>HD audio.

NEVER install an optional hardware update from the Windows Update
site.

Roll your audio driver(s) back to the previous version.


> After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
>random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
>everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
>cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
>sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did a
>system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
>days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
>including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all options
>for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode, both
>with and without networking, and if I disable all services except those
>and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
>time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
>freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
>I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything, it
>freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody have
>any ideas?

Firstly love to see your computer knowledge. Since you didn't mentioned you
can try diskcheck as some files may have been corrupt. And if you open my
computer good after doing all steps you mentioned and the problem occurs only
when you open drives or some folders then chances are that its a kind of
autorun virus/trojan. In that case i will suggest a good antivirus. I'm
currently using Avira as its freely available on net and catching all
trojans/virus till date. Give it also a try.
--
Vanshaj Daga

http://www.akshitagroup.com


"izzyreal82" wrote:

>
> Hi all,
>
> So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
> Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
> everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
> Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
> fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for my
> HD audio. After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
> random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
> everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
> cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
> sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did a
> system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
> days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
> including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all options
> for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode, both
> with and without networking, and if I disable all services except those
> and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
> time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
> freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
> I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything, it
> freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody have
> any ideas?
>
>
> --
> izzyreal82
>

Manny Weisbord;1023576 Wrote:
> izzyreal82 <> wrote:
> NEVER install an optional hardware update from the Windows Update
> site.
>
> Roll your audio driver(s) back to the previous version.
>
>

Yeah, I thought that was the original source of the issue, so I did the
roll back when I did the System Restore. Did no good. Thanks, though.

Vanshaj Daga;1023587 Wrote:
> Firstly love to see your computer knowledge. Since you didn't mentioned
> you
> can try diskcheck as some files may have been corrupt. And if you open
> my
> computer good after doing all steps you mentioned and the problem
> occurs only
> when you open drives or some folders then chances are that its a kind
> of
> autorun virus/trojan. In that case i will suggest a good antivirus. I'm
> currently using Avira as its freely available on net and catching all
> trojans/virus till date. Give it also a try.
> --
> Vanshaj Daga
> vanshajdaga2002net@xxxxxx
> http://www.ak****agroup.com
>
>

Thanks! I'm not that savvy, but I can usually navigate my way around.
I have Norton 360 but it came clean (Gateway recommended I uninstall
Norton as that may have been the issue, but, like the rest of my
attempts, provided no help. I even did the Symantec Removal Tool to
make sure I got it all). MalwareBytes showed a few small things and
cleaned them right after the problems began. Check Disk has run of it's
own accord a few times, due to the hard resets no doubt, and came clean
save for a few orphaned files it replaced. I'll try Avira, however, and
Kapersky's Online Scanner too.


--
izzyreal82

"izzyreal82" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hi all,
>
> So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
> Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
> everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
> Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
> fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for my
> HD audio. After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
> random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
> everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
> cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
> sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did a
> system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
> days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
> including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all options
> for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode, both
> with and without networking, and if I disable all services except those
> and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
> time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
> freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
> I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything, it
> freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody have
> any ideas?
>
>
> --
> izzyreal82


Hi izzy--

Have you run System File Checker yet at the cmd prompt? sfc /scannow at an
elevated cmd prompt?

If it's still freezing after SFC and a couple spy scans, I'd do a startup
repair with the Vista DVD and presuming Gateway did not send you one, you
can burtn a .iso of the Startup Repair disk from this link:

Download Vista Repair Disk
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/

How to Use Startup Repair from the Vista DVD or the Repair Disk you make:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial142.html

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...f3f351033.mspx

Good luck,

CH

"izzyreal82" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hi all,
>
> So, I'm running a Gateway laptop, 4gb RAM and 500gb hard drive, with
> Vista Home Premium installed. I've had it for about a month now, and
> everything was going fine until this past Wednesday, 4/15/09, when
> Windows Update installed a few things. They were basically security
> fixes for Windows and Office, and I installed an optional update for my
> HD audio. After restarting, my computer began freezing, seemingly at
> random. At first, it would freeze in any program I was in, and
> everything would become totally unresponsive, except for the mouse
> cursor. Task Manager would not come up, it wouldn't log off or go to
> sleep, and there would be no option left except to hard reset. I did a
> system restore to before the update, but no help. I did one to four
> days before, still no help. I've run all the usual checks and scans,
> including virus and malware, to no improvement. I disabled all options
> for start up, but no help there either. It runs fine in safe mode, both
> with and without networking, and if I disable all services except those
> and restart, it'll run fine I started enabling services, a few at a
> time, to test which one was causing all the trouble, but then the
> freezing pattern changed. Now, it generally will not freeze programs
> I'm working in, but as soon as I need Windows Explorer for anything, it
> freezes up dead. The last time, even the mouse was stuck. Anybody have
> any ideas?
>
>
> --
> izzyreal82


Hey Izzy--

It's right here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chadharris16/

Actually "it" absolutely does create a System Restore DVD ultimately
because it has the option besides backup to create a system repair dvd which
is in fact, a Startup Repair DVD and System Restore is one of the options
there if you have a restore point. If you have a dual boot or multiboot,
and you boot to the other drive, you will lose restore points so you have to
be careful to go back and setup at least one in that case.

But the wording is different in the left hand pane.

1) What you do is click "Backup and Restore" or you can reach it at the
Control Panel as well>in the left hand pane under Control Panel Home which
is going to be there from either location click the second listed
option>Create a System Repair Disk.

2) I'm operating in Windows 7. In Vista SP1 RTM this option was supposed to
be on All Programs by clicking Maintenance and at the last second MFST
(probably their marketing or business arm) had it jerked from the RTM on the
All Programs menu. I don't know if Vista RTM SP1 RTM option has this at
Backup, but I do know that it has this application /utility present for sure
in the C:\Windows\System32 folder and after a UAC/Security tab tweak after
right clicking the app in the System32 folder>properties>security tab to get
full admin privileges it's usable in Vista SP1.

3) If the OP doesn't want to take the 3 minutes to do the security tab tweak
in Vista SP1, he can simply download the .iso from the link below and try
the System Restore option from Startup Repair's Advanced option list or he
can try the options I've listed below the link:

Download Vista Repair Disk
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/

1) First try 3 options from Startup Repair. If you have a Vista DVD then
restart with it in the drive>press any key to boot from it and run Startup
Repair. From Startup Repair you have 3 good tools with an excellent chance
of fixing your system. If you don't have a Vista DVD from which to boot to
Startup Repair, no problem, Download the .iso from the link below and
burn it, and you'll have the Microsoft Vista Repair Disk with Startup
Repair.

Download Vista Repair Disk
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/

How to Use Startup Repair from the Vista DVD or the Repair Disk you make:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial142.html

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...f3f351033.mspx

2) If Startup Repair does not get your Vista back, then use the 3 bootrec
commands from the command prompt available on the Statup Repair Menu:

The menu I refer to is in this set of directions with a grey background.

http://vistahomepremium.windowsreins...airstartup.htm

Those are:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuild BCD

3) If my second option doesn't work, then try System restore from the
Startup Repair list.

4) If by rare chance you have an actual Vista DVD, you can put it in, boot
from it>choose the Upgrade Option>choose your current broken Vista Drive and
try to do a repair install with the Vista DVD.

How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88...all-vista.html

5) If the above 3 tools don't work, then use the 4 tools available by
restarting your pc and tapping F8 once per second to get to the Windows
Advanced Options Menu.

From this menu click on 3 Safe Mode links to use System Restore. Make sure
you try all 3 if one doesn't work, because just one of them may work.
Tap F8 to Reach Windows Advanced Options Menu Pictured Below:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/v...ot-Options.jpg

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command: At the prompt you would type the command to use
forsystem restore at the safe mode cmd prompt is:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

If these 3 tools don't work, you have one more you can try which is Last
Known Good Configuration.

Good luck,

CH