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WINXP hangs.

Locked

I have a pc using win XP SP2.
When the pc is on and not used for long the system hangs, have to reboot to start using.
Also while using word it some times hangs.

Pls help.

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to WINXP hangs.

Clarifications

Windows XP sometimes does this…

In reply to WINXP hangs.

Make sure that you have ALL the updates in place and then try again to see if the problem is resolved or not. If possible put in more memory so that your computer runs a little smoother. Make sure you have run a defrager:
(http://www.diskeeper.com/defrag.asp)
program to keep all of your files in order.

Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

Memory Leak

In reply to WINXP hangs.

While Windows XP is more stable than Windows 98 was, it can over time develop a memory leak.

If a reboot always helps things, a memory leak is a likely cause.

The only “cure” I know of for memory leaks is a clean installation of Windows.

You can get some help by using a memory manager and by reducing the number of programs that run all the time.

Adding more RAM, and making sure your hard drive has enough free space for a decent size page file is also important. In my mind, the bare minimum amount of free hard drive space is 5 GB on the drive that contains the page file.

The problem with Word could well be too little free hard drive space. When a document is open, Word needs free hard drive space up to 3 times the size of the document file.

Chas

The culprit is WinWord

In reply to WINXP hangs.

WinWord is notorious for this misbehavior, but there are steps you can take to mitigate the problem.

1) Turn off ‘autosave’ in Word. To do this, open Word, find the ‘Options’ menu (by default, it is usually under ‘Tools’), click the tab ‘Save’, and uncheck the ‘autosave’ option. In my version of Word, it says “Save AutoRecover every ___ minutes”. This is the single most unstable feature in Word.

2) Get in the habit of using Ctrl-S frequently while using Word, which manually saves your work to the disc. In Word, all your activity resides in memory, and if Word crashes, you have lost everything since the last ‘save’ command. My thumb and index finger are trained to execute Ctrl-S about every minute that Word is open.

3) If Word hangs, you do not need to boot the computer to restore complete functionality. Open the Task Manager (Ctrl-Shft-Esc), click the tab Applications, click Word, then click ‘End Task’. You may need to repeat this process. Word will close, and everything else will work properly. Then reopen Word.

Rick/Portland, OR

did I miss something here!!!!

In reply to The culprit is WinWord

The person may not even have Word on his computer!

Yes, you missed something

In reply to did I miss something here!!!!

“Also while using word it sometimes hangs.”

Rick/Portland, OR

Really

In reply to Yes, you missed something

not that I’ve noticed?

What type of power settings do you

In reply to WINXP hangs.

have enabled, i.e. “Turn off monitor”, “Turn off hard disk”, “System Standby”

Solution Of Hang

In reply to WINXP hangs.

Please Check Your system SMPS
‘

and

Please Removed

C:\windows\Prefetch

Removed File In Prefetch Folder…………
If SMPS Is Working Proper ,OS Problem

Along with the other good suggestions

In reply to WINXP hangs.

As you didn’t say whether this is a Notepad or a PC and your not giving away to much information there are a few ways to tacle the problem.

First thing to do is check to see if Hibernatation is enabled, if it is a Notebook check the Manual or search for it through Google to see how to resume from Hibernation. If it is a PC here is how you disable it.

Open Control Panel.

On the Windows XP default Start menu, click Control Panel.

On the Windows XP classic Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, open Power Options.

If the computer is in Category View, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click Power Options.

If the computer is in Classic View, double-click the Power Options icon.

In the Power Options Properties dialog box, click the Hibernate tab.

On the Hibernate tab, clear the Enable hibernatation check box, click Apply, and then click OK.

In the box under ‘When I press the sleep button in my computer’, in the drop down list on the Advanced tab select do nothing.

In Control Panel, on the File menu, click Close.

Second thing I would check is the Memory.

Sometimes random lockups can be attributed to the computer memory starting to fail. You can test the memory by running Windows Memory Diagnostic that can be downloaded from

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp.

Video Memory Stress Test 1.4

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Video_Memory_Stress_Test__d5896.html

If memory problems are found, try re-seating the RAM and using one stick at a time. If it doesn’t work, replace the defective RAM.

Then again if its a Notepad:

Laptops run fast microprocessors that can generate a lot of heat. The heat is mainly vented out of the bottom of the laptop but ventilation effectiveness is reduced when the laptop is placed on a solid surface. A hot laptop can suffer from reliability problems and a system that overheats can fail.

Adjusting your power options will help your laptop from heating up when not in use even if for short periods of time. You can set your hard drive and display to turn off after a set time period. Another option is to set the laptop to go into standby or hibernate mode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop_cooler

Third a visual to see the environment that the PC is trying to operate in.

A common reason for shutting down and locking up or freezing is the CPU overheating.

Faulty Fans, Dust and Grime build up on the Heatsink restricting air flow. I would give the inside of the case a blowout with compressed air. When blowing air through the fans make sure that you physically stop them from spinning, as they may generate power and blow something up. Then remove the Heatsink, giving it a thorough clean and reseat the CPU applying new CPU grease. If the Fans spin freely when you give them a spin they are probably OK. If there is resistance replace them.

Also check Capacitors around the CPU for swelling or bulging, if they are its time to replace the Motherboard.

A faulty PSU can also cause it. Fluctuating power is no good for the motherboard. Try another one if available or replace it.

‘Tour de force’ for True Blue

In reply to Along with the other good suggestions

We may never hear from Minoo03 again, but I’m grateful to True Blue for an outstanding analysis. Since I didn’t pose the question, I cannot give True Blue a well merited ‘thumbs up’.

Brian Knittel, Robert Cowart, Preston Gralla, [i]et al[/i]., are cashing in on door-stopper $50 user guides. True Blue, it’s time for [b]you[/b] to publish and make your well-deserved fortune.

Rick/Portland, OR

Reply

In reply to ‘Tour de force’ for True Blue

Yes we may never hear from Minoo03 again, there are a lot of posters who don’t reply back. Then you get the type that post a question, get the answer to the question and post back with more questions. Then again you have the long time posters who will constantly post questions, but never bother to mark them as helpful. Most of these questions have been answered before at some time. If the search facility actually worked it would be easier to find the answers to a lot of these questions. It makes it harder for a novice to find an answer, especially if it hasn’t been marked as helpful. You only have to look through the posts of some of the regulars to get an understanding of what is happening. On average I think it would be less than 10% that have been marked as helpful. We make a big thing out of the ‘Thumbs’ but when it all boils down it is really up to the poster to show a bit of gratitiude for the free support that has been supplied.

I am happy enough passing on what knowledge I have acquired over the years, I have learnt a lot from TR and I don’t mind giving something in return. I have had a bit of excess time on my hands lately and that has been spent on TR.
Hopefully a bit more work will come my way in the near future.

Sharing knowledge is its own reward

In reply to Reply

My philosophy dovetails perfectly with yours. It’s nice to get positive feedback, but we usually know when we’ve contributed solid information, and the absense of gratitude doesn’t shake our confidence in our own worth.

Please don’t get discouraged – I’m very new to TR, but you have already taught me a lot, and I look forward to your postings. You may not get a [i]thumbs up[/i] from my monitoring of your posts, but I [b]really[/b] appreciate your instruction.

Rick/Portland, OR

I volunteer

In reply to Sharing knowledge is its own reward

my technical services for a couple of organisations and like to help out when needed. It gives my a tremendous feeling of satisfaction just knowing that I have helped in someway. I have also made a few friends on TR with whom I am in contact and regularly give guidence. The funny thing is that I actually enjoy it. And this is comeing from someone who didn’t want to have anything to do with Computers. Funny how your attitude can change over time.

[Author]

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