How do I diagnose a desktop freeze?

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JimD

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Nov 6, 2003
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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several random
occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover my desktop
has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse. After a reset,
I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson (drwtsn32.log) but can find no
entry, including date/time, related to the freeze. My system runs cool,
regularly showing 34C and 35C for board and CPU temps, with all fans at
appropriate speeds. My firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are
regularly updated. I haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks.
What other tools are available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In news:uuCxTMatFHA.3236@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl,
JimD <jdyden@comcast.net> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
> hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several
> random occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover
> my desktop has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse. After
> a reset, I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson
> (drwtsn32.log) but can find no entry, including date/time, related to
> the freeze. My system runs cool, regularly showing 34C and 35C for
> board and CPU temps, with all fans at appropriate speeds. My
> firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are regularly updated. I
> haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks. What other tools are
> available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?

Try this:

Explorer as a Separate Process :
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/tips/sep_explorer.html

It's not diagnosing anything but it often fixes some odd explorer issues, it
might help.

Galen
--

"You know that a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his
trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will
come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all."

Sherlock Holmes
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Look at the event viewer to find what exactly is causing the problem.
Open Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer

'How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in
Windows XP'
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560

regards,
ssg MS-MVP

JimD wrote:

> I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
> hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several random
> occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover my desktop
> has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse. After a reset,
> I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson (drwtsn32.log) but can find no
> entry, including date/time, related to the freeze. My system runs cool,
> regularly showing 34C and 35C for board and CPU temps, with all fans at
> appropriate speeds. My firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are
> regularly updated. I haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks.
> What other tools are available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Did you not read my third sentence?

S.Sengupta wrote:
> Look at the event viewer to find what exactly is causing the problem.
> Open Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer
>
> 'How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in
> Windows XP'
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560
>
> regards,
> ssg MS-MVP
>
> JimD wrote:
>
>> I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
>> hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several
>> random occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover
>> my desktop has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse.
>> After a reset, I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson
>> (drwtsn32.log) but can find no entry, including date/time, related to
>> the freeze. My system runs cool, regularly showing 34C and 35C for
>> board and CPU temps, with all fans at appropriate speeds. My
>> firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are regularly updated. I
>> haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks. What other tools are
>> available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

i have the same problem,i just have xp home and norton 2005 and nothing else
and it still freezes and i can't find anything wrong thru the event error
log. it seems since someof windows updates, but not sure. I have a new hard
drive in my computer,just put 2 weeks ago and have had the problem since.

"JimD" wrote:

> Did you not read my third sentence?
>
> S.Sengupta wrote:
> > Look at the event viewer to find what exactly is causing the problem.
> > Open Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer
> >
> > 'How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in
> > Windows XP'
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560
> >
> > regards,
> > ssg MS-MVP
> >
> > JimD wrote:
> >
> >> I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
> >> hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several
> >> random occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover
> >> my desktop has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse.
> >> After a reset, I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson
> >> (drwtsn32.log) but can find no entry, including date/time, related to
> >> the freeze. My system runs cool, regularly showing 34C and 35C for
> >> board and CPU temps, with all fans at appropriate speeds. My
> >> firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are regularly updated. I
> >> haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks. What other tools are
> >> available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
>
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hmm.I missed that one.
regards,
ssg MS-MVP

JimD wrote:
> Did you not read my third sentence?
>
> S.Sengupta wrote:
>
>> Look at the event viewer to find what exactly is causing the problem.
>> Open Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer
>>
>> 'How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in
>> Windows XP'
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560
>>
>> regards,
>> ssg MS-MVP
>>
>> JimD wrote:
>>
>>> I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
>>> hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several
>>> random occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover
>>> my desktop has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse.
>>> After a reset, I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson
>>> (drwtsn32.log) but can find no entry, including date/time, related to
>>> the freeze. My system runs cool, regularly showing 34C and 35C for
>>> board and CPU temps, with all fans at appropriate speeds. My
>>> firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are regularly updated. I
>>> haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks. What other tools are
>>> available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"computer freezes" <computer freezes@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>i have the same problem,i just have xp home and norton 2005 and nothing else
>and it still freezes and i can't find anything wrong thru the event error
>log. it seems since someof windows updates, but not sure. I have a new hard
>drive in my computer,just put 2 weeks ago and have had the problem since.
>


1. If there is any sort of Norton/Symantec product installed on a
computer then that always has to be a prime suspect as the culprit for
any and all problems that occur on that computer. Guilty until proven
innocent.

2. When you installed the new hard drive, did you install a clean new
copy of Windows on the new drive or did you use a disk cloning utility
to transfer the installed Windows from the old hard drive? If you
did a clean install then you probably need to check the websites of
the computer/motherboard manufacturer and also the manufacturer's of
your video and sound cards for any updated Windows XP drivers. Do not
trust the hardware items from Windows updates to give you the latest
driver versions. In fact it is generally best not install any updated
hardware driver updates from the Windows Update site. Rather you
should just use the presence of these updated drivers as an indicator
that you need to go the appropriate manufacturer's web site and the
latest drivers from there.

Good luck



Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Thanks for the registry tweak, but the freezes still occur.

> In news:uuCxTMatFHA.3236@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl,
> JimD <jdyden@comcast.net> had this to say:
>
> My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
>
>
>>I run Windows XP Home SP2 and enjoy listening to internet radio for
>>hours at a time while doing non-computer activities. On several
>>random occasions lately, the audio stream has stopped and I discover
>>my desktop has locked up...with no response from keyboard or mouse. After
>>a reset, I've checked the event log and Dr. Watson
>>(drwtsn32.log) but can find no entry, including date/time, related to
>>the freeze. My system runs cool, regularly showing 34C and 35C for
>>board and CPU temps, with all fans at appropriate speeds. My
>>firewall, antivirus and antispyware apps are regularly updated. I
>>haven't installed new hardware or apps in weeks. What other tools are
>>available to troubleshoot this kind of freeze?
>
>
> Try this:
>
> Explorer as a Separate Process :
> http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/tips/sep_explorer.html
>
> It's not diagnosing anything but it often fixes some odd explorer issues, it
> might help.
>
> Galen
 
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