A couple of months ago my computer would ocanisionaly freeze when i cliked on a desktop icon, say once in everyu 10 times. Then yesterday it booted up, even called my ISP and after that i clicken on an icon and it frooze. I have rebooted over and over with the same result and sometime it evev freezes before the desktop icons are displayed. Control-alt-del doesent do anything. I'm dead in the water, i had to go to the library to post this question. Any ideas??
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startup freeze
- Thread starter eddie34
- Start date
OK:
First of all, boot into safe mode. To do this restart the computer and as it is running the POST, tap the F8 key until you are presented with a menu. Choose safe mode.
You are now in a VERY BASIC OS.
Next click on start then run and type in MSCONFIG
In the window that pops up click on the startup tab.
Before you now is a list of all the programs that are started when the OS boots up. The trick is to remove the malware from that list. In order to accomplish this you should first of all have a list from This has a comprehensive list of startup items and will enable you to find out if that mystery file is a keeper or should be thrown out.
Once that is completed then move on to your device manager by right clicking MY Computer then selecting properties then Device Manager. Go through devices and remove any duplicated items.
OK, now reboot.
From here go to and run their online spyware scanner.
CSC Wheels
[lighsaber]
First of all, boot into safe mode. To do this restart the computer and as it is running the POST, tap the F8 key until you are presented with a menu. Choose safe mode.
You are now in a VERY BASIC OS.
Next click on start then run and type in MSCONFIG
In the window that pops up click on the startup tab.
Before you now is a list of all the programs that are started when the OS boots up. The trick is to remove the malware from that list. In order to accomplish this you should first of all have a list from This has a comprehensive list of startup items and will enable you to find out if that mystery file is a keeper or should be thrown out.
Once that is completed then move on to your device manager by right clicking MY Computer then selecting properties then Device Manager. Go through devices and remove any duplicated items.
OK, now reboot.
From here go to and run their online spyware scanner.
CSC Wheels
[lighsaber]
- Thread starter
- #4
I couldnt get into safe mode. So i tried rebooting from the hard drive, and after about five freezes, it booted???/ So i was back in bussiness for about seven hours, when it froze again and a dozen retries were unsuccessful... how can the computer have a different reaction to the same commands that i guess its getting off the hard drive??? Is it supposed to do the same thing every time. And why wont it boot in safe mode? Does that tell us somrthing???
"Is it supposed to do the same thing every time."
In theory, yes, but in practice no. If we examined the sequence of every machine code intruction executed by the CPU from boot up to desktop I doubt we'd ever see the same sequence again given the same initial conditions.
The theoretical proof of that is beyond me but the practical proof is being provided by your goodself: a boot after five freezes or once in every 10 times.
Normally the system can accomodate this apparent non repetive sequencing provided all the commands are executed in the same sequence each time.
Rob2806's mention of cooling fans may be a source to disturb the system's 'pulse rate'.
"And why wont it boot in safe mode? Does that tell us somrthing???" Yes, it does. It's telling us that the problem is more likely hardware than software.
One day my system repeatedly crashed just before the desktop. Consistency suggested either a damaged disk or a damaged registry. A restored registry and I was back at the desktop with no further problem. The fact that the damaged registry passed a registry scan meant that the structure was valid but the contents were gibberish at some point.
Since your problem started a couple of months ago restoring the registry will be of little use. The problem seems to have gotten progressively worse which is another indicator of hardware failure. If this be the case I bow to others as I am a knucklehead when it comes to hardware.
In theory, yes, but in practice no. If we examined the sequence of every machine code intruction executed by the CPU from boot up to desktop I doubt we'd ever see the same sequence again given the same initial conditions.
The theoretical proof of that is beyond me but the practical proof is being provided by your goodself: a boot after five freezes or once in every 10 times.
Normally the system can accomodate this apparent non repetive sequencing provided all the commands are executed in the same sequence each time.
Rob2806's mention of cooling fans may be a source to disturb the system's 'pulse rate'.
"And why wont it boot in safe mode? Does that tell us somrthing???" Yes, it does. It's telling us that the problem is more likely hardware than software.
One day my system repeatedly crashed just before the desktop. Consistency suggested either a damaged disk or a damaged registry. A restored registry and I was back at the desktop with no further problem. The fact that the damaged registry passed a registry scan meant that the structure was valid but the contents were gibberish at some point.
Since your problem started a couple of months ago restoring the registry will be of little use. The problem seems to have gotten progressively worse which is another indicator of hardware failure. If this be the case I bow to others as I am a knucklehead when it comes to hardware.
This is what I would do. Boot w/the 98 emerg disk and re install Win 98se. You will not lose any data and it should clear the problem of your computer freezing up. Then go to msconfig and check your start up programs and delete as you deem necessary. This should solve your problem and again not loose any data.
Later...
Later...
- Thread starter
- #8
I gave up and bought a new drive and lived happily ever two months. Now i cant access my cd-rom or zip drives.
I just want to start over.
sgtjwhite suggested that i boot from a start up disk and reinstall windows, how do i do this? the startup disk goes to an A
rompt amd i dont know what to do next.
I'm thinking that i should just upgrade to windows xp, but how do i do that if i cant access the cd-rom drive??
I just want to start over.
sgtjwhite suggested that i boot from a start up disk and reinstall windows, how do i do this? the startup disk goes to an A
rompt amd i dont know what to do next.I'm thinking that i should just upgrade to windows xp, but how do i do that if i cant access the cd-rom drive??
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