XP Pro - Using Keyboard Shortcuts sometimes hangs ~20 secs 2

[humbletech99]

When using keyboard shortcuts to open programs via the shortcut key that you can set on a .lnk to that program, I find that my workstation can sometimes hang for around 15-20 seconds.

Most of the time, the shortcuts work fine, but then every now and again using one will just cause everything to block and hang, everything you do in the next 20 seconds doesn't materialize on the computer until that original action is unblocked and then everything races through a catch up, like a sudden gush of released water....

Anyone know how to fix this behaviour to not block/freeze the desktop?

 

[dglienna]

What AV software do you have running?

-David
2006 & 2007 Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[humbletech99]

AVG Free

 

[linney]

Do you see the same issue opening these shortcuts via the Mouse?

Does the Keyboard Shortcut Keys work in Safe Mode any better?

What type of Keyboard is it, are there any updated driver available for it?

Can you try another Keyboard if you have one, perhaps even the On Screen Keyboard (requires Mouse input so I don't know what that may prove) via the Accessibility options (Windows Key + U)?

 

[humbletech99]

this has never happened with the mouse activating the shortcut.

Not tried safe mode.

Keyboard is generic wired keyboard.

This occurs on another workstation and my laptop too, so not a keyboard hardware fault...

 

[linney]

When you say it occurs on other machines too, is that with the same Keyboard or a different Keyboard on each machine?

Is there any common piece of third party software running on all 3 machines you mention? How long has this fault been apparent? Can it be tracked back to some Windows Update, or other software install or update?

Can you easily repeat this problem or is it as you indicate a sporadic fault that is going to be hard to track down?

It would be good if you could have Task Manager open and running and before any freeze see what it mentioned as using all the CPU that final split second before any freeze.

xp freeze troubleshooting
thread779-935320

PC Freezing - Hard to explain (see details)
thread779-1398265

Windows random hang
thread779-1423743

 

[linney]

Do you have any errors at all in the Event Viewer?

Any similar or concerning this file? This is just a very, very, long shot, so don't take it too seriously.

Event ID: 26
Source i8042prt
Type Error
Description Exceeded the allowable number of retries (configurable via the registry) on device \Device\KeyboardPort0.


"Comments Event usually generated by computers connected to a faulty KVM (keyboard, monitor, mouse) switch. If no KVM switch is used and if the keyboard is behaving normally, no action is needed. To avoid this message, try increasing the value of ResendInterations in the Registry key Current Control Set\\Services\\i804prt\\parameters. Or, try using a different keyboard".

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102989

More info,

Device Driver Entries, PART 2--Mouse/Keyboard Driver

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102989

 

[humbletech99]

no I checked the event log, no entries even remotely close to one occurrance today...

it's a different keyboard on each machine and I cannot think of even one 3rd party piece of software that all three machines have...

the problem is sporadic, like a hard drive spin up, but it's not really a spinup because it's the system disk and I am using the system at the time...

 

[ATLMatt]

Have you tried it with your AV software disabled? Safe mode is a good idea as well, for AV and my next idea. If your AV software updates to a reporting server, you could be getting a delay while that happens during high traffic times on the server.

Total shot in the dark here, but it could also be a keystroke monitoring program. The hook it uses to record keystrokes could be having an issue with a 3 or 4 key command. That's a wild guess though.

 

[linney]

Just how sporadic are we talking about here? Once a day, once a week, or even more sporadic?

Is it a common enough occurrence that it would be possible to check out if it happens in Safe Mode too?

If you do not have any common third party software on these machines, what about common hardware on the three machines?
Otherwise, the only other common feature is either you or the operating system.

Have you tried setting the Bios to safe defaults, or seeing if things look correct in the Bios, or whether there is any Bios updates available?

 

[pmandrella]

@humbletech99

Do you really mean that the WHOLE MACHINE blocks, or only that the DESKTOP (i.e. the Explorer) blocks for 15-20 seconds? Will Ctrl+Alt+Delete work (maybe with 2-3 seconds delay) while the system ist "blocked"? If yes, then I have the same probleme here. And that's not a new problem, but I am experiencing it for many years, since first Windows NT 4.0 releases, and with different hardware combinations. It's really annoying, it's definitively not a hardware problem but a software bug, and if have still no idea how to fix this.

I nearly can't belive that this is no common problem, as ist occurs regularly, maybe with every 30th to 50th shortcut I use to run a program.

Maybe it is caused by a very special combination of installed software?

Does someone know a replacement software for this built-in feature which has the same functionality, starting programs with keyboard shortcuts? If none exists, I think I will write one on my own now, because I am really sick and tired of this bug.

Peter

 

[lazybird]

I live with this f**** problem for several years. It doesn't matter which hardware you're using, it even does not matter which OS from MS used -- the same was with W2k as I can remember. Then XP, now XP x64. No AV, other software, etc.

It seems to be that problem comes when you use shortcut keys extensively -- create a couple of them, not just two or three.

 

[pmandrella]

I have only five or six shortcuts enabled, so it seems not to be a matter of how many shortcuts you use. Also, my start menu and desktop are rather well organized compared to many others I have seen, so it also seems not to be a matter of how many program links the explorer has to handle.

My estimation given above (every 30th to 50th shortcut) was far too optimistic. Now that I payed more attention to it, I guess its is rather every 5th shortcut keystroke which does hang.

What I also noticed is that the problem does rarely occur when the system is IDLE in the moment when keys are pressed. On the other hand, it often occurs when shortcuts are pressed while there is some system load, either by the program I am currently working with or by background tools.

Peter

 

[lazybird]

pmandrella,

May be it doesn't depend on the number of shortcuts used --
it seemed to me several years ago, so I may be wrong. Anyway, now I have less shortcuts and it still doesn't work.

What is the most "funny" -- I see it (bleeding) from Win2000 times!

May be there's a software like Winkey (which I didn't see, but it doesn't work with x64), that can hold shortcuts instead of win itself?

 

[linney]

Are any of the Shortcut Key combinations that you are using already assigned by Windows?

Windows Shortcut Keys

http://minerva.stkate.edu/ithelpguides.nsf/dir/WindowsShortcutKeys

 

[pmandrella]

@linney

No. It is IMPOSSIBLE to re-assign a Windows shortcut key to a start menu or desktop link.

Also, your question is obviously irrelevant regarding the problem discussed here. Double-assigning a shortcut key could not randomly cause a 20-seconds-hang of the Windows dekstop when pressing one of the other shortcuts.

Peter

 

[linney]

Are you able to produce this hang-freeze if you use the On-Screen Keyboard, and for testing purposes, start several shortcuts in quick succession?



The Shortcut Key box - "provides a space for you to type a keyboard shortcut that you press to start or switch to a program. Shortcut keys automatically include CTRL+ALT. Press the key you want to add to this combination. For example, to define the shortcut key combination CTRL+ALT+H, press H. You cannot use ESC, ENTER, TAB, the SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN, DELETE, or BACKSPACE.
No other program can use this key combination. If the shortcut key conflicts with an access key in a Windows-based program, the access key does not work. An access key is a letter or number that, when used in combination with the ALT key, carries out the same command as clicking the command with the mouse".

 

[pmandrella]

User-defined shortcut keys cannot be entered unsing the on-screen keyboard. Only system-defined shortcuts are available there.

 

[linney]

I used Ctrl+Alt+N to launch Notepad via the On-Screen Keyboard. That was in Vista mind you. I created the Shortcut Key prior to testing.

 

[pmandrella]

I tested with both XP and Vista. As soon as I have mouse-clicked Ctrl and Alt on the on-screen keyboard, all letter keys except of the windows predefined shortcuts disappear and cannot be clicked. What works is hitting Ctrl and Alt on the on-screen keyboard and then the letter key on the physical keyboard. Is that what you mean?

Still, I think you are on the wrong way of investigation. I guess what you intend is to find out if it is some kind of hardware problem, with key strokes from the physical keyboard getting stuck somewhere on the way from hardware through device drivers to the explorer software keyboard hook. Right? But as I already explained abov, it CANNOT BE a hardware problem, as Alt+Tab and Ctrl+Alt+Del and keyboard processing of the active foreground application ALWAYS work, also while the explorer is in the "hung-state". I can just go on workin on - let's say - the MS Word document I am currently writing, and then after some 20 seconds suddenly the program pops up for which I had pressed the shortcut key. Whas hangs is only the explorer, i.e. the start menu, the desktop, the task bar, file explorer windows and so on.