Freezing - Time To Warm Up Your PC

Freezing is also known as crashing or hanging. It's frustrating. The computer locks up and the mouse and keyboard do not respond. You may lose data and you certainly lose time and patience. Typically, you need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to see the programs that are running and to try to close the program that is not responding, or you need to force a restart. So why does your computer freeze up?

Common causes of freezing:

• Low memory

• Low disk space

• Fragmented disk

• Too many programs open simultaneously

• Low CPU speed

• Corrupt files

• Software bugs

• Overheating - random lockups that start several minutes after you start up the PC are often the result of the processor cooling fan not working properly

• Some non-standard applications are suspect with freezing problems

• Memory chip problems

• Virus infection

Steps you can take to minimize freezing:

There are many things that you can do to help your computer do what you want without testing your patience...

• Do a disk cleanup (cache, temp files, old or unused files, recycle bin) .. click here for instructions.

• Do not run any more applications at one time than you need to.

• If the freezing happens consistently with one application, uninstall and reinstall it - files associated with the application may have become corrupted. Always use Control Panel/ Add Remove programs, or the uninstall program belonging to the program to uninstall a program.

• If the freezing has been occurring since you installed a new program, uninstall it.

• Uninstall any programs that you may have downloaded and installed in the past, but no longer use.

• Get the latest Windows update at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

• Get any available patches for your software - go to the manufacturer's websites to check for patches or updates to your programs.

• Free up resources - click on Run and type "msconfig" in the dialog box. Next, click on the "Startup" tab. All the programs listed here with check marks are running in the system memory. To free resources Windows 98 users may uncheck everything except "System Tray" . Windows ME users can uncheck everything except ScanRegistry, PCHealth, *StateMgr and System Tray. Leave your anti-virus software in the startup as well. You must restart the computer for these changes to take effect.

• Run ScanDisk (or Check Disk in Windows XP)

• Defragment your disk. Click here for instructions.

• If you have an older computer and are trying to run multiple applications, you may need to upgrade your computer... check the system specifications recommended for the applications you are running to see if your system is capable of doing what you are asking.

• Obtain the latest drivers for your hardware - go to the web sites of the hardware manufacturers and get the latest drivers for your video card, sound card etc

• Redetect your devices - remove the components from the Control Panel, System, Device Management screen. Reboot the system and let Windows redetect and add only those devices which are actually on your system.

• Make sure that you have anti-virus software installed. Set it to automatically update virus definitions, to scan all incoming files, and to do a full system check at regular intervals.

Disk Cleanup :

For Windows 98 & 2000

You have probably been downloading programs, creating and deleting files, and installing new software without thinking about the effect this has on your disk space. It's probably time to have a clean-up. Windows 98 and 2000 have a feature that cleans up your disks for you. It removes temporary files, the recycle bin and other files - giving you the option to delete or not to delete. It is simple to run.

Do this clean-up as follows:

Start: Programs: Accessories: System Tools: Disk Clean Up

When it opens up, select the C: Drive and start it. It will pop up and show you about four types of files, each with a check box. Check the boxes for files you would like deleted and proceed. It should run through pretty quickly and then you will have more space on your computer.

For Win 95

Windows Temporary Files

Firstly, get rid of your Windows Temporary files.

Go to Start> Find> Files & Folders. Then search for "*.tmp" (minus the quotes). The * allows you to look for any file that has a temporary file type. If you have done it right, only files that have a .tmp after them should appear in the search results. Now just click on the first one, hold shift, use the scroll bar to go all the way to the bottom, then click on the last one, and press delete.

Secondly, get rid of your Temporary Internet files

Go to the Temporary Internet Files folder in the Windows directory. It should be next to the Temp folder. There shouldn't be anything in here that can't be deleted, so you can go ahead and delete the files in this folder.

Thirdly, empty your recycle bin. Right click on the Recycle Bin icon, select Empty Recycle Bin. Many people have hundreds of files they "deleted" but they are still taking up space in the Recycle Bin.

Run the Disk Defragmenter

Editing and deleting files as you work leaves gaps on data storage media. Instead of each file being stored in one continuous block, it ends up in several locations, resulting in inefficient retrieval of your data. As you add more data to your hard drive, the gaps left by previous deletions are filled. Your file becomes split, or fragmented. This will slow down your system ? when you try to retrieve a file, the process is slower than if it was stored in one block. To make your disk storage more efficient, a process called "defragmenting" is used.

Windows has a built in defragmenter, which is located at:

Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter

It is a good idea to run this program once a month. When you run the defragmenter, close all programs including your screensaver. If programs are running it can cause data on your hard drive to be changed which makes the defragmenter start from the beginning... and never finish!

The more frequently you use defrag, the faster it will become.

About The Author

Deborah Anderson is a computer consultant who offers free email based computer troubleshooting through her website at http://www.it-solve.com. To benefit from information, advice and tips on using your computer, get a free subscription to SolveIT's newsletter today. To subscribe, send a blank email to subscribe@it-solve.com.

SolveIT - Solving Your Computer Problems

deborah@it-solve.com

---

Google News Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:07:30 GMT Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build - Computerworld PR Web (press release) Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build Computerworld - 52 minutes ago By Gregg Keizer September 6, 2008 (Computerworld) Mozilla Corp. on Friday launched the second alpha of Firefox 3.1, adding new video support and boosting the speed of some JavaScript computations. Chrome's JavaScript challenge to Silverlight CNET News NetSuite Says Chrome-optimized Apps Are Flying PC World CRN - Financial Times - InformationWeek - Hindu all 214 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:15:17 GMT US Jobless Rate Climbs Past 6%, Highest Since ’03 - New York Times US Jobless Rate Climbs Past 6%, Highest Since ’03 New York Times - 18 hours ago By LOUIS UCHITELLE The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1 percent in August, its highest level in five years, pushing the troubles of American workers to the center of the political debate as the presidential campaign enters its final weeks. Jobless rate at 5-year high Reuters Unemployment, mortgage delinquencies soar in worrisome sign for ... San Jose Mercury News Los Angeles Times - ABC News - Detroit Free Press - Financial Times all 401 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:04:03 GMT A pair of Coens might as well be one at Toronto - Reuters Canada.com A pair of Coens might as well be one at Toronto Reuters - 53 minutes ago By Janet Guttsman TORONTO (Reuters) - There is a reason they are called the Coen Bros., and not Joel Coen and Ethan Coen: they might as well be one person. Pitt Rocks to Madonna FOXNews The Coens’ Funny Bones Newsweek The Associated Press - People Magazine - Los Angeles Times - The Gossip Girls all 165 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:13:38 GMT Rejuvenated Federer Overpowers Djokovic to Reach Final - New York Times USA Today Rejuvenated Federer Overpowers Djokovic to Reach Final New York Times - 47 minutes ago By LIZ ROBBINS Roger Federer was acing like old times - up the middle, out wide, serving up even more frustration for the snarling Novak Djokovic. Federer tames Djokovic to reach final Washington Post Federer rolls into another US Open final Sports Network The Associated Press - New York Daily News - SportingNews.com - Bloomberg all 3,163 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:19:52 GMT Rosetta spacecraft takes asteroid photos - United Press International Washington Post Rosetta spacecraft takes asteroid photos United Press International - 34 minutes ago PARIS, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The Rosetta spacecraft has captured images of an asteroid in orbit more than 220 million miles from Earth, a European Space Agency official says. European space probe completes asteroid fly by Reuters Spacecraft flies by remote asteroid, camera stops The Associated Press Detroit Free Press - Sky & Telescope - Taipei Times - AFP all 547 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:33:25 GMT Obama and McCain to Make Joint Sept. 11 Visit to Ground Zero - Washington Post Telegraph.co.uk Obama and McCain to Make Joint Sept. 11 Visit to Ground Zero Washington Post - 2 hours ago By Michael D. Shear COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- John McCain and Barack Obama announced today that they will visit Ground Zero in New York on Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 attacks that brought down the Twin Towers. McCain's new cast of thousands, all unknown Boston Globe Liking McCain pick, but not McCain Packet Online Financial Times - Chicago Sun-Times - OpEdNews - Philadelphia Inquirer all 1,345 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:48:49 GMT Stunner - Alex Smith listed as doubtful - San Francisco Chronicle Stunner - Alex Smith listed as doubtful San Francisco Chronicle - 47 minutes ago The 49ers just called and said quarterback Alex Smith is "doubtful" for tomorrow's season-opener against the visiting Cardinals. 49ers QB Smith doubtful for Sunday Rotoworld.com Alex Smith injures shoulder, doubtful for Sunday Sacramento Bee Contra Costa Times all 10 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:20:25 GMT Clickbank Data Feeds Work At Home

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

How To Buy An MP3 Player

Are you looking for an MP3 player but am not... Read More

Virtual Memory - What is It?

I recently got an e-mail asking about virtual memory. The... Read More

Palm PC critique

I met an entrepreneur who hole heartedly disagree with an... Read More

What Are You Looking For In A Cheap MP3 Player?

Are you stymied by the vast offerings in cheap mp3... Read More

Is Online DVD Rental or Pay-Per-View the Best Way to Get Your Movies?

With renting methods such as online DVD rental and pay-per-view,... Read More

Compare MP3 Players for the Coolest Features and Sweetest Deals

How can you compare mp3 players to be sure you're... Read More

Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 3 of 5)

Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More

Basic Problem in a PC

I have a p3 500MHz PC with 128MB RAM, 10.2... Read More

A Lesson in HTML

As the owner of a Country Mall and Top Site... Read More

How To Have Two (Multiple) Copies Of Windows

Having two operating systems is not as difficult as many... Read More

5 Steps to Remove Spyware for Free

Have you ever tried to remove Spyware off your PC... Read More

Get Ahead When You Build Your Own Computer

If you've been kicking around the idea of building your... Read More

Windows PDA Medical Software Benefits

PDA Medical BenefitsIf you are concerned about your medical history,... Read More

Is DVD Storage An Attractive Alternative For Your Computer Backup?

If you have a computer for home use or for... Read More

EDTV: What You Should Know Before You Make That Purchase

Enhanced Definition Television ? also known as EDTV ? is... Read More

Be Prepared in the Event Computer Disaster Strikes

ComputersBusinesses and individuals alike have all grown to rely on... Read More

Reliable File and Folder Sharing in Windows Xp

This tip is on sharing files and folders on a... Read More

2 PC Annoyances and How To Solve Them!

I have a love-hate relationship with my computer.In fact, often... Read More

Cisco CCNA Certification: Five Things To Do DURING The Exam

There are plenty of articles out there about how to... Read More

5 Minute Guide to Video Editing for Beginners

Getting started with video editing is very simple you only... Read More

Got Virus?

GOT VIRUS? Your Data is NOT lost forever!In the wake... Read More

Why There Are Color Differences in Printing from Your PC

This article describes the basic properties of color, what the... Read More

Dynamite Comes in Small Packages - Tiny Personal Audio MP3 Players Pack Powerful Music Enjoyment

MP3 players are Hot! Playing music has come a long... Read More

Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 4 of 5)

Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More

Healthy Webmasters Choose Ergonomic Computer Products

Webmasters usually sit at their computers much longer in a... Read More