Dealing with System Freezes

When your computer freezes, more often than not, you must reboot to get things working again. Rebooting loses whatever you typed since you last saved the file you were in when the machine froze, but the process really doesn't hurt either your computer or your software programs. (Of course, this is another reason why you should save and save often when you're working on important documents!)

Try first to reboot from the keyboard by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination. This should bring up the Close Windows Task Manager. If you're lucky (!), your entire system really isn't frozen and you only have a problem with a single program not responding. If you have a frozen program, it will be listed on the Applications tab as "not responding." Select that program from the list and click the End Task button. After a few seconds (well, up to 10 seconds or so) a Wait/Shutdown dialog box appears; confirm that you want to shut down the selected application. This should close the offending program and return your system to normal.

If you can't close a non-responding program, or if there is no frozen application, or if your system is still frozen, click the Shut Down option on the Windows Task Manager menu bar. If this doesn't have any effect, you need to reset your entire system and start over again. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del once, and then a second time to reboot your system.

If you can't reboot your system via the "three-fingered salute," use the Reset button or the main power switch on your system unit.

caution

Before you reboot, make sure that your system is really and truly locked up. Don't mistake a long wait time during a complex operation for a complete system freeze. Look for signs that your computer is still working, such as noises from your disk drive or blinking lights on your system unit. The last thing you want to do is reboot and lose your current data when you don't have to.

Naturally, your computer's system can stall for any number of reasons. Some of the most common causes of this annoyance, along with their solutions, are described next.

Problem: Windows Freezes And Displays an Error Message

When Windows freezes up, it sometimes displays some sort of error message. A message of this sort is just a polite way of telling you that something (who knows what) has bombed.

More often than not, it's just your current program that has frozen, and not all of Windows. In this case you get a Program Not Responding error message. Try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Windows Task Manager, and then manually shut down any unresponsive program.

If the error message you get is displayed on a blue screen (known in the industry as the "blue screen of death"), follow the onscreen instructions to get rid of the blue screen. You might have to press Enter to close the program causing the error, or press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot your computer. After you encounter the blue screen, your system typically gets unstable, so I recommend rebooting your entire system, even if you're able to close that particular program manually.

Blue screen messages are often caused when you start running out of space on your hard disk. This might sound odd, but Windows uses a disk cache to supplement conventional memory. (This is called virtual memory, if you're interested.) If you don't have enough free hard disk space, Windows thinks that it's low on memory and starts acting flaky.

The blue screen error messages also can be caused by errors on your hard disk. If you get a lot of these error messages, it wouldn't hurt to check for disk errors before proceeding.

Problem: Windows Freezes And No Error Message Appears

Sometimes Windows freezes without displaying an error message. This typically means that one of two things has happened: Windows itself has locked up, or Your current Windows application has locked up.

In either case, the solution is the same: Press Ctrl+Alt+Del.

note

For more information on error messages, see Chapter 30, "What to Do When You Receive a Windows Error Message."

If Windows itself has frozen, either nothing will happen or you'll start hearing a beep every time you press a key on your keyboard. In this case you'll need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del again to fully reboot, or you might have to turn off your PC at the On/Off button (or at the power source).

If, on the other hand, it's an errant program that freezes up, you should see the Windows Task Manager when you first press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Select the "not responding" program and click End Task. If and when the Wait/Shutdown dialog box appears, go ahead and shut down the offending program.

If the Task Manager doesn't appear, or if you try to shut down a program but your system is still locked up, it's time to fully reboot by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del twice in a row.

What causes Windows to freeze? There can be many different causes of a Windows freeze, including the following:

• You might be running an application that isn't compatible with your version of Windows. If so, upgrade the program.

• You might not have enough memory to run Windows effectively. Upgrade the amount of RAM in your PC.

• A memory conflict might exist between applications or between an application and Windows itself. Try running fewer programs at once, or running problematic programs one at a time to avoid potential memory conflicts.

• You might not have enough free hard disk space for Windows to use for temporary files. Use the Disk Cleanup Utility to automatically free up some space on your hard drive, or manually delete any unnecessary files.

• Your hard disk might be developing errors or bad sectors. Check your hard disk for errors.

If your system crashes or freezes frequently, call in a pro. These kinds of problems can be tough to track down by yourself when you're dealing with Windows.

Problem: Windows Freezes Your System Unit Has Power, But Your Keyboard or Mouse Isn't Working

If your system appears to be working but you can't type a thing, you probably face a simple problem: Your keyboard is unplugged.

The solution is equally simple: Plug it back in.

Same thing if your mouse quits working. Check to see if it's firmly connected, and then try rolling it again.

In fact, you might have both your mouse and keyboard plugged in to the wrong jacks. It's all too easy to plug your mouse into the keyboard jack, and vice versa. (That's why most PC manufacturers now color-code their mouse and keyboard connectors and jacks.) Even if it looks like both your mouse and keyboard and plugged in, trace the cables to makes sure they're not mixed up.

Of course, the solution might not be quite that simple. If replugging your keyboard or mouse doesn't work, you might have to reboot your computer to recognize the replug. (You'll probably have to turn off your system with the main power switch or button if you can't click or type, you can't exit Windows normally!)

If you still experience difficulties after rebooting, you actually might be the not-so-proud possessor of a bad keyboard or mouse. Try plugging in another keyboard or mouse to your PC, or your keyboard or mouse into another PC, to determine whether device failure is at the root of your problem.

Problem: Windows Won't Let You Exit

The most common cause for this situation is that you have a misbehaving program. Try closing all your open programs one at a time. If any individual program is frozen, use Ctrl+Alt+Del to close that "not responding" program.

Beyond a single misbehaving problem, a number of things can cause Windows to not shut down. Believe it or not, one of these things can be a bad sound file! It's that sound you hear every time you go to shut down Windows. If that file is corrupted, the shutdown sequence stops there, leaving Windows running. To fix this problem open the Control Panel and launch the Sounds and Audio Devices utility. When the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box appears, select the Sounds tab, and then pull down the Sounds list and select No Sounds. Now click OK and try shutting down your system again. (If you do have a corrupted sound file, you can reinstall this particular file from your Windows installation CD.)

It's also possible that Windows Power Management technology is keeping you from closing Windows. Disable Power Management by opening the Control Panel, selecting Performance and Maintenance, and launching the Power Options utility. When the Power Options Properties dialog box appears, select the Power Schemes tab, pull down the Power Schemes list, and select Always On. You can even go the extra step and configure each setting to always stay on.

If you still can't shut down Windows after trying all these actions, there is probably a fragment of a program still running somewhere in your system's memory. It's near impossible to track down that fragment. Instead, you need to reboot via the double Ctrl+Alt+Del procedure.

Problem: Windows Won't Wake Up from Standby Mode

What do you do when Windows doesn't wake up from standby mode? Normally you "wake up" your computer by moving your mouse, or pressing any key on your keyboard. Some keyboards have special "wake up" keys that need to be pressed to exit sleep mode. In any event, if you move and click your mouse a bit and then type furiously on your keyboard and Windows stays fast asleep, you have problems. (Make sure, however, that your monitor is actually plugged in and turned on. A switched-off monitor looks suspiciously like standby mode!)

The solution here is to reboot your computer somehow. Try the Ctrl+Alt+Del method first. However, if your system is in a really deep sleep, it might not recognize any keyboard input. So you'll probably have to turn off your system at the main power switch button, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on again.

If you're using a notebook computer and this happens, you might have to remove all your power sources. This means unplugging the computer from the wall and removing the battery. Wait a few seconds, and then plug your notebook back in. That should do the trick!

Finally, it's possible that your system woke up but your monitor stayed asleep. Yes, some monitors have their own sleep modes, and if they get stuck in that mode, you won't know whether or not your system is awake. It doesn't hurt to turn your monitor off and then back on (which definitely wakes it up!) just in case the sleep problem is the fault of your monitor, not your PC. (If this problem persists, of course, you might need to repair or replace your monitor. )

Problem: Your System Crashes Nothing Remains Onscreen, and All Power Goes Off

This is a scary one, of which there are several possible causes.

First, you (or someone for whom you will soon have an intense dislike) accidentally cut the power to your system by turning off the system unit, turning off the wall switch, tripping over the power cord and yanking it from the socket, or tapping the off switch on your surge suppresser. Check all the power connections and switches and then turn your system back on.

Another possible cause is that your system is running too hot. This can happen if you have a lot of peripherals plugged into your machine and your power supply is a tad underpowered. (The power supply is a heavy-duty device inside your computer that "transforms" AC electrical current to a different type of current used by your system's electrical components.) Try turning off your PC and letting it cool off for five minutes or so; it might work fine when you turn it back on. If the problem persists, try moving your PC to a better-ventilated location; aiming a fan at the back of your system unit; purchasing a new fan for your system unit; or upgrading your power supply to a unit with a higher power output.

Finally, if your system is getting power and is turned on, there's a very good chance that a major calamity has just struck your system's power supply. If this is the case, it's time to take your PC into the shop.

THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM

• There are easily explained (and corrected) causes to most startup problems. Before you panic, make sure that everything is plugged in and turned on including your monitor and all external devices.

• While you're at it, make sure you don't have a disk in your floppy disk drive.

• If your startup problem is Windows-related, you can sometimes troubleshoot the problem by starting up in Safe mode which you select by pressing the F8 key while Windows is loading.

• If you can't even get into Safe mode, use Windows XP's DOS-like Recovery Console to use basic commands such as format and copy.

• Most Windows startup problems are caused by bad or incorrect device drivers. You can use the System Configuration Utility to selectively load drivers, one at a time, to see which one is causing your current problem.

• If your system freezes while you're working, try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to close a stuck program or completely reboot your computer.

• When your computer completely crashes and goes dead, either someone turned off the power or your PC's power supply has gone bad.