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(sent to www.computing.net/forums)My computer hangs periodically – fairly frequently; it seems to happen more often when using the internet. It has locked up when downloading web pages, picures, files,or when clicking a square at the bottom of the page to maximize a window. It often hangs up when trying to scroll down a web page. It has locked up while typing in Microsoft Word (when typing fast), when transferring a folder to another file in Explore, and while opening a media program. Recently, I’ve only been able to use the internet for a very short while before the system locks up. (I’m also having problems playing some kinds of media – explained below – and at times have problems accessing webpages on the internet, but I don’t know if these problems are related to the hanging problem.)
My OS is Windows 98SE. I have a Pentium II CPU (400 Mhz) (over 4 years old), a Matsonic MS7101C motherboard (fairly new), a new Maxtor 40 GB hard drive, and a S3 Savage 3D Rev B VGA card (8 MB) (over 4 years old, I think). I have 64 MB of RAM. I live in Thailand, and, like most people, have a computer put together with parts of many different brands. When the techs were formatting the new hard drive, they told me that my motherboard could only use about 33 GB of the hard drive.
My computer did not have this problem before installing the new hard drive disk. I have downloaded a lot of extra programs (RAV antivirus, Get Right, Winrar, Divx, Kerio Personal Firewall, Directx 9, Hide Folder, and Filelock), but lately, I’ve been starting the computer with everything in the Startup section of System Configuration Utility unchecked except System Tray, and the computer still hangs up. One tech told me that since I have some kind of rare slot-mounted motherboard/CPU combination (I forget which slot style the motherboard is), that I may need to replace both the CPU and the motherboard to fix the problem (an expensive solution.)
I deleted McAfee antivirus and all its files (I had heard that McAfee can cause lockups). I've run Disk Defragmenter (no problems) and Scan Disc on the C drive (I plan to scan the D drive soon.) I have run AdAware and Spybot. I’ve checked for viruses with RAV Anti-virus (updated). I periodically delete Temporary Internet Files.
Other notes that might help:
(1) Sometimes I get the message: “No buffer space” when I’m using the internet. I found a site on the internet that said this can happen when a program is draining resources. I periodically check My Computer-System Properties-Performance when I’m on the internet, and it usually reads between 50-70%. Right now I’m only using Microsoft Word, and my resources read 90% free.
(2) I have set the date incorrectly (from Control Panel-Date/Time) in order to continuously use some trial programs that I’ve downloaded that have a 15 or 30 day expiration period (namely, RAV Anti-Virus and Kerio Personal Firewall). Now when I use Get Right I get a message reading “Strange date detected: Do not use Get Right with the wrong date” or something similar to that.
(3) The computer is more likely to lock up if I do something quickly. For example, scrolling down a web page quickly is more likely to lock it up that scrolling slowly; typing quickly (whether in Microsoft Word or directly in my e-mail letter page) is more likely to lock up the computer than typing slowly.
(4) Often, when the computer freezes, I see a whitish line along one line of the webpage or document that’s open, which blurs any words printed there.
(5) The Divx player I have won’t play anything (it did before the new hard-disc was installed). Cyberlink Power DVD also won’t play CD movies; I get an F6F00018 which Cyberlink says occurs “because the VGA card can not enable the overlay function”. Windows Media Player will play movies ok, except for the movies with DivX codecs, which play choppily for about 30 seconds and then stop playing.
(6) When I restart the computer after it locks up (by pressing the restart button), the colors are usually off, so I have to shut the computer down and start it up again to get the colors back to normal.
(7) When I first start the computer, the fan is very noisy for about 5 minutes. After that, it quiets down, and seems to run ok even after I need to shut down and restart when the system locks up. A local tech said the power supply fan is probably going bad, but still is ok for now. I checked my system and CPU temps on the BIOS page a couple of times and they seem ok (around 40 degrees).
(8) I sometimes get incoming message warnings from Kerio that are listed as Microsoft File and Printer Sharing. I think I read somewhere that this can be caused by spyware on the computer. I have run Adaware and Spybot, but the hanging problem continues.
Just for info, you should keep ScanRegistry ticked in msconfig otherwise if your registry goes wonky Windows will be unable to help you out of trouble.
Actually SystemTray is not essential despite what many websites imply or say. It is only likely to stop your speaker icon showing (if any). All the other system tray icons will appear normally next to the clock. Not too important either way.
It's probably far too hopeful but try these two boring old fix-all's (both harmless):-
Go to Control Panel/Add-Remove and double Click Microsoft IE & Tools. If IE Repair shows give it a whirl.
The other one is to "shut down" to MS-DOS and type scanreg /fix (followed by Return). This will rebuild your current registry. Type exit (Return) to restart Windows.
If either of these happen to help (and they often do) then we can focus on the problems that still remain.
D
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I'm surprised nobody has suggested increasing your memory from 64. Seems like that could go a long way in improving performance on your machine.
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Yep, jcsh54 increasing the RAM can only be a good thing. Just the same it depends on usage. I ran mine fine on 64M for ages (Pent III). Shoved it up to 128M and hardly noticed the change. Later went to 320M and there was no obvious change at all.
Keeping an eye on the size of your swap file (win386.swp and right click Properties) can be a guide. If it keeps growing from it's base figure it's a sure sign that you are getting short of RAM, because it's using HD instead.
D
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how full is your hd ?
virtual memory low can cause this problem
along with other statements on this subject
it sounds like either the hard drive is fairly full or not enough memory
physical or virtual possibly
also internet explorer can conflict with other brousers and cause freeze ups
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I just got back in town from a long weekend trip and saw all these messages. Thanks for all your suggestions - I'll check them out and post a reply soon. It'd help if someone could tell me how to check the speed requirement of the MB Ram module (Response Number 5) and what virtual memory low means (Response 6).
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I wasn't too sure about those two items at first either. Hopefully the posters will come back but this might help a bit:
I think "MB" in #5 meant "Motherboard" (ie RAM speed doesn't match Motherboard speed). It can only come about if the wrong RAM has been fitted. Usually a mismatch either doesn't work at all or your machine runs more slowly than the RAM's max. I've not run into the latter causing freezes.
When your processes are running out of RAM the computer uses the hard disk instead (Virtual memory) which is much slower. Unless you have restricted your Virtual memory in some way then you shouldn't run low anyway. Try this:
Right click My Computer/Properties/Performance/Virtual Memory button. If it says "let Windows manage.....etc" then I don't think this should be an issue, unless you are desperately short of HD space.
D
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Daeng’s responses to suggestions so far:
(1) I checked the mouse and keyboard connections; they are ok (not reversed).
(2) I looked in Add/Remove Programs for Microsoft IE & Tools, but it wasn’t there (only saw “Microsoft Clipart Extra” and “Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition”). Is there another way to repair IE?
(3) I shut down to MS-Dos and rebuilt the registry as Derek suggested. After doing this, the computer seemed to have less problems downloading data from the internet. Previously, if I would download a webpage with thumbnail pictures, the computer would lock up two or three times an hour, but last night I did this for several hours with no lock-ups, though the computer did lock up at other times (on other web pages and when typing in Microsoft Word). (I also increased the Graphics Hardware Acceleration to full [via Control Panel – Display – Settings – Advanced – Performance]; I don’t know if this change would help the downloading of thumbnails or not).
(4) The hard drive is not very full; I’m using 4.2 GB out of 15.7 GB on the C Drive, and only 1.9 GB out of 15.7 GB on the D Drive.
(5) I previously downloaded Opera browser because of internet problems, but it didn’t seem to work very well, so I stopped using it. It is not checked at startup, so I don’t think it would conflict with Internet Explorer, would it? (It’s still there in Program Files, but I’m not running it).
(6) I still need to check the size of the win386.swp file when I’m doing things that cause the computer to freeze.
(7) Derek, I checked the “My Computer/Properties/Performance/Virtual Memory” button as you suggested and it is set to “Let Windows manage…”
(8) Here’s some new input that might help: I downloaded a little program called Wintop (in the W95KRNLTOYS pack), which shows CPU usage at any time. I noted that when trying to play a video clip on my Divx Player (which played very poorly – about 1 new frame every 40 seconds or so), the CPU Idle section would drop to just a few percent. Then I checked it while typing in Microsoft Word (which sometimes causes the computer to freeze up), and the Winword.exe section usage would often jump up into the high 90’s (per cent), dropping the idle section down to as low as 0.10%. Is this an indication of some kind of problem? It doesn’t seem to me that a program as simple as Microsoft Word should be using all of my CPU power like that (a Pentium II 400 mhz.).
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I haven't got Wintop but I did note that briefly Word whacked my processor usage way up (on a PIII 500HZ) so it rather looks like Word is not as docile as one might think.
If by any chance you are using the original IE5 then Repair will not be available (that's why I said "if it shows"). Try copying this lot and pasting it into your Run box:
C:\WINDOWS\rundll32.exe setupwbv.dll,IE5MaintenanceIt should be all on one line with one space after .exe and replacing 5 with 6 if you are using IE6. This should bring up the box with the Repair option, if available. Make sure you are off-line before running it.
D
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Derek, thanks for your letter and for hanging in there with me on this. I’ll try the IE5/6 repair idea when I get home. (I’m typing this at an internet café, since MS Word locks up so frequently on my home computer.) Here are some more comments that might be helpful:
(1) I’ve checked the win386.swp file at different times, and it never seems to go above its normal size (140 MB).
(2) Is the video card being used when I use Microsoft Word? I wonder if I might have a video card problem. I read a report by one guy who fixed his video-playing problems by unplugging and re-seating his video card. Maybe I should try that? Or I could take it into the shop and have the techs check it. (They’d probably just try playing some movies or games on it to see if it’s working normally.) Is there a way to check to see if my video card is working properly?
(3) One friend told me that Windows 98 can cause problems and suggested updating to Win2000. Is this a good idea?
(4) I’ve also read that Directx 9 (which I’ve downloaded and installed) can cause lock ups. Would it be good to uninstall it and download Directx 8 or maybe stick with version 6 (which I think is already on my computer, as I have Win98SE). I’ve read that Directx can’t be uninstalled without uninstalling Windows, but I’ve also seen some Directx uninstall programs listed on the internet. I have a lot of data on my computer in a folder called C:\OS (101 files, 120 MB) that might be for an installation of Win98SE. Could/should I uninstall Windows and then use the OS folder to reinstall it to get rid of Directx 9?I’m home now. I’ll try to finish this on my own PC.
(5) Should it be a problem if the rnaapp program is running? Actually, I’m not exactly sure what it is. I read somewhere that it’s related to Dial-Up Networking, but it runs even after I’ve unchecked it from the Close Program Dialog Box and am not running Dial-Up Networking.The computer just froze again. I’ve rebooted in safe mode, as one tech said it’s a way to see if the problem might be the VGA card.
(6) Several weeks ago Spybot detected (and deleted) some spyware called coolwwwsearch (or it may have been wwwcoolsearch). One tech told me that this is very difficult to delete from a system. I downloaded something called cwshredder but haven’t run it yet, since I don’t seem to have any of the symptoms of the bug (home page being changed, unable to run spybot or spywareblaster, etc.)
(7) No hanging/locking up since I’ve been typing this. If the computer doesn’t lock up in safe mode, does that indicate that the problem is the video card?
Thanks for any more advice/suggestions you can give.
Daeng
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Derek – I just tried the IE5 Repair task you suggested. Here’s what I got:
A screen with three lines, the first of which reads “Add a component.” and is marked (with a dot in a circle in front of the line). The second and third lines read “Repair Internet Explorer.” and “Uninstall Internet Explorer and all its components”. These second and third lines are grayed out and I couldn’t access them. When I tried clicking on the circle in front of “Repair Internet Explorer”, nothing happened. Any suggestions?
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Maybe you are still on IE5 original, that is often the reason why Repair is greyed out.
If this is the case the only simple way I know to repair IE (assuming it might be wonky) is to go to Windows Update and see what is oferred. I suspect it will be IE6.1 now. You could download that but it obviously depends whether you actually want to update to IE6.1 or not.
It's quite safe to run CWShredder even if there is nothing wrong with your machine. This is simple to do and probably the best thing to try first at this stage.
Might also be worth downloading Ad-Aware and running that too, also updating your virus scan and running it. If we can be fairly certain there isn't some nasty around then we can move on.
D
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Derek – thanks for your letter. I already have Ad-aware and have run it several times. I updated it and ran it again last night (it found and dealt with just 2 cookies). I also ran CWShredder – it said the system was clean. I updated and ran RAV anti-virus – no viruses were found. I updated and ran Spybot two days ago – no problems found. I also installed Spywareblaster two days ago so it’s running, too. I downloaded IE6setup last night and plan to download the program later this morning.
Since I rebuilt the registry as you suggested, the problem with hanging while on the internet seems to have reduced considerably. (It still locks up easily on Microsoft Word; I’m typing this letter now in Safe Mode.) However, last night it froze while I was scrolling down a long webpage. I found a microsoft support webpage that said that this problem can be caused by the video card (a brand different from mine), and recommended downloading an updated driver for the card. A while ago, another tech recommended that I download a 4-in-one motherboard VIA chipset driver from www.viaarena.com. After I did that, my browser seemed to download webpages and pictures faster than before. A question: is that motherboard chipset driver different from an updated driver for my video card? I surfed a while last night for the latest driver for my video card (a S3 Savage 3D/MV) and am thinking that downloading and installing one might help. I did re-install the original video card driver from the CD that came with it, but I think it’s about 4 years old. The S3 home page had a warning about using updated drivers from its site, saying that they were generic and not specific to any given system, and that they might not work well with some systems. Would you recommend downloading and installing an updated driver for my video card?
Also – any thoughts on the questions in my previous letter regarding: (1) the rnaapp program (2) directx 9, and (3) re-seating or checking the video card? (Response #11 above – questions 2,4, & 5)
Thanks a lot for your help.
- Daeng
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Obviously you still have a fair range of assorted problems so an easy fix is unlikely. It comes across as software problems but sadly hardware cannot be totally excluded either.
Updating to IE6 could help your browsing problems. Because IE and Windows are very much interlinked there is a fighting chance that this upgrade may help your non-IE problems too.
I wonder if an uninstall/reinstall of the package containing "Word" might help if the problems continue in that area.
Individual drivers are likely to be more focussed on specific features, whereas chipset drivers are from the "chipset manufacturers" themselves (kinda like another, more basic, driver source). Personally I would favour individual card drivers (from "card manufacturers") but obviously you have experienced good results from chipset drivers.
I've not run into video card problems causing the symptoms you describe but I suppose it is a possibility. You could right click My Computer and go to Properties/Performance/Graphics and try turning your hardware acceleration down by one notch - it sometimes helps. Ignore the remarks given by MS about what it might cure.
Downloading the latest Video card drivers can often help with video problems. If you search Google for a freebie program called Aida32 it should tell you (among many other things) all the info on your card and might even give the URL of a website for more appropriate drivers. The problem with the generic ones is that they might even make matters worse.
Yes rnaapp is tied up with Dial-Up-Networking and Modems. I'm on dial-up and it pops up, often staying quite a while after I go off line. It doesn't seem to cause me any problems but I've read of others that have found it to be a nuisance. I'm not expert so I can only suggest searching Google to see what you can glean, you are bound to find plenty of hits.
I've no direct experience of DirectX busting programs but have seen posts claiming they work (maybe "Go Search" at the top of this page will reveal something).
Re-seating the video card can do no harm but there is no clear indication that this is likely to be the culprit. Oxide often builds up on the edge connectors so removing cards and re-inserting them can often help. This applies equally to any other separate cards you have and even RAM sticks.
Back to your post #9 item (5). I've only ever used IE but from what I've read there are folks out there using more than one browser without any problems. On the face of it if Opera is disabled it shouldn't interefere. Who knows though, a clash cannot be excluded and I tend to favour sticking to one browser so as to avoid that possibility.
Harping back to your RAM. If you are using 140M of VM then it does seem as if you need some more. Win98SE is much better behaved as regard handling whatever RAM you happen to have (W31 would just stop working every now and then). Just the same, if you can stretch to another 64M then you might see a benefit.
As you can see most of this is generalising, clutching at straws, or whatever. Clearly I have no "definite" ideas to offer.
If there is no real improvement I would suggest you repost this problem. There appears to be only the two of us on here now, so you might benefit from getting a few more inputs about your problems and some fresh ideas.
Derek
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Derek - Thanks for getting back to me. I want to respond to your suggestions and bring you up to date.
(1) I updated to IE6 so I could have a browser that is repairable. Browsing problems remain the same.
(2) To uninstall and re-install MS Word, wouldn’t I have to have the Windows 98 disk? (which I don’t have). I do have that C:\Windows\OS file I mentioned that might contain Word, but I don’t want to uninstall it unless I’m sure I can re-install it.
(3) I noticed that at the Matsonic website (the brand of my motherboard), there is a new driver listed for my board. I wonder if that would be better than the VIA-chipset driver I downloaded and installed which was recommended by another tech. (it had a name something like 4-in-1). It did seem to speed things up, and the video problems existed before I added that driver.
(4) I’ve already tried adjusting the hardware accelerator, with no improvement.
(5) I downloaded a driver for my Video Card from the manufacturer’s website, but there was a note explaining that my version of VGA has been discontinued, and the most recent driver was back in 1999, just a few months after the date on the driver I’ve been using. There was no exe file, so I tried to install it via Control Panel – Display – Settings – Advanced – Adapter – Change. When the computer rebooted, it was set to 16 colors with a note about an adapter problem, so the new driver didn’t seem to work, though I may not have installed it properly. So I’m back to using the original driver.
(6) I found a Directx buster program, but haven’t decided whether to use it or not – afraid it might cause more problems. Do you think I should give it a try? (my VGA driver was designed to work with Directx 6, and I have 9 now).
(7) I added Windows System Monitor and Windows System Resource Meter to monitor memory and resource usage. When I checked the “Swapfile in use” function, it ran pretty steadily at about 24 MB, though it would increase a little at times (I think to about 30 MB). The “unused physical memory” monitor showed a much lower amount than I expected, usually around 5 MB, with dips down to almost zero at times. Does that sound like I need more memory?
(8) When I was running Wintop (to monitor CPU usage), I noticed that at one point RAVTray (anti-virus) was using 50% of the CPU! And it was just running in the background – not scanning or updating or anything. So I closed it down. Does that indicate that RAV has been draining resources?
(9) If you have any response to points 2,3,6,7 and 8 above, I’d appreciate hearing your suggestions. If you think I should get more memory, I’ll try that. If that doesn’t work, I may have to go with a Windows uninstall/reinstall.
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