Programs keep freezing with windows 7...

Question

Ive seen that a lot of people are having problems with windows 7 constantly freezing up. I have a retail version of the windows 7 and im having that exact problem. I cant believe there is no answer for the problem, but its very agravating to spend so  much on a computer + a video card and not be able to use them. The IE and Firefox costantly freeze up when i try and upload videos, itunes will not play anything even though i reboot the system , and when i try to play any game it freezes as well. If someone can help me tell me what i need to do please!

Answer 1

Hi Diego12345,

Does this happen with any particular application except Internet Explorer?

Did you run the Upgrade advisor to check if your computer is compatible with Windows 7 or not before installing Windows 7?

First boot in safe mode and check if the response time is slow there as well. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started. If an existing problem doesn't reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and basic device drivers as possible causes.

Steps to boot in safe mode

1.      Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer.

2.      Click the Start button, click the arrow next to the Lock button, and then click Restart.

3.      Do one of the following:

a.       If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and   hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You need to press F8 before   the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you will need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then   shutting down and restarting your computer.

b.      If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in safe mode, and then press F8.

4.      On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the safe mode option you want, and then press ENTER.  For more information about options, see ‘Advanced startup options’ (including safe mode with networking).

5.      Log on to your computer with a user account that has administrator rights.

6.      When your computer is in safe mode, you'll see the words Safe Mode in the corners of the display. To exit safe mode, restart your computer and let Windows start normally.

For more details follow the link given below

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-safe-mode

If it works fine in safe mode go ahead and check which of the background program is causing this issue. To help troubleshoot error messages and other issues, you can start Windows 7 by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot." A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts.

The steps to be performed in clean boot are given below:

1. Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights
2. Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER to start the System Configuration Utility.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue

3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear the Load startup items check box. (The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.)
4. On the Services tab, click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable all

Note: Following this step lets Microsoft services continue to run. These services include Networking, Plug and Play, Event Logging, Error Reporting, and other services. If you disable these services, you may permanently delete all restore points. Do not do this if you want to use the System Restore utility together with existing restore points

Once you boot to the desktop check if the issue persists, follow the steps given in the article and figure out which of the program is causing the issue.

For further information on clean boot please follow the below given link:

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start as usual:

1. Click start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.

2. On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.
3. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart

You may also follow the link to optimize your computer using the different tools available with Windows 7.

Optimize Windows 7 for better performance

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Optimize-Windows-7-for-better-performance

You may also try Internet Explorer Optimization to check if the issue is only with Internet Explorer.

Follow the link given below and run the ‘Fix it’ given in the article.

How to optimize Internet Explorer

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936213

Hope this information is helpful.

Amrita M

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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