Mouse, keys out cold when screen freezes

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

October 7, 2008

Q:  I am still using Windows XP on a computer that is about 4 years old. It's worked fine until recently. But now, at least twice a week, the screen freezes. The mouse won't work and I'm unable to type. If I wait 10 or 15 seconds, things return to normal. What's wrong?

— Bill Reimar

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A:  Among the most likely causes are insufficient memory or infection by spyware/adware. With Windows XP, you should have at least 1 gigabyte of memory. I recommend 2 gigabytes for Windows Vista.

The lack of enough RAM usually reveals itself when you have more than one program running at a time — and, these days, it's common to have a Web browser running in one window, an e-mail application in another, and a Word processor open in still another.

When it comes to eliminating spyware and adware, free programs such as Windows Defender (at http://tinyurl.com/5q36co) or Ad-Aware 2008 Free (at http://tinyurl.com/yt5z4p) can help.

Viruses can also create freezes as can misbehaving programs. I like Grisoft AVG as a free anti-virus program (http://free.grisoft.com). If the freezes started after the installation or update of software, then consider at least temporarily removing that software.

Your computer shouldn't be freezing a few times a week. But if the computer freezes just once or twice a year, it's probably just a hiccup.

Q:  I recently installed a new video card because I have just installed Windows Vista. I tried to install the software that came with the card but it doesn't seem to work.

— Susan Fawkes

A:  Often times, you'll find a video card that's been in the store's stock for a long time. That means the software that comes with it is outdated. Go to the manufacturer's Web site and see if there is an updated version that can be downloaded. I've seen this problem several times, including once personally. A new version of Windows means new potential problems with hardware.

You also will often find a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. You may find a clue there.

Failing all that, use the e-mail link at the site to describe your problem — including the specifics about your own computer — to get help.

Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@bellsouth.net. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.