Has anyone heard of this?

[RichardR]

You know how in Windows Explorer, you can click on a file name and that file opens in the relevant application? For example, click a Word file and the file opens in Word. If word isn’t running, it gets launched.

On my PC, about a week ago, I have this new problem. I click on a file (any file) in WE, and WE hangs. I just get the egg timer and eventually the “this program is not responding� message. I have to re-boot the PC and then it is fine. Until a few hours later and then it starts all over again.

I have Norton Anti-Virus fully up to date, Spybot and Spy Sweeper. I run all of these and also Registry Mechanic. The only thing that fixes it is a reboot. It’s getting really irritating.

Anyone heard of this?

[Oleron]

I heard of a problem in Spysweeper once where it can interfere with explorer. IIRC, in spysweeper open 'options' and uncheck the box for "add to Windows context menu".

I think it's something like that anyway, I don't actually use spysweeper.
.

[RichardR]

Originally posted by Oleron
I heard of a problem in Spysweeper once where it can interfere with explorer. IIRC, in spysweeper open 'options' and uncheck the box for "add to Windows context menu".

I think it's something like that anyway, I don't actually use spysweeper.. Thanks for the reply.

That isn't it though. I made the change in spysweeper earlier this morning. WE worked fine afterwards. Just tried it again, and it's back to the same problem.

I've just realized that I get another problem at the same time. When I click a link in an email in Thunderbird (email client), it takes a long time for the link to open in the browser. Normally the link opens quickly, but after this "bug" kicks in, it delays for about 30 seconds before the browser opens.

And I'm not sure, but I think my wireless Logitech mouse starts acting strangely at the same time too - there is sometimes a delay between moving the mouse and the pointer moving. Not sure if this is linked though.

[moopet]

Any other symptoms? One thing I could think of is that if your PC has sufficient RAM that most currently-used files are cached, the delay opening applications (or mouse stammer) could be down to repeated read errors on your hard drive.
Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it's a possibility that's easy to check - next time it happens, open a command prompt and try running an application directly from there (e.g. type "C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD" to start notepad (inlude the path) and see if that launches faster than double-clicking on a text file. Odd clicking noises are also bad :)

Check your event log and see if there are repeated errors or warnings at the same time as the errors - if there are, and they don't sound particularly obvious to you, post them here and I or someone else might shed some light?

[RichardR]

Originally posted by moopet
Any other symptoms? One thing I could think of is that if your PC has sufficient RAM that most currently-used files are cached, the delay opening applications (or mouse stammer) could be down to repeated read errors on your hard drive.
Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it's a possibility that's easy to check - next time it happens, open a command prompt and try running an application directly from there (e.g. type "C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD" to start notepad (inlude the path) and see if that launches faster than double-clicking on a text file. Odd clicking noises are also bad :)

Check your event log and see if there are repeated errors or warnings at the same time as the errors - if there are, and they don't sound particularly obvious to you, post them here and I or someone else might shed some light? unlikely. I have 1 gig or ram, and the problem only just started. It's been working fine for about three months when I got the PC.

if I launch the application it launches quickly, and I can open the file from the application with no problem.

I'll check the event viewer next time. Thanks.

[arthwollipot]

If you are using an NT-kernel version of Windows (NT or XP) then you can go to the Task Manager. 95-kernel Windows (95, 98 and ME) don't have the Task Manager. If you check Processes, you may be able to kill off Explorer.exe which will then automatically restart.

I think the only real permanent fix for this problem is to go back to your original Windows installer disk. You do have an original installer disk, don't you?:)

The setup program should have an option to repair the installation. If this doesn't fix your problem then I can't help you.

[a_unique_person]

Yes, there is no software problem that formatting the hard disk and re-installing windows, and all it's patches, can't fix. Could be a rogue DLL, registry corruption, software clash, or anything, and there is no way, that I know of, to be able to tell what.

[arthwollipot]

It is standard practice in IT when a strange problem comes up, reformat the disk and reinstall the standard operating environment. It's not always practical on one's personal computer. But you're right - Windows is structured such that these problems are usually completely undiagnosable.

[scribble]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Yes, there is no software problem that formatting the hard disk and re-installing windows, and all it's patches, can't fix.

Not true. After you've done that, you're still running Windows.

And that's a problem.

[Chocolate Chip]

Try this:

If you're using XP, reboot the computer, while booting, but before you get the XP Splash screen, hit F8 a couple times. You should get a list of options, like "Safe Mode" etc. One of these options should be "Last Known Good Configuration", select that and see what happens.

[cesium]

If you are using XP, then take your XP install disk, boot from it, and a screen will ask you if you want to install and reformat your drive or do a "repair/reinstall", where all windows system files are replaced, but your files are left untouched.

Make sure that you are using an actual windows XP install disk.
If you bought XP seperate from the computer, then it is an actual isntall disk, but:
Some computer manufactures will supply a disk which simply contains a compressed image of the hard drive, the idea being that you cant use the disk on any computer but the model the disk was supplied with, because an image has to be loaded on the same type hard drive. If the disk boots into something that looks like the windows XP boot screen, then it is a XP boot disk, but if it says something else, like "system recover disk" when booted, it is probably an image disk.

(DELL and some other manufactures include real XP isntall disks with thier machines, but the disks say "system recovery" on the disk)

[arthwollipot]

Originally posted by scribble
Not true. After you've done that, you're still running Windows.

And that's a problem.

Lol. How did I know that somewhere in this thread we'd get a post like that?

Wow. I must be psychic!

[voidx]

Before reinstalling I'd suggest Googling it. Or look on the Microsoft knowledge base and see if anything comes up. I'd disagree that these problems are always undiagnosable. A lot of times file associations and other such things are tied to registry entries. Spyware and any number of other things can often go in and make a mess of these entries. Do some searching and see what you find. If that doesn't work, then try the Repair of the Windows installation as recommended.

[arthwollipot]

Coming from a tech support perspective, you can save a lot of frustration by putting a deadline on your searches for a solution. Give yourself two hours to find a solution, then if you haven't nailed it by then, do the repair installation.

(Myself, I'd allow half an hour, but I'm impatient about these things.)

[moopet]

Originally posted by Chocolate Chip
Try this:

If you're using XP, reboot the computer, while booting, but before you get the XP Splash screen, hit F8 a couple times. You should get a list of options, like "Safe Mode" etc. One of these options should be "Last Known Good Configuration", select that and see what happens.

Unfortunately, that won't help - the last known good "save point" is reset every time you successfully log on. So unless he hasn't rebooted since the problem first appeared (not very likely) then the LKG will be exactly the same as the current settings. It just means the system was able to log someone on, not that the system is actually "good" in any other way :/

[Chocolate Chip]

Unfortunately, that won't help - the last known good "save point" is reset every time you successfully log on. So unless he hasn't rebooted since the problem first appeared (not very likely) then the LKG will be exactly the same as the current settings. It just means the system was able to log someone on, not that the system is actually "good" in any other way :/

Ah... true, my bad, oops.
Well RichardR, you can always try this:
:brk:

[Xeriar]

Use ctrl+alt+delete to bring up your task manager and see what takes up so much processing time.

Then go to www.sysinternals.com and download Process Explorer, you can use that to pick out malignant .dlls.