I have Microsoft ME and I've shut off the restore to save memory. I've also recently performed a scan disk and defragment. I have an off brand computer that has an Athlon 800 and 128 MB of Ram. When the keyboard and mouse freeze up I have hit the restart button on the computer. I also have a problem with Internet Explorer freezing up on occasion. That seemed to happen most often when I used the scroll wheel on the Microsoft for NEC mouse, but I don't recall it happening since I turned off the restore feature of ME. Does anybody have an idea that might help either of these problems? I don't know if they are connected.

First check in device mgr. for any conflicts. From my experiance with Me I personally would not take off system restore there are other applications i would disable first (JMHO).You may want to try reinstalling again (drivers) i don't think that gonna do it.but do check Device mgr. and post back. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif Also try a Ctrl>Alt>Delete shut it down that way,thats better than a hard shut down.Forgot about your IE.do you have 5.5 w/Tools if you do use the repair tool that might straighten them both out.

[This message has been edited by YODA74 (edited 09-11-2001).]

Amen to Yoda's "leave system restore!" It has saved my buttocks a few times when some additional drivers messed me up.

May all your dealings in life be win/win!

Whyzman

Also try a Ctrl>Alt>Delete shut it down that way,thats better than a hard shut down.

Let me know when you figure out how to do that when the keyboard won't work. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I have a machine sitting here that does the same thing, and have been trying to figure it out. I'm down to two possibilities:

Motherboard, which I doubt, it's done it since it was brand new.

Memory, which I highly suspect, it wasn't new when it was put in the first machine...first machine? you ask...OK...

This problem has plagued this computer in two different physical boxes. One was a P-200MMX, which now has been swapped out for a different motherboard, P-233MMX and different memory. Now, the motherboard is in a different case, which has different EVERYTHING except memory. That includes cables, floppy drive, hard drives, CD ROM, even OS. Same results with win95 or 98, 4 different video cards, 3 different CPU's. The only thing I haven't changed is the memory. That's because I don't have any to try without pulling it from another working machine. It still locks up intermittently. No mouse, no keyboard, have to shut off power to reboot.

All this does not definitely prove the RAM is the problem, but it sure makes me very suspicious. It's not heat, the CPU is not even warm to the touch, and I've tried P-166, P-200MMX and Cyrix 6x86, which was slightly warm, but not near what I'd call hot. I can hold my finger on any of them all day...Intels barely body temperature, the Cyrix just a bit warmer than body temp...It's not power supply, both work perfect with other hardware. It's not the OS, win98 is working perfect now on the other machine with different RAM. Same for hard drive.

System resources is a possibility, that one is difficult to trace, but I doubt it. The lockups can happen with nothing but ZA and IE 4 or 5 running, or with those plus ICQ, mIRC, picture viewer, scanner software, Word 97, OE, and Solitaire open. In other words, loaded up or practically nothing running, same results, which leads me to believe it's not system resources.

That leaves motherboard or memory, and I'm leaning toward memory. I wish I had tried it before I swapped motherboards in the main machine, instead of swapping everything, memory included, and reinstalling without testing it with only different memory...but I had this motherboard and CPU... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I think you might have a memory problem, if you can swap it for known good memory, try that and see.



------------------
Support the right to keep and arm bears.
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

Once the keyboard and mouse lock up I can't do anything except turn the power off. Nothing else will respond. I don't know why it happens, but it seems to happen sometimes when I use the scroll the mouse wheel. IE 5.5 keeps stopping and asking me if I want to send MS an error report. I always decline. I've used the tool kit in add/remove programs, but it doesn't seem to do any good. I don't know what's going on with this computer, but I'm thinking of installing Win 98 SE. I did put the restore feature back on. How do I see if there are conflicts in the device manager or any memory problems? How do I know if I have the correct mouse driver?

I found out how to check for conflicts in my device manager. I looked under mouse and it had a picture of two mice. The first one was called HID-Compliant Mouse (the provider was Microsoft). The second one was PS/2 compatible mouse port (the provider was unknown - I suspect that this was added when I added this mouse). The actual mouse says Microsoft for NEC, but I don't have an NEC computer. When I look under driver file details for each picture of a mouse I saw:

C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOUHID.VXD
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM32.VXD(ntkern.vxd)
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSMOUSE.VXD
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOUSE.DRV

The second picture has the following under the driver file details:

C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM.32.VXD (vmouse.vxd)
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSMOUSE.VXD
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOUSE.DRV

I don't know enough about computers to know if there is a conflict, but I'm sure someone reading this might.

On your desktop right-click on the My Computer icon...slide down to Properties and left-click. In Device Manager check for any yellow (!)
Click the (+) sign and highlight the device and click properties. You will be able to read in the Device Status box if there are any conflicts.

For memory some of the folks can perhaps send you in the direction of a shareware program that can run a memory check. However, simply replacing with a like chip from a working computer would be the easiest.

Would you be sure to post back if anything shows up?

May all your dealings in life be win/win!

Whyzman

Boot into Safe Mode, open Device Manager and remove ALL mice shown. Reboot and let Windows find and reinstall it, see if that cures it. This sounds like "ghost" drivers.

------------------
Support the right to keep and arm bears.
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

Sounds like it might be "ghost" drivers. Boot into Safe Mode and remove ALL mice shown in Device Manager, reboot and let Windows find and reinstall it.

------------------
Support the right to keep and arm bears.
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

Guess I wasn't reading the post very well Pete, watch to much star trek where Scotty talks to the computer.Someday. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

What motherboard are you using? I have had this problem, along with other hardware related probs (devices not responding), since I built this computer. Have tried everything, including numerous re-installation of windows (98se) I am on my third memory chip, 256Mb and have just ordered another from crucial. My motherboard is a Gygabyte 71XE4. It has been driving me loopy for the past few months. If you find a solution PLEASE post it http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

------------------
Ernie

Just caught up on this thread and it describes my problem exactly. Have been looking for advice in the Operating System Troubleshooting section. What caught my eye is that ErnieK was using exactly the same motherboard as me - Gigabyte GA 71XE4. I never solved the problem completely but reduced it by uninstalling and reinstalling MS Office and Publisher as the system seemed ok till these were added. However the odd freeze still occurs and i would like to know why.
My system is a K6-2 333 running at 350 on the GA 71XE4 m/b
Geforce 2 MX 64 meg AGP Graphics (originally a ATI diamond Viper 4 meg AGP)
128meg ram
Realtek network card
USB HP printer
WIN 98
My system would freeze at any time, sometimes still with mouse movement/ sometimes not, but without any command ability. Keyboard did /did not respond to imput and always with long delay but generally i had to use the 'big red switch'. Curiously on reboot, the system hardly ever went into scandisk and would boot up as if nothing had happened?
Any thing spring to mind guys, i will follow with interest.

[This message has been edited by Mike T (edited 09-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Mike T (edited 09-17-2001).]

you guys should try what Pete suggested first.

His advice it is what should be tried first, as it is not only correct, it is in the order of how this problem should be handled.

after that, I would also look into msconfig and remove any additional mouse ''helper'' programs (uncheck them from startung at boot) that generally are uneeded and cause more problems than good.

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
sea1_69@hotmail.com

homepage (http://www.seanweb1.homestead.com/3.html)

[This message has been edited by sea69 (edited 09-17-2001).]

If the problem occurs with a certain frequncy or at a certain point in a program (like everytime you open your email while also browsing the Web) then you most likey have one of the problems described earlier (like memory or drivers), but if it is truly random and intermittent (like it can occur when you first turn on the machine and then go away for hours or maybe even days) then you could have a power supply problem. A slightly out of spec PSU can cause lockups and other problems (it doesn't have to much, just enough to, let's say, let the memory run at 3.0V instead of 3.3V).

Also remeber that the USB devices are powered by the motherboard and if you have more than the capacity of the port (about half an amp) then you can also have problems...if you are running more than two USB devices, instead of daisychaining or using a simple port expander I would recommend a powered hub. It relieves the computer from providing the power for the external devices.

And you may want to consider the condition of your electric service in general, if you have problems like light bulbs not lasting very long, the VCR and digital clocks needing to be reset all the time, you have general power problems and may want run your computer through an Uninterruptible Power Supply (one that offers line conditioning) to smooth out the the power problems, a simple surge protector doesn't offer the conditionig effect.


------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

very good points mjc!



------------------
sea1_69@hotmail.com

homepage (http://www.seanweb1.homestead.com/3.html)


;)~

Mike - I have been in continual contact with Gygabyte about this. The official line is that the 71XE4 is EXTREMLY choosey about memory. They recommend only a couple of makes. I have just installed another one of them. Crucial "CT32M64S4D7E.16T". THIS IS THE 256Mb\133. Only cost £30.00
I have tried other mem with no luck. It is some thing to do with the chipset. Fitted the new mem this morning and all seems to be OK at the moment. (I am sitting here with legs, eyes and fingers crossed to be on the safe side)Gygabyte say thatwholesalers have been notified, but it seems that these wholesalers are not passing the info onto the shops\outlets

------------------
Ernie

Mjc - in the past I have done clean istalls and operated the computer with only WIN98se installed. I have also changed the power supply unit. Checked in safe mode for rogue\duplicate enties. Have tried with nothing but graphics card (Voovoo3 3000 and ATI Radeon) mouse (two different ones- with and without software0 and keyboard. The problems are intermittant. No error messages what so ever. After pressing re-set button, as Mike says, no scandisk runs. Computer can be on for a short period or for a number of hours. I have over the past few months tried to re-create it manually but I cannot. As I have just said it happens with only bare bones system. Still I can now Fdisk and re-install in my sleep. Or is this just night mares? :-)
I am hopeing that it is the choosey mem that is causing the problem, if not there will be a new satelite floating round the planet beside the rest of the junk up there http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

------------------
Ernie

Hey Paleo Pete, I took your advice. I booted in safe mode and deleted all of the mice drivers, then rebooted. Sure enough, the computer automatically installed a mouse driver. I was somewhat apprehensive, but now I'm glad I did it. The computer installed Microsoft PS/2 Port Mouse (intellipoint)with these driver details: C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM.32.VXD (vmouse.vxd)
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSMOUSE.VXD
C:\\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOUSE.DRV

I guess the computer did have an extra mouse driver. I hope this change did the trick. Thanks all, for the advice. It's sites like this one that gives a novice like myself a chance to fix my computer problems without having to shell out big bucks that I can't afford to spend.