Computer freezes in a weird way.

Lately, while browsing, the computer start to freeze in this way:


First the browser (any browser) gets stuck loading pages but it is responsive (I can change tabs, scroll, select text etc)

The taskbar stops working at all and the mouse cursor changes to spinning circle when I hover on it.

The desktop screen seems to work at first, but it freezes too with the spinning circle if I open anything or right click.

CTRL ALT DEL, ALT TAB and start screen shortcuts won't work.

I have to reset because I can't reach shutdown or reboot options. Then the computer returns to normal.


Checked hard disk, and sfc /scannow without any errors. No errors in Event viewer.

Any help will be appreciated.

Did you make any changes recently (installed new programs, etc)?
Does it only happen when browsing specific sites or just at random?
It does happen with other browser as well; yes? (identify browsers tested)
Havea you done a full AV/malware scan to ensure you are clean?
Any change in your internet connection speeds (degraded for some reason)?
If wi-fi, have you treid a direct etherrnet connection with same results?

JustATest said:

Did you make any changes recently (installed new programs, etc)?

Not installed new programs but updated a couple ones, ie. CCleaner, Chrome, Firefox, Steam maybe some Windows updates...

Does it only happen when browsing specific sites or just at random?

Random, definitely random but I can't recall if they had flash.

It does happen with other browser as well; yes? (identify browsers tested)

Yes, it happened with Chrome Firefox and IE.

Havea you done a full AV/malware scan to ensure you are clean?

Yes with Windows Defender.

Any change in your internet connection speeds (degraded for some reason)?

No, it works as fine as before.

If wi-fi, have you treid a direct etherrnet connection with same results?

I am using Ethernet connection but I will try Wifi

Click to expand...

Also all drivers are updated
Thanks

Thanks for that detailed response; however I see no clear resolution path from the information provided but I do know that CCleaner has been know to cause issues (especially when you use it to clean applications) and I don't know anything about Steam but since its associated with gaming somehow, I wouldn't discount that as a possible cause. Not much help but that's the best I can do. Maybe someone else will be along with some fresh ideas. Good luck.

derek10 said:

Lately, while browsing, the computer start to freeze in this way:


Any help will be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Hi Derek,
does your HD have enought free space?
and also you are running a 64 bit system with very low RAM;
could also be related to faulty RAM ...

You have only a bare minimum of RAM for a 64bit system, couple that with slow HDD and tremendous amount of memory swapping, and not surprisingly you get a very unresponsive system.

Great observations by roy and CountMike and I think the OP needs to act on those observations accordingly; However, since that configuration has been there since day one, why did it just start "lately?" To explore this issue further, please provide a screenshot of your Resource Monitor (memory tab) so we can check you RAM allocation:

Many thanks to all, I have 80 GB free.



Anyway I doubt RAM issues because as JustATest pointed out, this happened lately and in light loads in which the RAM usage won't surpass 50%. But a RAM upgrade is in works anyway (to 4 GB)

I will check Memtest just in case

You're first post describes what MY system does, when the hard drive has Read Element Failure. I'm assuming, you have a regular HDD not an SSD? To fix it, I use GWscan, it's on Hiren's Boot CD, Link is below. Boot to it, go to Dos Programs, Go to Hard Drive Tools, and find GWscan on the 3rd page. Run it, and check your SMART and then to the short test, if it finds Read Element Failure, it will line you up for a full drive scan - If so, run it, it takes about an hour for a 500 GB drive that's fully loaded.

I'm sure my comrades in here might be irritated by my rote response, but I've found that in most cases, when the system does the things you describe in the 1st post, that your hard drive needs to be repaired. And that cannot be done simply with CHKDSK, it has to have a full surface scan from outside of windows. There are other scanning tools, WDdiag, Seagate Seatools, but they all do the same thing, they rebuild the MBRs for the whole drive, not just the partitions.

If you don't want to use Hiren's which has all of these HD programs at your fingertips, then you can download them individually from their Websites, GWscan can scan a wide variety of drives, so start with that first.

As a matter of fact, what you describe in your first post happened to me just 3 days ago, and I had to run GWscan twice. After GWscan, you have to use CHKDSK but Windows 8 will do this automatically, but it will take about 30 minutes to an hour to do it.

Here is the progression of events for this error: First, you get long aperture circle wait time. Then, Programs just freeze. Then your SYstem freezes. So, you force a reboot, and when it came back up, it's in a boot loop. It cant find your System drive. If this sounds like the same thing that happened to you, then drop everything, boot to Hiren's and run GWscan as soon as possible.

Just read the other responses, no, I run a 64 bit system with 1 GB of Ram, I was doing that on my Gateway Laptop before my power connector fried, and never had this problem happen, it ran smooth. Also, that was Windows 7, and I think this problem is Windows 8 Only, because Windows 8 causes it.

Based on your current post, I don't see the RAM as the issue right now but add a few more programs and you could get into some serious hard drive paging. However, if your browsing habits include surfing, with multiple tabs/windows open, that could drive your RAM availability to 0 and force you into a paging situation which could cause your issue (as previously observed). Moreover, I have observed some using Firefox (with multiple tabs open) using upwards of 350MBs of RAM and it keeps growing because their tabs are sitting on websites with rotating advertisements. So, if it is OK when you first start out, then you open a bunch of tabs, and they remain open for a long period of time, and then the issue pops up, I would hurry up with the RAM upgrade. Good luck.

When I use Chrome on my main PC, my memory gets bloated. But my system never freezes. To me, in Windows 8, a Freeze means Read Element Failure. Sometimes, a bad SATA data cable can cause the same kinds of errors, so check that too.

Problem with Windows is that after a time they get "dirty", all kinds of auto start programs with their memory eating habits, coupled with minimum amounts of memory and slowed down HDD can slow down a system to a crawl and even stop all. There always comes time when it has to be cleaned up, all unnecessary auto start programs disconnected. The lesser resources. more critical it is.

That's true enough, it's what happens to this system here. So I set Ccleaner to clean on a schedule, close my browsers every 4 hours, etc. But when the system starts freezing, it's not related to that.

Did you check msconfig.exe for startup programs? Task manager too, for unusual traffic and possible malware ?

Many thanks, the HDD, seems fine according to SMART (That single CRC error happened long time ago with another computer) the HD light is off when the freezing happens.


I will try GWscan too and see

JustATest said:

Based on your current post, I don't see the RAM as the issue right now but add a few more programs and you could get into some serious hard drive paging. However, if your browsing habits include surfing, with multiple tabs/windows open, that could drive your RAM availability to 0 and force you into a paging situation which could cause your issue (as previously observed). Moreover, I have observed some using Firefox (with multiple tabs open) using upwards of 350MBs of RAM and it keeps growing because their tabs are sitting on websites with rotating advertisements. So, if it is OK when you first start out, then you open a bunch of tabs, and they remain open for a long period of time, and then the issue pops up, I would hurry up with the RAM upgrade. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Thanks.
I can't recall how many tabs I had when it froze, but I usually have not more than 5 because, yes, the RAM gets filled soon so I close or reuse them.


I have unchecked boot programs, task manager doesn't show unusual traffic, I get only some spikes I believe it's the browser, or Windows checking updater or something like that.


I've also defrag it or clean regularly I use JKDefrag and CCleaner

If there is ANYthing wrong with your SMART, GWscan will not run - You'll know soon enough! You can use ViVard on the Hiren's disk to do a surface remap only if the SMART prevents GWscan from running. Don't use ViVard until you talk to me, cos it cannot be interrupted and it takes almost 4 hours to run.

Also, I see you have a toshiba drive. So you can use the Toshiba hard drive tool which is also on Hiren's, but try GWscan first, it's easier to run. If the Toshiba drive can't be run with GWscan, it will tell you, then you can use the Toshiba tool.

For "Defrag" I used to use Raxco Perfect Disk, but Windows 8 seems to do it better by itself, so I have my optimization scheduled every night at 1:00am and I have had 0% frag forever.

OK GWscan doesn't detect the drive at all , however Toshiba utility works, did a short test and I was greeted with this awesome screen...


WTF! is this due to the CRC error above mentioned? How can I check?

That's it then, it's a bad drive. Sorry - It happens sometimes.

Try ViVard, see if it finds your drive, then to a FULL surface scan with Remap - DO NOT shut it down, it will take a log time to run, but it may fix the drive. After that, run the Toshiba again. I've been able to fix two Toshiba drives that were "Fail" like that using ViVard. But what you got there is a SMART fail, so the only thing I can think of, is you can try to find a new controller card fro the drive.

If you have shops in your area that have surplus parts, maybe you can find a used Toshiba drive like yours and take the controller from the back of it and put it on yours.

Anyway, this confirms my original assessment - But you can get ViVard to run even with Bad SMART. Try it, see if it can remap your drive. Keep your eye on it and if it starts giving you NRDY, you will have to stop it, because NRDY means the drive fell off the Bus.

PS! Before you do that, boot to Hirens Mini XP and try to move any important data OFF of the drive, you got a flash drive or a USB drive?