The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Windows Freezing on New Laptop

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Mercury53, May 17, 2012.

  1. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Windows explorer is freezing on my new Alienware M17x R4, but the mouse is still working fine. I can move the mouse, but I can't click anything or access the task manager. I have scanned for viruses, malware and ran CC Cleaner and everything is fine. I ran a Memory Diagnostic test and it was fine, as was the Hard Drive Check. I need help!!!

    Thank you.
     
  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    Did you update or changed something right before this started happening?
     
  3. Greg

    Greg Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    7,857
    Messages:
    16,212
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    466
  4. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    When I first turned it on, it was on the Welcome screen after you log in for a long long time. I did not change anything besides disabling some startups in Ms Config. All I did was transfer over my music and games. None of which should cause this issue. It actually started before I did all of this, when I was downloading Avast and my other security items.
     
  5. au4all

    au4all Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    3
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    What does windows explorer freezing mean? You can still access all the rest of your programs, browser the internet and do everything else but start the task manager?

    Are there any error messages in the event viewer?
     
  6. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Essentially, the explorer is frozen. I can move the mouse around, but I can't click on anything or close anything or even open the task manager. It seems to happen at random times too.

    Last night everything was great, then this morning, I awaken it from hibernate and it completely froze. Do you think I should call Dell about this?
     
  7. au4all

    au4all Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    3
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Are there error messages in the event viewer?

    It could be almost anything, hardware, software, drivers, etc.
     
  8. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    No error messages that I am aware of. No spyware, viruses, malware or anything of that sort.
     
  9. MrDJ

    MrDJ Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,594
    Messages:
    10,832
    Likes Received:
    363
    Trophy Points:
    501
    have you tried an alternative like Firefox

    sure ive read on here before with freezing with windows explorer but it was over a year ago and somehow firefox sorted it out.
     
  10. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I use Google Chrome, and the freezing is still present. It occurred when I was installing a game, downloading Avast, surfing the web, and running CC Cleaner. It seems it happens at random.
     
  11. MrDJ

    MrDJ Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,594
    Messages:
    10,832
    Likes Received:
    363
    Trophy Points:
    501
    might take some time but try starting again from when it happened. delete game,avast cc and reinstall all.

    i use cc cleaner every other day and avast has had no bad updates in the last 3 months.
    what game was it you downloaded

    make sure avast is set to gaming mode just in case
     
  12. Mercury53

    Mercury53 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Ah, that would be a real pain :). It has been decent for a day or so now. But if it happens again I will give it a go. I actually did enter safe mode and delete CC and Avast the first time it a freeze occurred. I then ran the Memory Diagnostic and Hard Drive scan thing. Everything checked out just fine.