
HP Pavilion PC Model 8676C (US)

General Suggestions for Dealing with Computer Lock-ups

Introduction

Occasionally, your computer may "hang," or freeze in normal operation. When a computer hangs:

· Nothing moves or blinks on the computer display.

· The arrow, hourglass, or cursor does not respond when you move the mouse.

· You type on the keyboard, but nothing appears on the display.

· An error message may be displayed and the keyboard or mouse will lock up.

It is impossible to list all causes or solutions in a single document. This document will outline some basic causes with workarounds or solutions for well-known causes. This document will cover how to perform a soft-boot (CTRL+ALT+DELETE), a hard-boot (turn the machine off and on) and it will also cover some suggested configuration options to control or prevent system lock-ups.

Hewlett-Packard suggests utilizing information contained within their Web site documentation along with information from the Microsoft (R) Corporation knowledgebase to understand and prevent system lock-up, hang or freeze issues. In the section labeled "Helpful links for understanding and resolving these issues", in this document, you will find a series of links to aid you in discovering, understanding and preventing these issues.

Basic causes for system lock-ups, hangs or freezes

There are many different causes for a computer system to lock-up, hang or freeze. The following outline is provided to assist in the understanding of some of those causes. Ideas from this list can be used as search criteria for finding information utilizing the HP.com and Microsoft Corporation knowledgebases. This list is especially helpful in identifying situations immediately following a change to your system configuration such as adding a piece of hardware, a new software package or changes to the system configuration itself.

Hardware causes:

· CD writer or CD disk is dirty; the same would apply to a DVD player.

· Hard drive could be close to running out of available disk space for data to run programs.

· The Hard drive may be faulty and failing to compare data etc.

· Internal drive cables could have come loose from their connections.

· The processor may have come slightly loose from the motherboard socket and needs to be re-seated.

· A printer or other device may have been added to the system resulting in a conflict with another piece of hardware or the software drivers for another piece of hardware.

Software causes:

· A program file could have become overwritten or damaged in some way.

· A software package may have been added to the system that is not compatible with the operating system or another existing software package. This problem is often traced back to a software package being downloaded from the World Wide Web.

· Some form of software or an e-mail message contained a bug or a virus that has overwritten or attached itself to a piece of existing software.

· Too many software applications running at the same time causing memory errors or a very slow system.

· The World Wide Web or the Internet Service Provider you are using may cause the system to hang or not respond to commands.

System error messages and system locks-up, hangs or freezes:

· General protection faults

· Parity (compare) errors

· Memory parity errors

Video causes:

· Old or corrupted video drivers

· Video settings

Environmental causes:

· Power brownouts, resulting in a power cycle to the PC.

· Power blackouts, resulting in a power cycle to the PC.

· Power surges or spikes in power supply voltage.

· Sudden power drops to supply power.

· Old or outdated house wiring.

· Faulty ground circuitry in the residence.

There are also operating system and model specific reasons for system lock-up or hangs. It would be impossible to document every instance and applicable solution for them. The sections below list possible causes and solutions for the well-known and easy to fix variety of system lock-up issues. The following sections should assist you finding ways to resolve these issue.

Computer hangs while running a program

This type of issue may occur with or without an error message. Try one of the following solutions to resolve this type of lock-up. If an error message is present and this issue repeats itself, write the error message down and try using it or a form of it as search criteria on HP.com or the Microsoft Corp. knowledgebase. If no error is present, try looking up information regarding the software or program being used during the lock-up. It could also be a conflict originated by another software that is running at the same time.

· First, try to perform a soft-boot (CTRL+ALT+DELETE). A Close Program screen should appear with a list of running programs or tasks. Highlight the task and choose End Task. This should terminate the program that was locked-up.

· If this situation happens frequently while using a particular program, make a special note of which program or programs are running together. This may provide an idea of which program or programs that conflict when used together. Use this information when searching for troubleshooting options on HP.com or the Microsoft Corp. knowledgebase.

· Second, try performing a hard-boot (turning the machine off then back on). Press and hold the power button to turn the machine off. Wait a few seconds, and then press the power button to turn the machine back on again. Be careful to let the machine work through the complete boot-up process. A scan drive C:> screen should appear. Do not disrupt this process.

NOTE: The preferred method is the soft-boot. Cycling the power or performing a hard-boot can result in corrupted files or hard drive damage. It is suggested to shut down the computer by choosing Start and Shutdown whenever possible.

Figure 1: Press and hold the Power button

· If you cannot turn off the computer with the Power button:

1. Unplug the computer's power cord from the electrical outlet.

2. Wait a few seconds, and then plug the computer's power cord back in.

3. Press the Power button to turn on the computer.

CAUTION: It should rarely be necessary to unplug the power cord from the wall or the system while the system is running, however you occasionally will need to use this approach if other methods fail. Please reserve this method as a last resort as it can potentially cause hard drive damage.

IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS

If the problem still persists, here are some things to try:

· Install a surge protector between the power outlet and the computer's power cord. It is possible that a voltage spike, power outage, or brown-out has occurred. Symptoms of voltage spikes include a flickering video display and unexpected computer startups. A voltage spike can occasionally corrupt or destroy files, so it is a good idea to make backup copies of your data files often.

· Reload the software. (For software that originally came with your system, see "Restoring Your Software" in your online user's guide.) You can download updated drivers from HP's Web site or other vendor's Web sites, if necessary.

· If you recently added hardware to your computer, remove and reinstall the component.

· Make sure you have enough space on your hard drive to run the program. See the " If the computer is low on disk space resources " section below.

· Reduce the Hardware graphics consumption. See steps below.

1. Click Start, Settings, and then Control Panel.

2. Double-click the system Icon.

3. Select the performance tab.

4. Click on Graphics.

5. Move the setting back one notch at a time to see if this resolves the problem.

6. You must restart the system after each adjustment is made.

· Close down TRS's (terminate and stay resident) programs. See steps below.

1. Save any open documents.

2. From the Windows desktop, press the CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys on your keyboard. The Close Program window appears. You will need to select and End Task for each of the programs listed in the Close Program window, except Explorer and Systray.

3. To close down a program, click a name in the Close Program list. Then click End Task.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each of the programs listed (except Explorer and Systray). When Explorer and Systray are the only items listed in the Close Program window, click Cancel to close the Close Program window.

NOTE: Pressing the CRTL+ALT+DELETE keys twice in a row without ending a task will restart the computer. This is not the same as a hard-boot where power has been stopped and restarted. You will still have to close programs since all items that were shut down prior to re-starting will be running again.

· Click here to see the "Helpful links for understanding and resolving these types of issues" section for further assistance.

Computer hangs or becomes very slow after or while connected to the Internet.

Clear the history folder in the browser. Clear Cache memory. These are files that are stored for quick return to Web pages while surfing. Clearing these files will not change the items you want to keep in the favorite list.

1. Open Internet Explorer or Netscape

2. Click "Tools" from the menu bar

3. Highlight and choose Internet Options

4. From the General tab, click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet files area. Click OK, when asked

5. Click Clear History in the History area and click OK when asked

NOTE: Removing temporary Internet files or History files does not change the selected items in the favorites menu. These items are files or web page hits stored to decrease the time it takes to use the back and forward space buttons, and decreases page load time for pages that have recently been loaded.

Figure 2: Internet options

Computer hangs while playing a game

The computer could hang during game play for several reasons:

· Incompatibility with the game

· Incorrect video display settings

· Low resources

· Incompatible video driver

CHECK THE SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Make sure your computer meets the minimum requirements to run the program. (Most software companies print minimum system requirements on their product packages.) To find your computer's specifications, right-click the My Computer icon on the main screen, select Properties, and then click the General tab. For detailed specifications, see your user's guide, or search for the Product Specification document for your computer model on the Hewlett-Packard Web site.

TO CHANGE THE VIDEO DISPLAY SETTINGS

To change the video display settings, follow these steps:

1. From the main screen, click the Start button in the lower left corner, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.

Step 1: Click Start, Settings, and then Control Panel

2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Display icon.

3. The Display Properties window appears. Click the Settings tab, and then change the colors and resolution to the recommended settings for your game. (See the software package for minimum display requirements.)

Step 2: Change the color and resolution settings

4. Click the Advanced button, and then change the Refresh Rate to a setting between 65 Hz and 85 Hz. Click OK.

5. The following message appears: "Windows will now change your desktop settings. It will take a few minutes to become stable. If the screen does not appear correctly, wait 15 seconds and the original settings will be restored." Click OK.

6. The screen turns black and then reappears with the new refresh rate. A message will ask if you want to keep the desktop settings. Click Yes.

7. Click the "X" in the upper right corner to close the the Control Panel window.

The computer is low on disk space resources

Verify that you have enough available space on your hard drive to run the program. On the main screen, double-click the My Computer icon. Right-click the (C:) icon, and then select Properties. A pie chart will appear displaying the used space, the free space, and the hard drive's total capacity. If you do not have enough available space on your hard drive to run the software, follow the steps below to free disk space:

1. Delete the temporary (.tmp) files from your computer. To remove the temporary files:

a. On the main screen, click the Start button in the lower-left corner, click Find, and then click Files or Folders.

b. In the Named box, type: *.tmp.

c. Make sure the C: drive appears in the Look in box, and then click Find Now.

d. When the .tmp files appear, click Edit, click Select All, and then press DELETE on the keyboard.

2. Remove programs that you are no longer using on your computer. To uninstall a program:

a. On the main screen, click the Start button in the lower left corner, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.

b. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

c. From the Install/Uninstall tab, click the down arrow, and then select the program you would like to remove. Click the Add/Remove button.

d. A message will ask if you are sure you want to delete the program. Click Yes.

3. Run the scandisk and defrag program. To run scandisk or defrag:

a. Click the Start button in the lower left corner, and then click Run.

b. In the Open box, type the program you would like to run (scandisk or defrag), and then click OK.

c. Make sure HP_Pavilion (C:) is selected, and then click Start or OK (whichever button you see).

Step 3: Run the scandisk or defrag program.

TO DOWNLOAD A CURRENT VIDEO DRIVER

To download the most current video driver from Hewlett-Packard's Web site:

1. Click here to go to the HP Pavilion product page. Make sure "HP Desktop Pavilion PCs" appears in the first box, and then click Next.

2. Click the down arrow in the second box, and then select your computer's model series. Click Next.

3. Click the down arrow in the third box, and then select your computer's model number. Click Next.

4. Click "Drivers and Software", select your preferred language, and then click Go.

5. Double-click the video driver to download the file, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Computer hangs when placed in standby (suspend) mode

If the computer freezes (or if you see a blank screen) after you press the standby (suspend) button, press ALT+TAB to resume your computer from Standby mode. If you follow this procedure, you will not lose unsaved information.

NOTE: The standby (suspend) button cannot be disabled or re-configured.

NOTE: Microsoft (R) is aware of some problems with standby mode. For example: Article number Q188100, Computer Hangs When Putting Windows 98 Into Standby Mode, and article number Q250830, Your Computer May Have Problems When resuming from Standby mode. These articles were found using search words "Standby Mode"

"Display Settings Correct?" appears, and screen goes black

After you turn on the computer, and just before Windows loads, the following message may appear on the screen: "Display Settings Correct?" The monitor will then go into suspend mode (black screen), and the computer will not start Windows. This problem occurs if a game or program changes the computer's default display properties (such as the refresh rate).

To correct the problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner, and then click Shut Down.

2. Select Restart, and then OK.

3. At the blue Hewlett-Packard "Expanding Possibilities" screen, press the F8 key.

4. When the Windows Startup menu appears, choose "Safe Mode."

5. A message appears explaining Windows is running in safe mode. Click OK.

6. From the main screen in Windows Safe Mode, click Start in the lower left corner, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.

7. Double-click the Display icon in the Control Panel.

8. The Display Properties window appears. Click the Settings tab.

9. The color palette will be set to 16 colors and the screen area will be set to 640 by 480 pixels. Click Apply.

10. A message appears explaining that the custom refresh rates will be removed. It asks you if you want to continue. Click Yes.

11. Another message appears asking if you want to restart your computer. Click Yes.

Helpful links for understanding and resolving these issues

Causes and repair/workaround solutions for various system lock-up, hang, or freezes issues can be found using the following links. If the information in this document did not help you resolve your issue, the following can help guide you to additional information:

1. Click here to go to the HP customer care Web site. Select "HP Pavilion Desktop PCs" from the drop down list. Select your Pavilion model series. In the next pulldown list, select your specific model. The following pages will provide various documentation specific to your Pavilion model. URL: http://www.hp.com/cposupport/jsnav/pchome.html

2. Click here to go to the HP Customer Care Web site. Click "Search" from the menu items. Type applicable search words for the issue you are experiencing. Click "GO" to view documents matching your search criteria, for Example" Locks up, Hangs or an error message. URL: http://www.hp.com/cposupport/jsnav/pchome.html

3. Click here to search for related documents on the "Search All of Hewlett-Packard for:" Web site. Type applicable search words or phrases. Various documents will be displayed resulting from the search criteria. URL: http://search.hp.com/

4. Click here to search the Microsoft.com knowledgebase, for information regarding operating system issues and Microsoft software specific issues. URL: http://search.microsoft.com/us/searchMS.asp

5. Click here to find the customer support center for call center assistance. Select the region to find out how to access services for your area. Scroll down the list as applicable for your product. URL: http://www.hp.com/cpso-support/guide/psd/cscinfo.html

NOTE: One or more of the links above will take you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for information outside of the HP Web site.

Microsoft (R) is a U.S. registered trademark
of Microsoft Corp.
Windows NT (R) is a U.S. registered trademark of
Microsoft Corporation.
Windows (R) and MS Windows (R) are U.S.
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
Copyright (C) Hewlett-Packard Co. 1999
This information is subject to change without notice and
is provided "as is" with no warranty.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the use of this material.