Windows XP Freeze

Hi Guys, I have a computer that I built which has been running flawlessly for over a year now running Windows XP Home edition. I am now all of a sudden having a problem with windows. I turn the computer on and everything posts as normal, then the windows XP logo comes up and proceeds as usual, now my windows wallpaper loads up and after this point nothing happens, the mouse icon does not come up nor do any desktop icons or the task bar. It will just sit there with the background. The only things I have recently done is I bought a 40" Sony Bravia and I hooked my computer up to it via the S video cable. It was working at this point (I was just testing out how it looked) after this brief 15 minute test where the computer was functioning I brought it back into the computer room and then the next time I turned it on it did this. I have a new wireless USB keyboard/mouse set I am using on it and I read a few mins ago that someone had a problem like this where a USB printer they had caused the problem as it tried to load drivers and froze up the cpu, I am going to check this tonite but if anyone has suggestions in the meanwhile I would appreciate it. Thanks

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding your situation. It seems that what has happened is that you no longer have your Desktop Icons, but everything else is fine? if so……….. Desktop settings changed 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click Display, click the Desktop tab, and then click Customize Desktop. 3. Select Restore Defaults Best Regards

No, whats happening is that I am not getting anything except my windows wallpaper, I mean its as if it loads windows at the XP logo screen, then starts windows but just totally locks up. I don't get a mouse pointer, taskbar, or icons, just my desktop background wallpaper and that is it. Any ideas?

Can you get to Windows Task Manager via "cntrl-alt-del" ?

I am pretty sure it didn't do anything, but I will try again tonite, also going to buy a wired ps/2 keyboard to make sure its not the USB wireless one I bought.

If you can get to Windows Task Manager, you can Start and Run any application or utility that you have installed by Select - File - New Task(run) and then type in the process that you want. I suggest…. Run MSCONFIG from Task Manager, (not to change anything, just to take a look) Make sure that "Normal StartUp is Selected on the General Tab. __________________ Next try hitting the Windows Flag keyboard key. it is usually located between ctrl and alt That should bring up your START - All Programs screen Select Run - (type)sfc /scannow <—————-notice the space between "c" and "/" Allow System File Checker to scan your machine (takes about 20 minutes) SFC will replace any missing or corrupted system files that it identifies. If the above don't help, you may want to consider a Repair Installation. Repair installation is "non-destructive" and you should not lose any applications or documents. You'll need your XP installation CD to get to Recovery Console (type) R to indicate Recovery then follow the prompts to Repair Installation. Best Regards

You indicate that your machine ran fine with your new 40" Sony Bravia for a 15 minute test, before you physically transported the entire machine back to your computer room. Were you using your USB Keyboard and Mouse at that time? if not, you might switch back to a PS/2 keyboard and mouse to problem-solve this and get your Monitor up and running. (I like to have a PS/2 keyboard and mouse available, since USB does not work in SAFE Mode, or at least not in all circumstances that I may need to test) _________ Are you able to Boot your machine into SAFE Mode? Do your Icons, taskbar and mouse pointer appear in SAFE Mode? If so, you might be dealing with a problem with your video adapter card…….. hmmmm, but, it worked for 15 minutes. hmmmm. ______________ Of course, the most likely problem is with cords and connecters that might not have been firmly reattached after you moved the machine. I hope you will keep us posted with your solution, so that other members can learn from your success. Best Regards

Will keep you posted, all good suggestions, will give these a test toast once I get home from work tonite. Will update you tomorrow, THANKS

Turns out the problem was not as complicated as I originally thought. Here is the skinny, I have a 19" Scepter monitor I always have used with my computer. The video card knows and loves this monitor, when I went ahead and took my computer to the TV and used it the videocard kept the Scepter in memory but then went ahead and added the TV and assigned it as primary and the Scepter monitor as secondary attached. I find that a little odd as they never were plugged into the computer in tandem until my testing last night to find the culprit. So the long and short of it I plugged the TV and monitor into the computer, then from the TV I reassigned the monitor as the primary and detached the two. This explained why I saw the background but nothing because this was just an extension of the TV. Hope this helps any other people who may go as LCD crazy as myself