Windows Explorer Freezing

Hi, About 2 weeks ago, Windows Explorer started crashing 2-5 times a day. It seems to happen randomly when I change focus from one application to another. For example, if I am reading e-mail and then select an open Excel file, Windows Explorer occasionally freezes. The mouse still moves but the all apps freeze. If I select Ctrl-Alt-Del the Security/Task Manager windows pops up, but from there it is frozen also. (i.e. I can't select Task Manager button). I have to make a hard reboot by holding down the power button. Using Windows XP. I checked the temp using SpeedFan. It seemed normal (50 C when system crashed). It does not seem to be any specific application that is causing the problem. (e.g. it happens sometimes when Excel is open, but sometimes when it is closed) Any suggestions would be great. Thanks, Dean

This could be a sign of hardware failure. I recommend you back up any critical data immediately. Are there any errors seen Device Manager? What about Event Viewer just moments before the system locks up? Tell us about your system, including how much RAM and free disk space.

It seems to happen randomly when I change focus from one application to another.

As soon as you start your computer? Or only after it has fully warmed up? What if you start your computer, then walk away - will it lock up? 50°C is fine for the CPU, but heat is the bane of all electronics so you need to make sure your graphics card, drives, RAM, PSU, and motherboard are all adequately ventilated too. Make sure the system is clean of heat trapping dust and dirt. If already clean, try blasting a desk fan in there to see if it happens.

While in there, inspect the motherboard for bulging or leaking electrolytic capacitors. These failed or failing capacitors are a common cause of sudden, but seemingly random system lock ups and reboots. The capacitors look like tall soda cans, many of which surround the CPU socket.

A stressed PSU can cause sudden lock ups. Has hardware been added to the computer since the PSU was new? How old is it? A failing PSU can cause all sorts of strange, seemingly random problems. There are testers available, or most shops will test for a small fee, or you can just swap in a known good PSU of adequate power - essential for today's power hungry graphics cards.

I would test the RAM too. You can use one of the following programs. Both require you to create and boot to a bootable floppy disk or CD to run the diagnostics. Using the floppy method is generally easier and yet another reason I still include floppy drives in my new PC builds. However, the CD method is just as effective at detecting RAM problems. Allow the diagnostics to run for several passes or even overnight. You should have no reported errors.

Windows Memory Diagnostic - see the easy to follow instructions under Quick Start Information.
or
MemTest86+ (for more advanced users) - an excellent how-to guide is available here.

Digerati, Sorry for the late reply. My system: DELL Worksation PWS450 Intel Xeon Dual Processors. 2.80GHz 2.50 GB of RAM (normally using about 1 GB. Never more than 1.5GB) Windows XP Profession Version 2002 Service Pack 2 One 74.4 GB HD. 28.8 GB free 4 LCD Monitors - 2 video cards. NVIDEA GeForce FX 5200. NVIDEAN Quadro FX 500. Bought in 2004. Upgraded RAM from 1 GB to 2.5 GB in 2006. No other hardware has been added. Crashes occur sometimes immediately after start up and sometimes hours and hours after start up. Crashes ONLY occur with user interaction. No crash occurs if I am away from my desk. When I click on a window, sometimes that application freezes. This will cause a chain reaction when I click on another application Window or a tab in Windows Explorer. In other words, App1 will freeze but App2 will not freeze until I click on it. I deduced that above because some of my apps have clocks and stock quotes that are moving until they freeze so I can see exactly when the freeze. This seems to happen with task manager too. When I select Ctrl-Alt-Del the Task Manager window comes up correctly. But when I click on it, nothing happens. I cleaned out the dust in the computer but no help. The amount of dust inside did not seem bad. I found no leaking on bulging capacitors. I ran a room fan in the back of my computer, but no help. I ran 1 pass of Windows Mem Diag and found no errros. I plan to run the extended tests overnight tonight. Will let you know what I find. PSU - Power Supply Unit?? The only hardware I have added was the extra 2 GBs of RAM in '06. Device Manager - All the devices are working properly. Is there somewhere specific I can check for errors? Event Viewer - There were no errors reported in the hours before or after the crash. Will confirm Extended Memory Test results in the morning. Thanks, Dean

Hi, I ran the extended test and it showed no errors. 3 passes. -Dean