OT: A computer annoyance - help wanted!

Renegade 13 · #1 January 19th, 2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

aegisx said:
Is your CPU at 100% during this frozen time? Atro mentioned it, but I'm not sure if you answered.

My first thought is that the driver is causing the lockup, which is difficult to do anything about. The other guy would be explorer.exe as I believe he is responsible for spawning processes.

Nah, the CPU is at resting capacity, like... 3% or something like that.

I reinstalled the modem drivers (since I couldn't find any more recent drivers), and I'll see how that works.

aegisx · #2 January 19th, 2008, 11:18 PM

It sounds like some piece of code, in the kernel (driver) or explorer.exe is waiting on something.

Renegade 13 · #3 January 20th, 2008, 03:27 AM

Update: Not the driver, as far as I can tell. It's still messing up after reinstalling 'em.

Any further suggestions?

Will · #4 January 20th, 2008, 08:54 PM

If you have another computer, try using that to connect with the same modem. If it works in another computer, re-install windows.

Send off for a LiveCD, and try connecting via the modem with Linux. If it works through Linux, either use Linux or re-install windows.

If it still locks up, you can get modems for under $10; try replacing it.

Baron Grazic · #5 January 21st, 2008, 02:26 AM

Could it be something like the Anti-Virus software doing an update as soon as you go online and it halts other programs from loading while the upgrade takes place?
Could explain why it takes different amounts of time & no noticeable CPU usage.

narf poit chez BOOM · #6 January 21st, 2008, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Baron Grazic said:
Could it be something like the Anti-Virus software doing an update as soon as you go online and it halts other programs from loading while the upgrade takes place?
Could explain why it takes different amounts of time & no noticeable CPU usage.

This makes sense.

Renegade 13 · #7 January 21st, 2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Baron Grazic said:
Could it be something like the Anti-Virus software doing an update as soon as you go online and it halts other programs from loading while the upgrade takes place?
Could explain why it takes different amounts of time & no noticeable CPU usage.

This is definitely possible, sounds like something Norton would do. Though I have it set to disable automatic updates... I hardly trust it to actually do so.

Quote:

Fyron said:
Have you tried using an app like Process Explorer to see what is really going on? Lots of stuff can hide from Task Manager, or simply don't get reported in the normal course of things.

I have not, but shall do so. Thanks for the info

A wee bit off topic, but can anyone recommend a program that'll tell me exactly what traffic my internet is conducting at any given time? (My terminology is probably wrong, but I hope you get the picture)

Raapys · #8 January 21st, 2008, 11:37 PM

There's TCPView

http://technet.microsoft.com/nb-no/s...37(en-us).aspx

Xrati · #9 January 21st, 2008, 02:35 PM

Try increasing the swap file size if it is not on auto. Its sounds more and more as if your going to have to reinstall. Something is using or limiting resources to the point where there is no noticable usage on the processor but the structure of the process has broken down into small packets being processed. Basically, it's the memory management or lack of it. Probably a corrupted file.

Fyron · #10 January 21st, 2008, 05:06 PM

Have you tried using an app like Process Explorer to see what is really going on? Lots of stuff can hide from Task Manager, or simply don't get reported in the normal course of things.