Ann wrote: > An update... > > Many thanks to those who offered advice with my PC freezing. > Martin, I tried to run Housecall but something called DEP wouldn't > let me :-( > > Adrian had mentioned that Active X might be the problem so I googled > and ran a scan with RegCure. It found over 1400 problems! The free > version wouldn't sort the problem so I lashed out and bought the > clean up version and ran it. twice, just to make sure. > My PC still freezes but only a few times day instead of every few > minutes. I know that I still have problem lurking there and must do > something about them but for the moment, I can live with things. > > > Thanks again all those who offered advice either on here of privately.
Rather late now... But my solution is rather different - but it needs *advance* planning... 1. Start with new PC or wiped hard drive 2. Install windows 3. Install all updates for hardware and windows. 4. Activate Windows. 5. Install Acronis True Image, allow it to make a small (20-30GB) hidden partition, and back up the entire C: drive to it as an image (A), and also to a bootable CD. 6. Install all your favourite software 7. Make another image (B) with Acronis to the hidden partition. If you ever get real problems, you can go back to image B or A in about 10-15 minutes (it will install a boot loader so *even* if windows will not boot at all, one can press F11 and run the program in the hidden partition - I think it's a cut down Linux system). If hard drive is completely toast the A image on CD will allow you to replace hard drive and still have PC running in 10mins - rather than the normal 2hrs that XP can take. Another useful tip is to always install *every* item of software with Ashampoo Uninstaller (if you later want to remove the software - then all changes are removed) And if you think a program you have "acquired" might be dodgy, then run it in Sandboxie - to the program all looks normal, but it cannot actually write or change the hard drive at all. Links... http://www.acronis.co.uk/homecomputing/products/trueimage/ http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_0903__.htm http://www.sandboxie.com/ Ron Jones Process Safety & Development Specialist Don't repeat history, unreported chemical lab/plant near misses at http://www.crhf.org.uk Only two things are certain: The universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. ~ Albert Einstein
