Identifying lock-ups and freezes
Close locked-up programs and locate problem software
Uninstall and re-install the problem software
Contact the software vendor
Understanding backwards compatibility issues
Change the operating system emulation with the Program Compatibility Wizard
This document pertains to HP Notebook PCs with Windows Vista.
Identifying lock-ups and freezes
This document will help you to locate and troubleshoot programs that cause your notebook to hang, freeze, or lock-up. Print this document or save it to your hard disk drive to have the reference available after disconnecting from the internet.
Symptoms of notebook lock-ups, freezes, and hangs include:
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Nothing moves or blinks on the computer display.
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The computer will not respond to the mouse or keyboard.
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An error message appears and will not go away.
Freezes, crashes, and lock-ups may be caused by programs locking up resources, software conflicts, or older programs being incompatible with newer operating systems. Follow the steps in this document, in order, until the problem is resolved.
Close locked-up programs and locate problem software
If your notebook locks up or stops responding while using a program, close the stalled program to continue using other programs. Also, while closing the program, take note of which other programs are running at the same time.
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Close the program that is "Not responding" and determine if the lock-ups continue.
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If the lock-ups no longer occur after the program is closed, go to Uninstall and re-install the problem software .
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If the lockups continue, press ctrl + alt + delete to go back to the Task Manager.
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Write down all of the programs that are running when the lock-up occurs. The conflict could have originated by another software application that is running at the same time.
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Close other programs that are running one at a time (except for Explorer and Systray) and determine if the lockups continue. Once you find the problematic software application, go to Uninstall and re-install the problem software .
Uninstall and re-install the problem software
To resolve the problem that is causing the notebook to lock-up, uninstall the suspected software and then re-install it. If your software came with an uninstaller program, use it first; otherwise, follow the steps below to uninstall and re-install the program.
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Click Start > Control Panel .
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When the Control Panel window opens, select Uninstall a program.
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Select the program that is causing the lockups and right-click it. Then select Uninstall .
NOTE:
Remove all versions of the same program. Sometimes upgrades will not remove old versions of the software before installing the new version. This leaves multiple versions of the same software on your computer.
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After removing the problem programs, close the Control Panel.
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Restart the computer.
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Re-install the program following the vendor's instructions
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