Windows XP Professional Freezing

[Wiccaan]

Hello again everyone, new issue on another system of mine. I have recently reformatted my desktop as it has been a while since I have done it so I tend to do it every so often to get the system running better. Last night the system was running fine before the reformat, just a bit sluggish and such as Windows gets over time. I had installed Windows XP Pro a while back after my video card died and I was forced to get a new one which caused me to have to reinstall cause Windows wouldn't work until I did.

Anyway, moving on to the problem. Last night I reformatted, reinstalled, and get everything setup. Installed drivers for everything etc.

Now, anytime I right click on anything other then the desktop, the system freezes. Just completely stops and requires a full restart to work again. No matter what I right click on, if it's not the desktop itself the system freezes.

I have gone through endless amounts of drivers for every single part of the system, tried various updates from Microsoft, ran automatic updates and got all of the ones my system needed, tried everything I could think of. No matter what, the system freezes every time I right click.

I've googled around and have found nothing on this exact issue other then people suggesting other video card drivers. I have tried a bunch:

- The default drivers installed by Windows.

- The default drivers that came with the Video card.

- The most recent drivers from ATI's website.

- The most recent release of the TweaksRUs driver set.

- Older versions of the TweaksRUs driver sets.

I have done this with other parts of the system as well, none of the drivers seem to be causing the issue from what I can see.

I checked the event log and I do not see anything that pertains to this, there are only 3 errors in the event log total (this is a fresh reinstall of Windows) and there is nothing there that seems to deal with this issue.

I have just reformatted again to see if there was a problem with the install and the issue is still occuring even after 2 reformats. :(

::Edit::

Forgot to post the system's info as well:

Motherboard: SOYO KT600 Plus (Dragon Series)

Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2600+

Memory: Kingston 512MB DDRAM

Video: ATI Radeon x1600 Pro (512MB AGP)

I just tested the system in safe mode as well, and it does not freeze while its in safe mode. I'm completely stumped at what is causing this.

[Wiccaan]

Ok I have finally pin-pointed the problem for this but I don't understand how it's not causing the freeze on the desktop as well..

Anyway, the issue is the 'Fade Effect' that is located in:

Display Properties -> Appearance -> Effects

The first option is set, by default, to 'Fade Effect'. I turned off everything and it stopped freezing, so I went through each one and found that one to be the cause. Again I don't see how this isn't freezing when I right click on the desktop too.

Aside from that I would like to know if anyone knows a fix for this? I would personally rather leave it as Fade Effect and know there isn't something wrong with my system rather then turn it off and ignore it.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I don't know what causes your system freezes; can you check the Event Viewer for more information?

Regarding your regular reinstalls: I remember well that reinstalls were needed on a regular basis with Windows 9x. However, I never had to reinstall Windows 2000 or XP - there is simply no need for it. I use my current XP system since 2001, and I never had any need for a reinstall.

But if you feel that you need to reset your system from time to time, why not take a full backup after a new install, and then just restore the backup when you feel like reinstalling? Acronis True Image does this job in just a few minutes, and you will always have your system back exactly as it was.

[Wiccaan]

I don't know what causes your system freezes; can you check the Event Viewer for more information?

Regarding your regular reinstalls: I remember well that reinstalls were needed on a regular basis with Windows 9x. However, I never had to reinstall Windows 2000 or XP - there is simply no need for it. I use my current XP system since 2001, and I never had any need for a reinstall.

But if you feel that you need to reset your system from time to time, why not take a full backup after a new install, and then just restore the backup when you feel like reinstalling? Acronis True Image does this job in just a few minutes, and you will always have your system back exactly as it was.

Just like before, the event logs don't yield anything useful for this, I cleared the logs, crashed the system, logged back on and check, and no log was created. Tried freezing the system a few times and still no error log created from the issue. But I'm 100% sure it's from the fade menu effect. But I don't understand why it would all of a sudden happen, even more so after a fresh install, when nothing on this system has changed since I got it other then the video card which I had to reinstall Windows when I got that anyway.

As for my choice to reinstall every so often, my desktop is used for software development, private server use for various different things, and other small side projects. Performance is key on that machine to me and after so long, Windows gradulally 'kills itself' in my opinion and bogs down from various things. I don't use image tools such as the one you mention because I prefer a clean start when I reinstall. I'd rather reinstall all the programs from their disks and such to ensure nothing is corrupted, infected, etc.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Could it be a hardware problem, that just coincides with your reinstallation? Power Supply, fan failure (overheating), HD failing? It is really hard to imagine a software problem on a newly installed XP, especially by an experienced user.

Maybe -pops- has some ideas...?

[Wiccaan]

Yeah, I'm pretty stumped myself. More so with the fact that the machine before the reformat was working fine with this enabled, and 15 minutes later after a reformat it has the problem. Which is why I would say 'probably not' to a hardware issue due to that. The system is working fine with it turned off, been on for the past 24 hours without freezing and such. But like I said above, I would really rather be able to know there is nothing wrong and be able to enable/disable it without issue. Thanks for the responses too Pat.

[Wiccaan]

*Sighs*

Just as I said the above, it freezes again. Now, it's doing it without even right clicking. Just randomly freezing when ever. I tried turning off every setting in the effects options, as well as completely turning off hardware acceleration and still, freezing now without right clicking too..

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Can you start it in Safe Mode, and see if this also happens?

[Wiccaan]

Can you start it in Safe Mode, and see if this also happens?

Tried in safe mode, was working for a bit but locked up after a little while. It froze when I tried uninstalling something, restarted, tried uninstalling it again, same thing. Tried uninstalling something else as well and froze too. It doesn't seem to freeze via the menus in safe mode, or browsing around in things. But I can't be sure, only tested for about 15 minutes with a few restarts as it locked up from doing things..

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

To me this looks more and more like a hardware problem, e.g. overheating. Can you install Speedfan and watch your temperatures?

[Wiccaan]

Temps look fine. I have a box fan blowing into the side of the system since its on all the time the heat during the summer can get a little hot, but it has never been an issue with performance like this before. I clean the fans and the system regularly and such to ensure it's working the best it can. Again, I don't think this is hardware related due to the system being fine 15 minutes before the reformat, then 15 minutes later it's doing this.

I'm seriously confused on this, and I'm getting a bit 'ticked' as I need the system to work cause it's used for important things. But right now its just a dead paper weight. -.-;

[Wiccaan]

So a month later and very stumped on this issue, I reformat for about the eighth time. Sadly to say, it finally works correctly again. This is very frustrating and annoying. I am glad that it's finally decided to work again, but on the same token, I am pretty pissed because it just resolved itself and stopped doing what it used to.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Now that your system is working fine again, I think this is a good time to take a full backup, so you'll have an easy recovery once something similar happens again.

[Wiccaan]

Now that your system is working fine again, I think this is a good time to take a full backup, so you'll have an easy recovery once something similar happens again.

Everything that gets installed is on their respected CDs so nothing to backup really. The server software that I use for the various things either come with Windows, or have downloads from their creators as well.

Computer has been on since I got it working and no issues yet. :)

Still sad that I couldn't have figured out the actual cause of the issue for future reference.

[wickedadmin]

Sounds like you had some gremlins in there. They must have gotten bored and moved on. Problem solved. lol

[thought i knew how]

I've got to agree with Pat on this one. Either its a dodgy part of your HD which has finally been corrected/removed by the format, or if your blue screening, memory, possibly graphics card, but if its working now, highly doubtful.