A Method To Avoid Forced Restarts?

FliGi7 said:

No computer is totally immune to freezes. However, freezes that are major enough to freeze the whole system rather than just their own process are indicative of more serious problems. Such freezes are never an expected or sustainable action of a healthy operating system. I know you have been conditioned to be used to it, but it's not normal and you really should at least be backing up important data on the system and figured out a possibly safer and better solution to your program installs and testing. Just my opinion, though, as I'd rather help fix this now than a couple months from now when we're trying to figure out how to recover your system from a total failure or you're spending wasted hours or days doing it.

I do run regular backups, but that doesn't address the question. The problem programs are not necessarily a matter of the method of install, because some have worked without problems for quite some time, before issues appear. In some cases, reinstalling them fixes the problem, but in others not.

alphanumeric said:

One lockup can potentially lead to another. The more lockups you have the better the odds get that you will have yet another one. The other program problems may be the result of the first glitch and not an actual fault with that program. The more you have the more unstable your system will become. At the very least I think I would do a sfc/scannow, if you haven't already.

I ran that just a couple of days ago, and I fixed the only issue that it pointed out, and it has not improved these other problems.

seekermeister said:

FliGi7 said:

No computer is totally immune to freezes. However, freezes that are major enough to freeze the whole system rather than just their own process are indicative of more serious problems. Such freezes are never an expected or sustainable action of a healthy operating system. I know you have been conditioned to be used to it, but it's not normal and you really should at least be backing up important data on the system and figured out a possibly safer and better solution to your program installs and testing. Just my opinion, though, as I'd rather help fix this now than a couple months from now when we're trying to figure out how to recover your system from a total failure or you're spending wasted hours or days doing it.

I do run regular backups, but that doesn't address the question. The problem programs are not necessarily a matter of the method of install, because some have worked without problems for quite some time, before issues appear. In some cases, reinstalling them fixes the problem, but in others not.

I mean this in a very literal and absolutely non-sarcastic way, but so what? The bottom line here is that there is such a history of 3rd party programs freezing your system that you consider it to be normal. I just hope nothing more serious happens. I've suffered due to problems I've postponed or downplayed in the past so I can only hope to steer others away before that happens to them.

I appreciate your concern, but the gravity of the situation and how to deal with it is something that I must decide for myself. If I err in how I decide, it is I that will have to suffer the consequences. I understand that your comments are intended to be helpful, but they do not address the question that I posted.