Solved Random temporary freezes and strange mouse cursor performance

[MaQy]

Hi,

For some weeks now I've been experiencing random freezes for about a couple of seconds in a rate around 5 or 6 per minute. It doesn't always happen, and usually it occurs after being working with the computer for some time, not just after restarting. I've been monitoring the task manager (even using Process Explorer), the disk usage, the Windows event manager... and I have no clue what can be causing this. No new hardware was installed and when this happens I try to close all non system applications and it still behaves the same way. I also ran several antivirus applications and nothing was found.

I only have a couple of probably misleading clues. The first one is about the mouse. When this problem starts to happen, the mouse cursor doesn't behave properly. When it is the text cursor instead of being just black is kind of red (hard to explain) and when I move it around it takes a while until it changes to the proper cursor depending on what I'm pointing.

The second clue is the computer fan as it starts spinning faster when the system is frozen, and goes back to normal when the system is again responsive.

I know is a vague question, but I'm afraid I don't know what else to check. Thanks in advance.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Overheating?

Your PC may be overheating (e.g. CPU).
You should install a utility that can show you the temperature of your PC hardware (i.e. CPU, GPU and HDD/SSD).

You could try a program like Speccy.
Speccy - System Information - Free Download

If it is overheating, you may be able to fix the problem by cleaning out any dust/fluff that has accumulated in the vents or on the components.

Have a look at this article:
http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Your-Computer-System#Physical_Cleaning

Remember to unplug your PC from the Mains and to take antistatic precautions, BEFORE opening your PC.

 

[AmericanPharaoh]

Hello MaQy,

Brand and model of computer?

What were you doing just before the issue started?

Did you download any software, or add any new Hardware?

What are you using for Internet Security?

What cleaners did you already run? Such as, Malwarebytes, etc.

John

 

[MaQy]

Hello MaQy,
Brand and model of computer?

I already set that information in my profile, do I still need to copy it here? As you can see I'm new so I'm not sure about these kind of things.

What were you doing just before the issue started?

Nothing special, it just happens when I'm using the computer for any kind of task. At the beginning it works normally but after a while it starts freezing. And I don't always suffer the problem.

Did you download any software, or add any new Hardware?

As I said no new hardware was installed, but I did install a bunch of applications, so I could not mark any guilty. Also I'm not exactly sure when this started to happen. However, now that I'm remembering this... actually I had an issue with the graphic driver after updating it: I could not let the screen to go into energy save mode as it would not responding after that. However it got fixed in the next update I think, but the freezing issues probably started around the same time.

What are you using for Internet Security?

What cleaners did you already run? Such as, Malwarebytes, etc.

I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials but I also ran Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware, Adaware, Spybots and some more programs of that kind. Nothing was found.

 

[MaQy]

Your PC may be overheating (e.g. CPU).
You should install a utility that can show you the temperature of your PC hardware (i.e. CPU, GPU and HDD/SSD).

You could try a program like Speccy.
Speccy - System Information - Free Download

If it is overheating, you may be able to fix the problem by cleaning out any dust/fluff that has accumulated in the vents or on the components.

Have a look at this article:
How to Clean Your Computer System: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Remember to unplug your PC from the Mains and to take antistatic precautions, BEFORE opening your PC.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will run it when I can reproduce it again.

 

[AmericanPharaoh]

Hello MaQy,

Check if the issue repeats in Safe Mode.

If the issue does not happen in safe mode, then try Clean Startup.

Afterwards, let us know what happened.

John

 

[MaQy]

Your PC may be overheating (e.g. CPU).
You should install a utility that can show you the temperature of your PC hardware (i.e. CPU, GPU and HDD/SSD).

You could try a program like Speccy.
Speccy - System Information - Free Download

If it is overheating, you may be able to fix the problem by cleaning out any dust/fluff that has accumulated in the vents or on the components.

Have a look at this article:
How to Clean Your Computer System: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Remember to unplug your PC from the Mains and to take antistatic precautions, BEFORE opening your PC.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will run it when I can reproduce it again.

No luck, it happened again (indeed it's still happening while I'm posting this) and Speccy said my graphic card and my CPU are OK (under 40 ºC).

 

[MaQy]

Thanks to a clue in the Event Viewer and some googling I found out it was caused by recent versions of the NVIDIA drivers. I had to downgrade as explained here:

https://forums.geforce.com/default/...t-id-14-from-source-nvlddmkm-cannot-be-found/

 

[lehnerus2000]

When I had an NVidia card installed, every 2nd NVidia driver update caused grief on my PC.