Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate - mouse or explorer.exe hands up system completely

[FreeCat]

Hi - You guys helped me some time ago with W7 crashing on this machine.  Thanks for that.

Now, the machine has not had that problem but recently the mouse (or maybe it is explorer.exe) freezes the system.
What I mean is that the mouse and keyboard become unresponsive and whatever programs are funning just stop processing.

I installed a new Logitch driver and Setpoint thingie, but they have not helped the situation.

Sometimes, I notice it when I I grab  window to move it to another part of the screen.

Or, sometimes when I select some text in a window to copy it.

It drives me nuts as I loose work that I need., plus wastes time, etc.

I reboot and then is it good for a day sometimes several days, but I have no idea what is causing it.

My W7 is up tto date with updates.  Thanks in advance for any ehlp.

[satrow]

Malwarebytes Premium? https://borncity.com/win/2019/01/08/windows-7-malwarebytes-is-causing-sporadic-freezes/

I think the latest update, 3.6.1.2711-1.0.519-1.0.8728, fixes it.

[Still_Game]

Hi Satrow - unfortunately, the latest Malwarebytes release doesn't fix this issue, see post # 3 in this thread https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/236862-announcing-malwarebytes-for-windows-361/

I've got Windows 7 and am a Malwarebytes Premium user and haven't had any problems yet,  but Malwarebytes don't yet have a solution for the significant number of Windows 7 users who have reported freezes. I know they're devoting a lot of resources to the problem and I'm sure they'll crack it soon.

[Boggin]

I wasn't aware of this problem with MBAM and Win 7 if that is also the cause in this case, but I only use the free version and have its service set to manual so that it isn't running in the background.

[FreeCat]

Thanks, satrow, Still_Game and Boggin.  Happy to know it is not only my W7 that has this problem.
I use Avast Anti-Virus (paid version).  Can I use Malwarebytes (preium) also or should I just switch to MalwareBytes (premium)?
The cost is no important, I just want the best anti-virus.  The cost is nothing compared to the waste of time and annoyance of problems.
Who keeps upwith problems best?

I have WiseCare, Kerrish Doctor and Unhack-me and Advanced System Care 12.1.0.210 along with the Avast Anti-malware.

Are these things doing me any good or just causing problems?

[Still_Game]

Malwarebytes should work well with most conventional antiviruses for a multi layer approach but Malwarebytes claim that their software is really all you need. I run mine alongside Microsoft Security Essentials and I'm pretty confident in that combination.

I'm not familiar with the other software you mention except for Advanced System Care, which I would not recommend. Registry cleaners are a big no-no! Even Tweaking.com's Windows Repair is designed only be run to resolve specific errors rather than being a system tune-up. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Boggin]

So it isn't MBAM in your case.

Let's start with a chkdsk /r to see if that reports any KBs in bad sectors.

I'm not sure if I've already gone through with you how to view a chkdsk log but open Event Viewer, ensure Event Viewer (Local) is highlighted in the left pane by clicking on it if necessary and when it has read the data, expand Windows Logs - click on Application/Action/Find then type chkdsk or wininit into the Find box and press enter.

Cancel the Find box and read the log in the scrollable window below.

As it can go for a few days without freezing then I doubt it would be anything in your start menu, so a clean boot probably wouldn't ID one of those items in your Start up menu.

The next time you have to reboot to get out of it, check to see if Event Viewer or reliability history has recorded anything adverse for the time of the freeze.

[FreeCat]

Thanks, guys.

Boggin, I have a 2 TB Samsung SSD, so is a checkdisk with /r a thing that applies?

BTW, I have never been able to get the Samsung Magician to work properly; I mean it is runnning but will not "accept the update drive".  By this I mean. it only seems to "see" the Hitachi drive on my system. 

OK, in looking for the version of the software, I see and update is available.  So, I will update and report back.

[FreeCat]

OK, so I updated the software and still am not sure that it has recognized the SSD.
Now in German, but I did not see a choice for English.  PICTURE ATTACHED

[Boggin]

No - a chkdsk does not apply to a SSD.

I couldn't understand what your pic was telling me.

The Magician not recognizing a Samsung SSD is a known problem, but I don't know if that is the cause of your freezes.

If you can resolve that and the freezes cease, then it could have been the problem.

This article gives some remedial steps which may resolve the recognition problem.

https://appuals.com/fix-samsung-magician-doesnt-recognize-ssd/

Let us know how you get on.

[FreeCat]

Thanks Boggin,

Well, I was very worried about the SSD when I first installed it, but since then (maybe 2 + months) I have not had any problems with it and system seems to be OK.  I have hear that performance can be increased with Magician, but for now I will just leave well enough alone.  I am putting in another idential system in the next month and will read all about how to install based on you link for that system.

Re mouse or explorer.exe hanging up system, I guess I have to wait till it happens and take a careful look at the event viewer as you suggested.  By t till then and thanks much!

[Boggin]

Okay.

[Boggin]

I forgot to add that while a chkdsk /r doesn't apply to SSDs, a chkdsk /f can be run on a SSD as it mainly just reads the disk with any corrections only taking minimal writing which would not impact on the life of the SSD.

[FreeCat]

Hi - OK at 13 44 today it happened again.
Attached are the event viewer notices; none of them happened at 13 44.

SEE ATTACHMENTS
NOTE ATTACHED 2019 01 14  a number of these from 04 28 am to 13 28 pm; note crash was at 13 44 pm
   (this mentiones Avast update had a problem; dunno y as I have a paid version; should I just junk it and go to malware bytes?)
NOTE ATTACHED 2019 01 14  this was at 11 37 am

When it happened, mouse and kb and cpu were frozen;  all monitors were on.
On reboot two of the AMD W7000 monitors did not come on; I went to screen resolution and they would not connect.
But, every time it has happened in the past there were no problems at all with the monitors coming on.

[Boggin]

Are your monitors on now ?

See if there's an update for the video driver or you could reinstall what you have by opening Device Manager/Display adapters then right click on it and select Update driver - first to let it search online and if that comes back as already having the latest driver, right click on it and select Update driver again.

Click on Browse my computer - Let me pick and then click on the driver and then on Next where it will reinstall.

I don't know what that expired certificate is for but Avast could have problems with having repeated errors, although as you don't have a timed error date for the freeze, then it's unlikely to be the cause.

Can you go Start - type view reliability and press enter when View Reliability history comes up which may also have something recorded.

I don't know if it would be worth doing a memory test as when the RAM modules become problematic, you usually get a black screen, but if you have more that one RAM module fitted, remove all but one then go Start - type memory and press enter when Windows memory Diagnostic comes up and let it scan then do the same with the other modules to see if it reports anything.

However, if there's anything wrong with a module or its slot, when just that one is fitted, the machine may not boot up but a scan could spot a weak spot.

[FreeCat]

Thanks, Boggin.  I found that the BIOS had an update in September, so I did that.  Video drivers the latest as far as I can tell.  Happened again at end of yesterday and again this afternoon.  Attached is Belarc and DirectX diagnostics.

[Boggin]

I couldn't quite make out what Belarc was telling me in its first graph but if Avast is having problems when downloading its Definitions then perhaps that is the cause of the freezes.

Can you uninstall Avast using its Uninstaller and install MSE for a short while to see if the freezes return.

https://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/14210/security-essentials-download

You get a choice of languages in that download site.

You don't need to worry about those files that have been reported as not digitally signed - this is what they relate to -

https://www.file.net/process/tbhsd.sys.html

http://leawo-vad-sys-c-windows-system32-drivers.fileinfodb.com/

[Still_Game]

It seems that Malwarebytes may be on the way to resolving the Windows 7 / Malwarebytes freeze issues - see post #2 in this thread. Here's hoping!

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/241223-malwarebytes-for-windows-and-windows-7-freezelock-up/

[Boggin]

Unfortunately, it isn't MBAM in this case that is causing the freezes.

[Still_Game]

So it would seem - I just thought I'd post the information in this thread as I'd earlier raised it as a possibility and I'd seen the update on the situation this morning.

[Boggin]

Well thanks for that anyway.