Computer near frozen

treetops

Posts: 3,064   +784
This is my girlfriends computer.

She updated windows 2 days ago, restarted at the request of the update. Used her computer everything was fine. Then left her computer on for about 24 hours. When she came back it was near frozen. So she tried to shut it down. Waited 5 minutes then hit the power button. When it came back on the same problem persisted.

My time:
I got it to go away just by clicking around, all of a sudden run abiword setup kept popped up 3 times, so I closed it and somehow that fixed it. So I was like ok, uninstalled the app and deleted the setup. Ran a full virus scan no results. Restarted the computer and bam the problem is back and won't go away.

Where I am at now:
I can only manage to open task manager, the cpu and ram usage are below 10%, I closed all unnecessary tasks. No results.

I tried to run the RUN command to open msconfig to get the computer to boot in safemode... run opens but msconfig does not.

The keyboard does not work until windows loads so I cannot enter safemode via boot.

I want to try a system restore but I have no clue how to get there under these conditions.

p.s.

Windows 7 64 bit, I tried to log off via alt cntrl delete and I get a message to many 16 bit applications are running I click ok ok ok, then it says logging off but never logs off. I want to logoff so I can restart with maybe a working keyboard...
 
Last edited:
To do what you suggest I would need to go into bios and change the boot order? The keyboard does not work until windows loads. I may have a disc that I made long ago as a recovery disc.
Hi Are you saying that you can't get into safe mode and the keyboard does not work in BIOS?
 
Hi Are you saying that you can't get into safe mode and the keyboard does not work in BIOS?
Until windows loads completely, like your desktop appears the computer does not recognize the keyboard. So I can't hit f8 when it boots to get into safemode to try to do a system restore. The only program I can load is task manager. A clean install is not an option im pretty sure my girlfriend has photos she on there of her father n step father that passed away.
 
The System Recovery Options menu contains several tools, such as Startup Repair, that can help you recover Windows from a serious error. This set of tools is on your computer's hard disk and on the Windows installation disc.Hi The only way I know to recover from your issue is by getting into safe mode. If you can't get there by tapping F8 then you need to created a media creation CD/DVD or USB flash and boot to it. I will post this again. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17101/windows-7-system-recovery-options
I can't perform a miracle for you. I wish I could. You have to get into the recovery mode; where you have several options to try to recover your OS.
The only way I know is the F8 or with the W7 media. Maybe other members will reply latter.
The System Recovery Options menu contains several tools, such as Startup Repair, that can help you recover Windows from a serious error. This set of tools is on your computer's hard disk and on the Windows installation disc.
 
Last edited:
It seems you do not read the links I post. Here's how to use the media to repair your OS! This is taken from the above link!
If your computer's system is severely damaged and you can't access the System Recovery Options menu on your computer, you can access it using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, or using a system repair disc if you created one earlier.

To use this method, you need to restart (boot) your computer using the disc or USB flash drive.

  1. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive, or a system repair disc, and then shut down your computer.
  2. Restart your computer using the computer's power button.
  3. When prompted, press any key, and then follow the instructions that appear.
  4. On the Install Windows page, or on the System Recovery Options page, choose your language and other preferences, and then click Next.
      • If neither the Install Windows page nor the System Recovery Options page appear, and you're not asked to press any key, you might need to change some system settings.
  5. If you're using the Windows installation disc or USB flash drive, click Repair your computer.
  6. Select the Windows installation you want to repair, and then click Next.
  7. On the System Recovery Options menu, click a tool to open it.
 
Or, buy another hard drive and make that C: and partition and do clean install on the new drive. Once that works, make the old HDD a data drive on D:, then MAKE A BACKUP of the photos - 2 of them, in fact.
 
Here are your recovery options!
27.png.pagespeed.ce.qwehn5JVD3.png
 
Hi. Could we get a update on your issue? @Cycloid Torus has suggested a way to recover your pictures, ect.
Sense we don't know if we are talking about desktop or laptop, I would like to add this his post. If you're talking about a laptop, you will need a docking station or a docking cable to do what Cycloid Torus suggested. I use a cheap docking cable to do this. Works really well.
51BWnzgtwXL._SX425_.jpg
 
A clean install is not an option im pretty sure my girlfriend has photos she on there of her father n step father that passed away.

Make a live linux cd or usb drive on another computer, next you take that live cd and boot into it.
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Live_CD_installation_for_11.4
Go to your girlfriends hdd in the linux device manager, find my documents then find her pictures.
Highlight all of her pictures, right click, cut, now navigate to your usb drive.
Open it up, make a folder, now right click, then hit paste, it will move her pictures and what not.
Sorry about holdum he is abit too eager to help and jumping the gun without reading whats at stake.
 
Look at the usb ports in back of computer. The ones with blue inserts are Usb 3.0 and the ones with black inserts are Usb 2.0.
Be certain you plug keyboard into a Usb 2.0 and then it should work below Windows. The other possibility is the back shows round ports green and purple which means only a Ps2 keyboard with round port will work under Windows. If this is a laptop shame on you for telling us nothing about computer and letting us fly blind. So laptop or desktop make and model or hardware if custom build and beyind that no real good help is possible without telling us what system is.
 
Last edited:
I will update this topic when I progress, I have a big closet with a lot of stuff in it and somewhere buried in there is a recovery disk I burned. Looking through it all will take me a few hours. I'm off tomorrow so most likely that's when I'll look. I am usually burned out from work and I was hoping for a quick solution. The links you provided holdum need a windows key which my gf does not have. It is a legitimate copy she just does not have the key.

3. When prompted, press any key, and then follow the instructions that appear.

The keyboard is inactive until the desktop loads.

The computer is a desktop, there is no USB 3.0 ports they weren't invented when her PC came out. The model is HP pavilion p600 series I would have included that in the original post but I thought maybe someone knew a easy all around solution.

If the disk does not work I will consider loading linux and or plugging the hard drive into this computer to gather the photos. Or knopix I have that burned cd somewhere as well.

Again I will update you all when progress and or the lack of is made, thank you for your help.
 
I would make my top priority making those backup copies. Data like special photos are priceless.

I agree if something may happen to the hard drive, like the partition table becoming completely ruined, the hdd dying out.
Just back up everything you want then do whats necessary next.
 
Check mfgr website for a bios update as keyboard non functioning under Windows is usually fixed by a bios update.
It is also possible the "F Lock" key is in wrong position to allow keyboard to work under Windows as well and finally type of keyboard. ON many older systems only Ps2 keyboards worked under Windows.
 
Update
1. I tried a windows recovery disk it did not load maybe I need to change the boot order but I cannot do that since the keyboard wont work. ( I will update bios if possible later or try another or Rich methods, currently her HD is in my computer )

2. I connected the HD to my computer and recovered all photos and videos, success. I placed them on a flash drive and I am uploading them to google drive at the moment.

3. I grabbed her Windows CD key with this method https://superuser.com/questions/636568/how-do-I-retrieve-a-product-key-from-another-hard-drive

4. Scanned HD with virus scanner no results.

5. My next step will be to try to boot her HD OS with my computer. If the OS boots fine then it is another computer component on her computer or the bios. If it does not boot, then I can at least try a few things with my computer operating her HD, safemode system restore, recovery disk and if all else fails I will reinstall windows.

I will update this topic later if I need assistant or if the issue is resolved, thank you all for your input.
 
Last edited:
"5. My next step will be to try to boot her HD OS with my computer." - unlikely to work well if there are different components. What if this is malware? Be careful. Since you have backup and you have license key, maybe you should download and burn OS to a DVD or a bootable flash drive and perform a clean install - be sure it is 'clean' by repartitioning and doing a full (not quick) format.
 
Back