Wife's PC Problem
 

My wife has a fairly new computer and is having some problems. She is running Windows XP and in the past month she has been having hangups. She can move the mouse but cannot select anything. She can't type and cannot close programs. This doesn't seem to be with any specific program that she is aware of. I'm just wondering whether anyone might have a quick fix or some ideas. I'm sure it's not a virus.

Thanx

John

try reloading the mouse driver.

I'll give it a try. Stranger things have happened. However, I don't know if that would cause the keyboard to stop working.

John

John, are the keyboard and the mouse wireless?

Bill :)

I would turn the system off. Then unplug and replug everything. Sometimes sockets are hard to get stuff fully plugged into. They try it.

I'm also puzzled by how she could have a fairly new computer running XP. That OS is getting pretty old. You could be having some compatibility issues.

the keyboard and mouse are not wireless. The PCM is about 2 years old as I recall. It replaced a PC that was running Xp and we didn't change when we purchased. I am using Xp on my PC and i'm happy with it.

John

I would open the PC up and clean the contacts with an eraser of the boards that plug into the motherboard. I would make sure the motherboard is free from dust as dust conducts electicity. I would reload the mouse driver and or try another mouse.

If it freezes up in all programs, then I would consider if it's worthwhile for a motherboard repair.

Try starting in safe mode and see if you have the same problem. If you do then mulligan is probably correct. But I would delete the old driver before reinstalling.

I would also run a defraggler program and several anti virus programs. Not because I think they will fix the problem but because they are easy to run and just maybe it will help. You could have a bad spot on the disk that is causing the problem so the defraggler could help.

Agreed.. but make sure that you do the following:

- Use a wired keyboard and mouse, preferably the ones that came with the machine.
- Download the new drivers directly from the manufacturers website.

Good luck!

I would go to the restore program and restore the computer to a date that everything was working. Then I would defrag.

Windows XP
 

Beware that in about a year Microsoft will no longer support XP and Microsoft Office 2003. Which means no security updates...

To install Windows 7 or 8 you will have to format the disk and reinstall all programs and data files....

Is your number lock on

If you do an upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 you do not have to reinstall all your programs. Now does the XP machine have the processor power, memory and hard drive space to handle the upgrade to 7 or 8?

Granted a total new install of either Windows 7 or 8 will give you a totally clean machine but you will need to install all your programs.

VG

I had some of the same problems and was going nuts until a god friend suggested the bios battery might be going bad or weak. I changed it and all is now perfect. Since you're running XP it seems like it might be old - worth a try.

What would I look for to find the bios battery. I have no problem opening up the PC. Also where do you get a bios battery?

John

The battery is on the motherboard. It's a little watch size battery and you can probably get it at publix, at least that's where I got mine. It's worth a try to fix your problems.

On some very old units the battery is a small pack in a holder the will have a red and black wires running to plug that plugs into the motherboard. Those have been outdated for many years but I am betting there are still a few antiques out there.

On newer units it will look like a watch battery. Some are about the size of a dime and others the size of a nickel. Look carefully and how the battery is held in place. There is always some tab or tang that will need to be moved back to allow the battery to pop out.

One other thing and that is depending on where the battery is placed on the motherboard it may be hidden from view by the hard drive or CD/DVD drive.


VG

Make sure you are grounded properly befor touching anything. Is this the same battery that keeps time on the PC?

I may be wrong but I don't remember two types of these batteries on a motherboard. If it is, I would replace both while your there.

There's only one battery. You will have to reset time and date when replaced. Try replacing it as it fixed my problems!

Been working on personal computers since before the IBM PC came out and yes two different types of batteries have been used. I may still have a couple at home.

I haven ever lost a circuit board or mother board by touching it before touching the chassis. I have never used wrist straps in my life and have worked in some very dry static conditions. For me is has never been a problem but then again I am always touching the frame and chassis.

VG

Hello,

I do not think you are dealing with an issue with the mouse. Although this may seem like a fairly straight forward symptom to a problematic mouse. I would think the problem resides somewhere else. I can almost assure you that the mouse is not the culprit.

If it was the mouse, you would not be able to move the mouse, and you would not be experiencing the other problems you mentioned.

From just the couple sentences you have written, I would attribute this to either a software or hardware problem causing a memory spike and therefore rendering the system unusable. Do not be so quick to dismiss a virus either.

I can almost 100% assure you that this has nothing to do with the mouse (unless its hardware components or drivers are corrupt, but this would not create the other symptoms).

Hope you can figure it out.

Don't fight this take to the village computer club meeting they will fix it and u will met some nice people and they serve great free cookies ,,,, and ur. A hero with ur bride. And u just might get it fixed for free

Still having problems? Spend a little money and have a pro take care of it. You would have been using it by now.

If you go into google and type in a question about computer problems you can get answers to fix any problem . Recently I rebuilt the computer that I am using and never opened a computer case before. Google will tell you anything.