Control Panel "Not Responding" - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

pan6467 · 01-22-2005, 08:28 AM

When I go into my control panel for primarily performance and maintenance it freezes and comes back with "not responding".

I was told this meant I may have a corrupt registry file, so I got Norton Systemworks and tried that. Nada.

So I have tried reloading Windows XP, and still nothing....

What is doing this and how can I solve the problem?

OS XP SP2

Rlyss · 01-22-2005, 09:30 PM

So you did re-install Windows and the same thing keeps happening? Did you format your hard disk before re-installing? If you have a way to back up all your data then format your hard disk and do a fresh Windows install, then before you install the service packs check the Control Panel and see if it's a service pack problem.

Also check your disk's fragmentation levels, do a defrag and a disk cleanup. Have you got any new devices attached, like a new printer or a scanner, network card, USB peripherals? Unplug everything that isn't necessary and see if it helps, then attach them one by one to perhaps narrow it down to a faulty device.

Seems like a lot of effort, I know, but it's better than forking out the money for a new hard disk if you don't need to. Keep us updated though!

pan6467 · 01-25-2005, 05:50 AM

Well, I tried Norton and I had a lot of repairs to make the first run.

but I was still getting a slow performance and "not responding" on everything. so I decided to reload XP.

I erased SP2 and when reloading XP I got something saying that one of my games was hindering the progress. I erased the game and tried again..... it did this numerous times and all the games were EA games. So I erased all my EA games and XP reloaded fine.

The computer is still running slow but I took care of the "not responding" messages. I have a feeling the "Gamespy" that is in EA Games was causing some problems....

Anyway, I'm hoping I truly fixed the problem and didn't just band-aid it and it will happen again. I am debating as to whether or not I should reload any of my EA games again though.

Thanks for the help Rlyss.

he_haha · 01-26-2005, 08:47 AM

sounds like one heck of a problem

aratheff · 01-26-2005, 09:43 AM

I had a similar problem on a compter and it had so much spyware on it the machine simply bagan to crawl. Have to tried lookaing at that or running an online virus scan?

pan6467 · 01-26-2005, 09:58 AM

well I have been running McAffee, E-Trust and Search and Destroy before all this happened and I have since added Norton Systemworks.

But I do believe that the way this is acting it has to be multiple virus and adware infections. It seems like it's ok and then all of a sudden it slows way down and I hit task manager and it's showing that the windows open are not responding but the CPU Usage is 100% and then 0. I maybe wrong but it does seem something is spiking the usage.

So I'm going to hit a few of the sites that have been talked about here and see what Hijackthis and such can do for me.

portwineboy · 01-26-2005, 11:15 AM

I also recommend giving the new Microsoft tool a try. In combo with AdAware, Spybot and McAfee AV it helped me kill a nasy problem.

spindles · 01-27-2005, 01:17 AM

Also - check if you have any processes running (using Task Manager) that are consuming lots of CPU - if this is happening, try to look at where that program comes from and see if you can stop it running - I have an HP printer and found one of the programs that comes with it (statusclient.exe) was chewing up my cpus - I just stopped it running and everything was sweet again.

pan6467 · 01-27-2005, 07:51 AM

Well, it is back up to speed but as for the control panel it won't let me do anything saying I need to contact my system administrator...... I am my systems administrator for God's sake..... lol

Now how do I go about working and correcting this?

kurty[B] · 01-27-2005, 07:55 AM

Don't run E-Trust and Norton, or other virus detecting products together, they don't particularly get along with each other. I don't know if that's causing your slowdown problems, but I do know though those programs tend to interfere with each other.

BoCo · 01-28-2005, 07:18 PM

Define "reload". That's not a typical PC term.

soccerchamp76 · 01-28-2005, 07:21 PM

Restart in safe mode. Run your anti-virus software, Ad-Aware, and Spybot, then restart in the normal mode.
Click "run" in the start menu and type in "msconfig"
Go to startup items and uncheck any programs that are scheduled to run on each boot that look suspicious or you do not need.

Rlyss · 01-29-2005, 02:09 AM

Any updates for us? I'm curious about whether any of the advice here has helped, it's all been great advice so far.

Personally I come from the 'a format and a nice fresh install' can never hurt school of thought. If none of these have helped I'd look into doing that. Instead of just re-installing Windows, actually format the disk and do a fresh install.

SiN · 01-29-2005, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoCo

Define "reload". That's not a typical PC term.

Thank you, BoCo.

tis one of my little peeves.

ps - +1 to what Rlyss said - format c: and install windows. a fresh and clean system never hurt anyone

01-22-2005, 08:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	Control Panel "Not Responding" When I go into my control panel for primarily performance and maintenance it freezes and comes back with "not responding". I was told this meant I may have a corrupt registry file, so I got Norton Systemworks and tried that. Nada. So I have tried reloading Windows XP, and still nothing.... What is doing this and how can I solve the problem? OS XP SP2 __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

01-25-2005, 05:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	Well, I tried Norton and I had a lot of repairs to make the first run. but I was still getting a slow performance and "not responding" on everything. so I decided to reload XP. I erased SP2 and when reloading XP I got something saying that one of my games was hindering the progress. I erased the game and tried again..... it did this numerous times and all the games were EA games. So I erased all my EA games and XP reloaded fine. The computer is still running slow but I took care of the "not responding" messages. I have a feeling the "Gamespy" that is in EA Games was causing some problems.... Anyway, I'm hoping I truly fixed the problem and didn't just band-aid it and it will happen again. I am debating as to whether or not I should reload any of my EA games again though. Thanks for the help Rlyss. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

01-26-2005, 09:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	well I have been running McAffee, E-Trust and Search and Destroy before all this happened and I have since added Norton Systemworks. But I do believe that the way this is acting it has to be multiple virus and adware infections. It seems like it's ok and then all of a sudden it slows way down and I hit task manager and it's showing that the windows open are not responding but the CPU Usage is 100% and then 0. I maybe wrong but it does seem something is spiking the usage. So I'm going to hit a few of the sites that have been talked about here and see what Hijackthis and such can do for me. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

01-26-2005, 11:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
portwineboy Master of No Domains Location: WEEhawken, New Joisey	I also recommend giving the new Microsoft tool a try. In combo with AdAware, Spybot and McAfee AV it helped me kill a nasy problem. __________________ If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.

01-27-2005, 01:17 AM	#8 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	Also - check if you have any processes running (using Task Manager) that are consuming lots of CPU - if this is happening, try to look at where that program comes from and see if you can stop it running - I have an HP printer and found one of the programs that comes with it (statusclient.exe) was chewing up my cpus - I just stopped it running and everything was sweet again. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

01-22-2005, 09:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
Rlyss The Pusher Location: Edinburgh	So you did re-install Windows and the same thing keeps happening? Did you format your hard disk before re-installing? If you have a way to back up all your data then format your hard disk and do a fresh Windows install, then before you install the service packs check the Control Panel and see if it's a service pack problem. Also check your disk's fragmentation levels, do a defrag and a disk cleanup. Have you got any new devices attached, like a new printer or a scanner, network card, USB peripherals? Unplug everything that isn't necessary and see if it helps, then attach them one by one to perhaps narrow it down to a faulty device. Seems like a lot of effort, I know, but it's better than forking out the money for a new hard disk if you don't need to. Keep us updated though!

01-26-2005, 08:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
he_haha Tilted Location: NC	sounds like one heck of a problem

01-26-2005, 09:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
aratheff Insane	I had a similar problem on a compter and it had so much spyware on it the machine simply bagan to crawl. Have to tried lookaing at that or running an online virus scan?

01-27-2005, 07:51 AM	#9 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	Well, it is back up to speed but as for the control panel it won't let me do anything saying I need to contact my system administrator...... I am my systems administrator for God's sake..... lol Now how do I go about working and correcting this? __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

01-27-2005, 07:55 AM	#10 (permalink)
kurty[B] Sauce Puppet	Don't run E-Trust and Norton, or other virus detecting products together, they don't particularly get along with each other. I don't know if that's causing your slowdown problems, but I do know though those programs tend to interfere with each other.

01-28-2005, 07:18 PM	#11 (permalink)
BoCo Fear the bunny Location: Hanging off the tip of the Right Wing	Define "reload". That's not a typical PC term. __________________ Activism is a way for useless people to feel important.

01-28-2005, 07:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
soccerchamp76 Go Cardinals Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati	Restart in safe mode. Run your anti-virus software, Ad-Aware, and Spybot, then restart in the normal mode. Click "run" in the start menu and type in "msconfig" Go to startup items and uncheck any programs that are scheduled to run on each boot that look suspicious or you do not need. __________________ Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

01-29-2005, 02:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
Rlyss The Pusher Location: Edinburgh	Any updates for us? I'm curious about whether any of the advice here has helped, it's all been great advice so far. Personally I come from the 'a format and a nice fresh install' can never hurt school of thought. If none of these have helped I'd look into doing that. Instead of just re-installing Windows, actually format the disk and do a fresh install.