Safe mode

My desktop computer goes through phases of hanging or buffering for literally minutes on end, but not all the time. It starts, usually, about 10 minutes after I boot up, and lasts up to an hour - lately it has started doing it around 8 pm for, again, up to an hour. It is a Windows 7 so I don't think it is hidden updates.

I did find when I switched to Safe mode that it absolutely flies, all the time. Anyone else experienced anything like this, any suggestions? Safe mode is great but obviously limited - no watching online videos, for example, otherwise I'd just stay in it all the time.
Post Comment

Comments (52)

I would say look into doing a system restore. You'd possibly need to store your data like pictures and documents on a usb or something, then do a system restore, then download things like chrome again.

Maybe start with deleting stored information like cookies and web site data, maybe in the security settings, and a virus scan.

I'm not tech savvy enough to describe the exact processes, but its all on the internet, and the windows help window.
Hi, You should really update to Win10, Anyway try this:

Go to Command Prompt, Copy and paste the following line below.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Allow the program to run and complete, once completed, copy and paste the line below.
sfc /scannow
Allow the program to run and complete and restart your PC.

Good luck,

Me
Thanks Pat, the thing I find bizarre is that it is only occasional but I will cautiously try that. I'm an absolute idiot about things technological moping so may disappear forever
I use to have windows 7 I now have windows 10.

In regard to updates I have mine set so it asks me whether I want to update or not..My windows 7 use to do what yours is doing..I rang a tech to guide me through to stop the updates at a set time..I don't use safe mode.
Thanks Trp, I do have a laptop with W10 and hate it with a passion so I've resisted going to W10 on the desktop, but I know the option of keeping W7 is fading fast.

You seem very clued up, any input on why it only happens twice a day and the computer is 100% okay the rest of the time?
I would use your computers internal mechanism, before doing anything online. Disconnect it from the internet completely first, would be what I would do.
If I was sitting at your computer I reckon I could fix it for you love..I'm a fan of settings..A lot of updates aren't needed which eats data to the max.
Why do you hate WIN 10, tis the only Windows that works well, its self repairing and really good for non techs, Please do give Win10 a chance,
The reason for your problem is a missing or corrupted file or driver, as programs are called up or run in the background the PC will do strange things.
Me again
Merc, cheers. Did your tech guy tell you why W7 was picking certain times?

I've heard talk of superusers surfing other people's signals and dismissed it as crazy talk (plus didn't understand it) but now it is really grating my carrot. I've gone into Chrome's own task manager during the delayed times and can't see anything running that shouldn't be so it is definitely hidden stuff.

confused
Big brother to the rescue, the ad popping up (for me, anyway) between comments is a 3 step guide to repairing your PC uh oh
Pat, my main problem is that I am so doff that I could look at the list until I was blue in the face and couldn't recognize the problems.

Pat, off the internet the PC is 100% so I don't think the problem is the hardware. And most of the time it isn't the software either, we got fibre optic cabling not that long ago here and usually it is super-responsive and very effective. I did wonder if 8 pm locally is a high-demand time but since we're in lockdown most people are on the internet most of the time, nothing else to do.
I've had ex's I wished had a safe mode. Imagine a Roomba vacuum cleaner with an attitude and relationship issues chaotically bouncing off walls and furniture while you're trying to watch the football.

I'll leave the adults to talk.
Windows not windows 7
Merc, my local buddy is an expert too but he's not allowed to come here and tweak the stupid thing's settings sigh I wish you could come by but you'd need to expect a half-hour high-speed blether first rolling on the floor laughing
I need a root you need a tweak laugh

c*m on it needs a tweak thumbs up
trp (me again) I do have W10 on the laptop and probably because I don't use it all the time and I am so used to W7, I don't find it intuitive, I struggle to do anything whereas oddly enough I took to W7 like a duck to water.

I've done quite a few checks of files / drivers without finding a missing or corrupted one? perhaps the software for finding them has also corrupted. From what you're saying, am I right, could I find programs being called up (unasked) at regular times and block those? And I completely understand that explaining how to do that to a technological idiot remotely could be impossible. sigh
A computer may seem to hang when in fact it is simply processing very slowly. This can be caused by too many programs running at once, not enough memory (RAM), or memory fragmentation, slow hardware access (especially to remote devices), slow system APIs

Does this help^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A computer may seem to hang when in fact it is simply processing very slowly. This can be caused by too many programs running at once, not enough memory (RAM), or memory fragmentation, slow hardware access (especially to remote devices), slow system APIs

I reckon you need this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Another suggestion is to not shut down your PC every time you stop using it.
I have had very few issues in decades of Windows use. I almost never shut my PC off.
Merc, I tend to reduce to just one or max two tabs as soon as it happens and it makes no difference. Not enough RAM, fragmentation, slow access, those would all be problems all the time, not just for 2 hours out of the average 16 that I am using my computer. (I work online, not just permanent surfing laugh)

confused
Behave laugh

Tomorrow I will have a thorough look for you online
Cheers Merc! applause
Z my computer far from being horse-drawn is pedal-driven snooty this is both ecologically sound and the reason I have such spectacularly shapely legs so there. Huh.
Went Mac a couple of months ago and found the operating system completely intuitive and simple to use, not to mention the build quality of the machine - I've become a fan.
Jig, I borrowed my daughter's iPad the last time I visited and found it frustrating at first but yup, it rapidly became intuitive.

Right now money's the issue so any changes will be directly cost-related and if I can avoid making them, whoop whoop. I will have to be in normal mode for work tomorrow but will bypass the 8 pm slowdown by switching to safe afterwards. Who needs to watch videos anyway. I will write poetry idea
Nice, cheers! for a moment I thought by driver issue you meant me as the driver doh

It has been slow for a while after startup for at least a year - I just drank coffee and waited. The problem was suddenly so bad on Saturday morning I had to hastily switch to the laptop to work. There's a helpdesk add-on for my work which I switched off on the PC when I'd finished and suddenly everything was back to normal, ok yay, I can manage without it. However the problem came back in the evening and came back tonight when I switched across. I've done a bit of (superslow, sigh) tweaking removing several startup add-ons this evening, and so far so good since I booted up again.

If the problem is back tomorrow, system restore it is. Thanks!
Hs, wow, thanks for a really detailed answer! I'd never heard of Ccleaner, just looked it up and there's a comment about being careful of the built-in registry cleaner unless you know what you're doing? (I don't ...) but I am definitely going to check it out in detail, it looks awesome.

I'll also check out the indexing, I think I remember seeing that as a box when I was in msconfig to switch in and out of safe mode

Anti-virus, check, only one.

Thanks!

Thanks all - I've learned more today than in a long while, my brain hurts.
I am of absolutely no use to you, I'm afraid.
But you seem to have got good advice.
HsH always gives very good advice.
Molly, every now and then CS does come up trumps applause
I baked sourdough bread from scratch this week. It would have been quicker to build a computer from scratch laugh
I run Windows 7 64 bit professional and reading posted comments HsHbSyn is good.
Ccleaner is excellent program just free version is enough and i think no need to update the program. I use it every week, I also run its Registry Clean function.
In addition i usually run free Little Registry Cleaner program
Little Registry Cleaner is an open source program that is designed to cleanup Microsoft Windows Registry. It removes obsolete or unwanted items that build up in the registry over time in order to improve the stability and performance of your computer.


You need to be aware both Ccleaner and Little Registry Cleaner will claer out cookies e.g. you will need to re-log into the sites you log into. So make sure you got a copy of your passwords handy.

I suggest you don't bother following the repair your computer until you've followed HsHbSyn good advice. Best place to run Ccleaner and Little Registry Cleaner is in safe mode, but you don't have to, both will run in normal boot. Safe mode shuts down lots of drivers and antivirus programs and so they clean better in there
Molly, including your own starter? wow did you take a pic before you ate it? My ex husband built a computer from bits and pieces (jigsaw puzzles for computer geeks) and if your bread took that long I applaud your patience laugh
Rob, cheers, I'm genuinely impressed by the level of expertise coming up and the helpful advice wow

I'm going to get through work tomorrow before I try anything, that way I have time before Wednesday to undo any idiot errors I make - and those who say to err is human, to really stuff it up you need a computer, were talking about people like me.
I am growing more this week to bake again next week.
I like a challenge grin
Mother buffer mumbling
I think we need recipes writing
So what's happening Viv?..Did you work it out?
Merc, fingers tightly crossed! laugh bouquet
I definitely think that comment bears repeating on the Tantric blog laugh
Sorry viv i do not know tech stuff, so stick to books laugh and sometimes venture here now awaiting no further quest. hope the virus isinit laugh laugh

Stay safe peace
Post Comment - Let others know what you think about this Blog.