# xp freeze up...what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669 "2002-12-24T03:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/1 "2002-12-24T03:32:12Z")
i am running xp on ie6. my computer is freezing up. the mouse no longer moves but you can control the screen with keystrokes. what is causing that and how can i correct it? ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/2 "2002-12-24T04:02:03Z")
What are you doing at the time, when it freezes? What program are you running, are you running a lot of programs at once? For instance, are you running Word, Photoshop, listening to music and playing a game all at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/3 "2002-12-24T04:08:31Z")
If you can navigate with keystrokes, the OS is not locked up. I’d look at the mouse driver first. ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/4 "2002-12-24T04:11:01Z")
yes, yes and yes, hahaha…i run corel, email, internet, searching files, fotovac, etc. it happens most when i am writing email but tonight happened when i was on a web site. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/5 "2002-12-24T04:12:50Z")
The mouse itself may be messed up. Borrow a replacement and do some tests. ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/6 "2002-12-24T04:17:07Z")
Another thought - do you have a USB mouse plugged into a PS/2 port with an adapter? XP does not react well to these, it is a known issue. If this is the case, remove the adapter & put the mouse in a USB port. ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/7 "2002-12-24T04:18:07Z")
it is a laser mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/8 "2002-12-24T04:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by biker \* > \*\*it is a laser mouse. \*\* Then reverse the polarity of the phase inducers. Geez, don’t you watch _Star Trek_? ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/9 "2002-12-24T04:43:26Z")
does that involve a ball peen hammer? ---
**Author:** ![Maxxxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Maxxxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maxxxie)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/10 "2002-12-24T13:39:33Z")
Biker, It sounds like a driver issue - update your mouse driver. Also, I’ve seen dodgy video card drivers do the same thing. Might be worth updating this as well. While we’re at it - SP1 has fixed all sorts of bizarro problems for various clients of mine, have you installed it on your PC? Hope this gives you a starting point. Max 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/11 "2002-12-24T14:13:55Z")
this is a totally brand new custom built computer. i will try to update mouse driver, could it be it was never installed in the first place? what is sp1 and where do i find it? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/12 "2002-12-24T15:41:31Z")
“this is a totally brand new custom built computer.” Then talk to the people you bought it from, they know alot more about it than we do. A laser mouse??? they make such a thing? wow. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/13 "2002-12-24T16:07:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by biker \* > **i will try to update mouse driver, could it be it was never installed in the first place?** Windows will install its basic mouse driver by default. This usually works fine for normal use, but extra buttons and features require additional software. There should be a CD-ROM that came with your optical mouse. > [@](#): > > \*\*what is sp1 and where do i find it? \*\* Windows XP Service Pack 1 can be installed from [Windows Update](http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) or [downloaded](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5ce4831d-4c4f-4d51-bf4c-0ad96667ff43&DisplayLang=en) in its entirety. The full thing is 137 MB, so don’t try it over dialup. Be sure you thoroughly back up everything before you install it. It has been known to cause issues that System Restore won’t fix. WinXPNews [reported](http://www.winxpnews.com/index.cfm?id=43) that up to 60% of users experienced problems after it was released in September. ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/14 "2002-12-24T19:04:45Z")
ah yes, the sp1 has been installed. i have had a jillion really stupid problems with xp. as a graphic designer i just want to get on here and go to work. but does that happen, nooooooo. and don’t tell me to get a mac, i design web sites and i don’t care what anyone says, macs are not for the internet. when i went to the company that built my computer and told them it was feezing up they said, “everyone’s computer freezes up.” i have about ten mice laying around here. after i get through today’s holiday party i will hook one of them up and see if i still freeze. well they called it a laser mouse, it has a red tail that blinks on and off, hahaha… ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-freeze-up-what-to-do/144669/15 "2002-12-24T19:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by biker \* > \*\* > when i went to the company that built my computer and told them it was feezing up they said, “everyone’s computer freezes up.” \*\* They actually said that? That is BS. I missed the part about you can control with the keyboard, I agree it sounds like a mouse problem. I have XP and it does not freeze up at all. Win 98 did for me once in awhile, but a reboot would set things right.