windows7 lockup help needed

[misterchugg]

hi all

my windows 7 keeps locking up while i install stuff from other drives or from dvds.

when it locks it stops everything from working, so i'm not game to put in the latest sp for 2010.

i have tried to find how to stop this, but i have no idea where to look.

any help would be greatly appreciated
thanks
ron

 

[HiBaller]

hi all

my windows 7 keeps locking up while i install stuff from other drives or from dvds.

-snip-

That doesn't sound like a Trainz problem per se, but more in the operating system. Are you running the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Win7? If 64-bit, do you have the correct (and up to date) drivers for your DVD reader?

Can you play a movie on DVD without excessive halting or pausing.

Bill

 

[shaneturner12]

Do you keep your Windows up-to-date? Microsoft releases reliability/compatiblilty patches every so often.

Shane

 

[misterchugg]

hi bill

it tells me that my region is set to 1 and i need to change it.


i'm on 64 bit

i think its a power or safe power setting that does this


shane
windows are up to date


thanks
ron

 

[HiBaller]

Hi Ron. Have a look at this and set your region accordingly. Make sure you get it right because you can only set your region a couple of times and then it will lock you out for further changes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

Bill

 

[misterchugg]

thanks bill

i mainly watch movies on the dvd player thats hooked up to the tv and thats all regions

i wont bother playing around with this setting just now.
will try other stuff first

cheers
ron

 

[shaneturner12]

Might be one of quite a few things.

I would advise doing a disk check and also it may be worth checking whether there is actually a problem with the CD/DVD drive.

Also, visit the Troubleshooting section (especially the System Maintenance and the Performance troubleshooters)

Shane

 

[misterchugg]

hi all

i found a couple in the power settings and the screen out, i think it was called.


one more question

how can i get the main c drive from getting locked all the time

i'm the only one using it

i checked in the window thingy, but it only shows the other hdd's . not c

thanks
ron

 

[shaneturner12]

That may be due to the security behaviour in Windows 7 (especially if you are having trouble saving as well) - to fix this, you will need to run any affected application as administrator.

Also consider a disk check if programs cannot find the drive.

The easiest way to check this is to do the following:

1.Click Start.
2.Type 'cmd' into the search box.
3.Right-click cmd when it appears, then click Run as administrator.

If Command Prompt throws up an error regarding not being able to find C:, then you have a problem.

Shane

 

[HiBaller]

hi all

i found a couple in the power settings and the screen out, i think it was called.


one more question

how can i get the main c drive from getting locked all the time

i'm the only one using it

i checked in the window thingy, but it only shows the other hdd's . not c

thanks
ron

I really don't understand your response. "Found a couple" of what, in the power settings? "Screen out" means nothing to me.

What do you mean by "locked"? "You" are definitely not the only one using the C drive. Your operating system uses it almost continuously. Watch the Hard Drive LED while you are at rest and not doing a thing. It will flash on and off many times.

"The Windows thingy"? Do you mean Windows Explorer? If you click on the Start Orb and go to Computer and click, what opens up? Your drives should all be there on the right panel, from C to whatever drive letter you have for the DVD drive.

Bill

 

[misterchugg]

hi shane, bill

shane
will check when i get back home

bill

talking about the power adjustments to go to sleep mode?
also the screen sleepmode

will tell more when i get back home

thanks
ron

 

[shaneturner12]

HiBaller is correct - much to what it may seem, your account is not the only one on the system. (and no, I'm not shouting on this post, this is the actual usernames)

There are several 'service' accounts including SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE and NETWORK SERVICE. All these are locked accounts that run background services (if you want to see more of what they are doing, look on the Processes tab in Task Manager, then click Show Processes from all users)

It's extremely rare for a hard drive not to appear in My Computer, although depending on view, it does not always appear (it should appear on the left hand side as HiBaller said)

Remember though, due to the security restrictions, if you are running any programs (including Trainz) that access the Windows or Program Files folders for writing, they need to be run as admin.

Shane

 

[HiBaller]

Right you are, Shane. There is also one other thing a person can do to avoid all the "run as Admin" baloney. Go to the top-level Trainz install folder and RIGHT-click it. Choose Properties and drill down through the Security tab and locate you own user account. Set up the access so that you have read/write access to the folder (making sure to expand that throughout sub-folders). Then Trainz will run just fine.

Since I am the only person on all my computers, I've set myself up as an Admin account with elevated privileges and don't worry about 'running as admin'. My laptop is a different matter. That's set up to be pretty secure (or as secure as Windows can be anyway).

Bill

 

[misterchugg]

thanks shane , bill

i think thats where the problem was

i did what you both suggested and now it lets me into c

although c still has a lock icon on it,
but i can get into it

thanks again
ron

 

[HiBaller]

Glad to hear that, Ron.

Bill

 

[misterchugg]

thanks again

i have had no more dramas as yet

cheers
ron