Gremlin In My PC

Win XP Home.--I am having problem with the PC after being on Screen Saver, only during a certain part of the day.

I have selected Blank Screen for the Screen Saver. I'm on a Dial Up so I stay on line for a short time. All works properly when I move mouse or strike a key to bring it out of Screen Saver Mode, except for a certain part of the day. At a time between 2:30PM and 4:00PM the screen will not come back regardless of what I do. I'm always away from the PC at that time. This happens every day without fail and I can't find a reason for it.

I've check Scheduled Tasks and there is nothing but the Symantec Stuff there and none of it is set to do anything during this period.

I manually turn off the PC switch to restart and all is again well. It's has never happened in the morning or late at night, just between 2:30 - 4:00PM, and can't be more specific as to exact time as there is no one here during this time to check it.

It's not a back-breaking problem but sure would like to stop it from happening. Any suggestions as to where and what to do about this?

 

Do you mean that after 4pm it starts behaving fine again so that if you come back at 3:30 and try, it fails to bring your screen back but if you wait until 4:30 it will work fine?

How about if you disable the screen saver? What are your power settings for monitor turn off and the like? And are you set to hibernate or anything like that? (control panel, power settings)

And I'm sorta grasping at straws at this point since I didn't get any sort of AH HA, THAT'S THE PROBLEM flash.

 

Newt

Don't think I explained it just right. I mean when I come back to the computer anytime after 2:30 and before 4:00PM, it won't come up from the screen saver, which is a blank page. The monitor pilot light is green, showing it's own rather than the yellow showing it's on standby. I can't punch keys, move mouse, or any combination to get the screen to come back up.

I don't know exactly when it does this as I leave about 2:30 and all is well. I return about 4:00PM and it won't come back on unless I restart the computer.

I have my Power settings all set to "Never" on all blanks. The scheduled Tasks are only Symantec stuff that was put on during installation. Checked and they are not set to have anything at this time.

It's like something tells the PC to do this task at this time interval. Other wise it never has this fit. That make more sense or not?

 

Try the Escape key if you haven't already.

Also, if you can get into BIOS, there may be standby settings there that are complicating matters. I generally disable all the standby options in BIOS and let XP handle that stuff.

That doesn't explain the timing of the problem however. Any exorcists in Texas?

 

Abraxas

We have Drunks, Scalawags, Drug-Store Cowboys, but haven't seen an Exorcist yet.

Also, we don't have a person in this household that would even attempt to go into a BIOS!!!! That Sir is a fact and I'm sure nothing could change my mind on that.

I hesitated when I sent the original post. It doesn't hurt anything I suppose but aggravating to come in and can't get the screen to come up. The PC is still on, or so the green light indicates it is. The monitor pilot light is on.............just can't get the screen to light up. And yes I have tried the ESC. I've pushed every key, combinations of keys, and tried to turning the monitor off and on.

 

I know I probably shouldn't do this, but maybe it just wants to take it's nap at that time and nothing you do or say will wake it up. I know....I know....SHUT UP!

 

You could try using a real, active screensaver. Maybe if it has at least something to do....

Try going into Power Options and setting your monitor to go off in 30 minutes, an hour, or so. I know this sounds like giving aid to the problem, but it may just supersede it.

And the BIOS........oh.......never mind .

 

Panda

Your suggestion may be the real problem with this critter. I'm old and I'm tired! The PC could be the same!

Abraxas

Today, Saturday, I'm going to try not having a screen saver at all and see what happens. And Sunday I'm going to try a different screen saver. If this is the solution fine. If not, I'll try something else Monday. Thanks to all for suggestions.

 

Today I changed the Screen Saver to something active and was gone from 2:00PM until 4:30PM and when I returned my PC was Froze with the Screen Saver locked. I could not get anything to work, pushing all the keys and combination of keys. Had to manually restart and now all is well

I noticed a gw1500se posted as XP Freezes is having the same or similar problem. He didn't mention a specific time like the problem I have. I'll watch his post replies and try what other suggest to him/her.

 

I just did a search in the MSDB and came across THIS link. I hope it's NOT this one.

Then I found THIS one. I know you said there wasn't an error message, but maybe something in this link might bring something to the surface.

Could THIS one apply to your situation?

I know this may be mute, but when is the last time you 'cleaned' up the computer? Maybe it needs a dusting.

I hope you find that gremlin! I know how frustrating they can be.

 

PANDA

Appreciate the information. After reading the info you referred to I suppose some of those could apply. The link mentioning the Swap File was way over my head, (Notice Experience Level).

I continue to believe something that has to do with the time of the day is the culprit. This has never happened during the morning nor late in the evening, just in the afternoon during the times specified.

I clean my PC daily. May be over-cleaning it don't know for sure. I run Disk Cleanup from the system tools, I run Reg Scrub For XP, I run a program called CleanUp and still run an older program I used on Win 98 called HDValet as it cleans log files better than the others.

I'm going to accept that it has a "little bitty gremlin" in there and his primary purpose is to harass and aggravate me and let it go at that!!!!!

 

Yup. Has to be a gremlin. You see, you leave the machine unattended from 2 to 430 and it wants to play. When you don't answer it's calls to play, it gets pee-ohed! So, then it just shuts it down until you reboot as a punishment for not being around to play.

That sounded good to me. Don't you just love living in a fantasy world????

Maybe someone else will jump in with a solution. Don't worry about that swap file thing. It's way over my head, too! And, I know quite a bit about computers, but sometimes get hung up on some stuff. Welcome to wonderful world of computers.

 

PeteC

Today was the day I was going to disable the Screen Saver. Forgot to do that! It did not freeze up! Have no idea why it choose today not to.

Starting tomorrow I'm going to change things and see what results I get. Put it in a different state each day.

Your suggestion about the Standby may be the best.

I'm still puzzled as to why it will stay operative after 3 or 4 hours on screen saver at other times but not during the 2:30 - 4:00PM time. Never has it froze at the listed times. Now today it did not.

I'll work to continue to look for the culprit. If not found I'll just accept it. I's not a big deal but a nuisance