Computer Locks Up
There really is nothing more annoying or frustrating that when your computer locks up. What makes it even worse is when it happens while doing a Windows specific operation. A great example of this is when add remove programs locks up computer. Let’s take a look at a few things that you can do to stop this from happening.
Tip #1 – Try Safe Mode
If your computer is locking up on you when you are trying to access add/remove programs, then the first thing I would do is to try it in safe mode and see if it works or not. With every version of Windows having so many updates and computers coming with so many programs on them, your computer freezing could just be due to low system resources. If you don’t know how to access safe mode, then check out Step 2 in this post on Windows Tips.
Tip #2 – Windows Updates – This is for Windows XP Users
Whenever you first go into your control panel and select Add Remove programs the window pops up and it starts to populate the programs within the list. There is one important thing I want you to check. In the top right of the Add/Remove programs window, there is a radio box that is labeled Windows Updates. If this box is checked, then your list is going to include a list of every Windows Update that has been installed. This could result in a huge list. I would recommend unchecking that box as soon as you open Add/Remove programs to see if this corrects your problem.
Tip #3 – Windows Registry and Files
If add remove programs locks up computer as soon as you open it, or if there are buttons or selections inside the window that are missing, then you may have a corrupt registry or a system file that is bad or missing. Try to recall if you have made any major changes recently to your computer. If you have, then you may want to try a System Restore. If not, I would only then recommend running a windows repair to correct the corrupt registry or repair the system files that have been damaged.
**Bonus Tip**
If your computer locks up when you open add remove programs, then you may want to think about giving your registry a nice cleanup. In most cases, if you are having this problem, then it is a safe bet that you have quite a few programs and updates installed. Running a Microsoft Certified Registry Cleaner like RegistryBooster 2012 will fix this issue plus a lot of other little issues you were just dealing with.
photo credit: Gregorios Kythreotis