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16 |^ |^ August 2019
indows isn’t the only
source of problems, of
course. Many programs
can run into problems
too – hence the endless
release of new updates
containing a multitude of bug fixes.
Over time, unsupported programs can
also be left by the wayside, as new
versions of Windows render them
incompatible. Don’t worry though,
there are ways and means of keeping
old favourites running well past their
sell-by dates. First, let’s see what can
be done when programs suddenly
stop responding.Program freezes
It’s common for programs to freeze- you’re clicking or typing away when
suddenly things seem to grind to a halt,
the screen loses focus and suddenly the
dreaded ‘not responding’ message
appears. Step one is to be patient: if
you’ve loads of programs running, then
Windows can get in a temporary jam
while it attempts to juggle resources.
After a short period, things free
themselves, at which point save your
file and continue.
But sometimes, the freeze doesn’t end - even after a minute of twiddling your
thumbs. If Windows hasn’t already
invited you to either close or restart the
program, then clicking its red close
button once or twice. This usually has
the desired effect – again, some
patiencemayberequired,butwhatif it
hasnoeffectatall?Oryou’rewillingto
gotheextramiletotryandcoaxthe
programbacktolifetoavoidlosing
unsaveddata?
Inthesecircumstances,right-click
theTaskbarandchooseTaskManager.
If it doesn’trespond,trypressingCtrl
+Alt+Delandwaitforthescreento
blankbeforeselectingTaskManager
fromthelistofoptionsthatappears.
WhenTaskManagerappears,click
‘MoreDetails’tobringupthefull
rangeofoptions.Anynon-responsive
programshouldbehighlighted- fromhere,youcanattempttocloseit
byselectingtheprocessandclickingthe
‘Endtask’button.If that’stoodrastica
step,youmaybeabletorecoverit by
Resolve malware infections
Think you’ve been infected by a virus? Start byopening
your anti-virus program and attempting to updateit,
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reboot and run a second scan to verify the infectionis
gone. If it’s still there, run a scan with Malwarebytes
Anti-Malware instead. If this isn’t working, rebootinto
Safe mode with networking following the step-by-step
guide below, then launch your security programand
try a fresh scan.
Still no luck? While in Safe mode, downloadandrun
the Emsisoft Emergency Kit (www.emsisoft.com/en/
software/eek/), which uses multiple anti-virusengines
and should hopefully detect threats missed byyour
primary tool. And if you can’t get into Safe modeat all,
get hold of a clean PC and download one or more
rescue discs from major anti-virus providers –Google
the vendor’s name and ‘rescue disc’ or ‘rescueCD’to
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or use a tool like Etcher (www.balena.io/etcher/)to
create a rescue USB stick instead.Fix application issues
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Task Manager can sometimes recover a non-responsive
program by examining its so-called wait chain.Programs can sometimes be
resurrected in Windows 10.Get a second (and third) opinion on potential malware
infections using the Emsisoft Emergency Kit.