This problem is now starting to become extremely vexing, tiresome, boring, irritating, and it makes me want to throw the xxxxxx operating system back at those idiot programmers at M$ who have created a behemoth of cardiac events.

Try searching the oh so useful Microsoft Technical Support site for Windows Vista "not responding" problem. Here are some of the oh-so-useful search results:

Top issues

* Diagnose and fix sound or audio issues
* Your CD/DVD drive cannot read or write media in Windows Vista
* Diagnose and fix Aero glass (transparency) effects not working in Windows Vista
* Diagnose and fix problems with hardware devices not working in Windows Vista
* Download Vista Service Pack 2
* Troubleshoot home networking issues
* The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows 2000
* How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
* A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista
* How to install Windows Vista

Update Vista

* Download Vista Service Pack 2
* Free support for Windows Vista service pack issues
* Troubleshoot Vista Service Pack installation issues
* Troubleshoot sound problems after you install a Vista Service Pack
* Error message after you apply update 973879: "Stop 0x0000007e" or "Stop 0x00000050"
* To make sure that your computer works best, visit the Windows Vista Compatibility Center


WOW! How appropriate! It's time those IDIOTS at M$ got their xxxxxx act together and made their oh-so-efficient search engine produce the PROPER results.

I have complained about this for weeks on end. Now M$ South Africa simply refuse to answer me when I write or phone. Suddenly my e-mails land in their SPAM folders, the telephone line goes dead, the person I wish to speak to is not available, and so on and so forth. The problem gets worse, but I cannot find an answer.

Any replacements for Vista out there? Like DOS 2.1 perhaps, or LINUX or something that WORKS without a gazillion error messages and a help system that is no help at all?

Ian

Please don’t have a cardiac arrest, here are two things to try (if you haven’t already):

1. The problem may be caused by a third-party extension. ShellExView can be useful to see which shell extensions have been introduced into Explorer. Read about it then scroll down to near the bottom to download the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version here http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

Once you’ve unzipped it, go to the unzipped folder and double-click shexview.exe to run the program. Now click on the column labelled Company to alphabetically sequence the entries. Let us assume that the Microsoft entries are bona fide and concentrate on the others. Is there anything else listed that is either unnecessary or suspicious? If so, highlight it and click the red spot (top left) to disable it. If it‘s easier, disable them all, re-enable them (green spot) one at a time and try Explorer until the culprit is found.

2. Run the System File Checker (SFC) from an elevated Command Prompt, i.e. click the Windows Orb (Start) > All Programs > Accessories and right-click Command Prompt, then ‘Run as Administrator’. Type sfc /scannow (note the space) and press Enter. This may take some time and, depending upon your installation of Vista, you may have to put the Vista DVD in the drive.

SFC appends its results to a log file named CBS.log, which is located in the \Windows\Logs\CBS folder. Use Notepad to read it (you may need to run Notepad as the Administrator).

To find the errors, go to the end of the file (Ctrl+End) then use ‘Find’ (Ctrl+F) to check for the words 'cannot repair', use search ‘Up’ to search upwards from the end of the file.

Thanks for that tip. I had totally forgotten about SFC. When I ran it, I got this response "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation". Now what?

I have downloaded that shell extension and will go through it thoroughly.

Cardiac events somewhat less now than earlier on, though the thought of an overdose is still ever present in my mind.

Well, SFC gets to 71% and crashes with a ridiculous error message that not even the Microsoft website can answer.

My solution: backed up entire hard disk to my desktop using the Backup/Restore thingie that comes with Vista - practically useless because it does not save executables or program data, or user data, but it did wrap up all my other files into 100 ZIP files, so it was quite easy to restore my documents and pictures, but obviously not the executables or program data.

Then I tried Windows Easy Transfer - in typical oxymoron style where Microsoft is concerned, nothing is easy. It told me it could not transfer my backup between a 32-bit OS and a 64-bit OS, or vice-versa. So there's nothing "easy" about that. Honestly, they're just file, for Pete's Sake, but no, Microsoft's wisdom greatly exceeds that of us users, so it's to be expected when we see the word "easy" to mean "obstructive", "difficult", "does not work", "impossible", ....

Reformatted and reinstalled from DVD backup disks.

Makes me want to change to Linux Mint ... and run Windoze applications in little boxes, where they belong, and get away from Micro$oft because NOTHING WORKS properly.

Oh well, I reformatted the HDD and reinstalled everything, so the Vista Business 32 Laptop is now functioning properly again.

However, my x64 Vista Ultimate SP2 machine also gives "NOT RESPONDING" particularly in Adobe Audition 3.0.1. While splitting recordings into individual tracks, after saving the track, I get "not responding" for quite a long time, then it recovers and I can continue with the next track. It's not too irksome for a 12 track LP, but some LPs have many more tracks and it becomes tiresome and tedious.

BTW, sfc /scannow does nothing either. It also crashes at 71%.

I have downloaded and installed ShellExView but there are just so many entries that it will take a week to work through.