Windows 7 Computer Freezing After Startup: Possible Audio Driver Issues?

C

Crush

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Nov 9, 2010
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Hi, my computer has a freezing problem. It will go through the password process, the wallpaper will appear, things start booting up and then about 10 seconds in everything freezes. It starts fine in safe mode, I checked the device manager and the "high definition audio controller" has the yellow triangle next to it. I checked for new hardware and nothing new came up. I even did a system restore and the problem still happened. Can anyone help me out?

Thanks,
Brian
 
Solution
T
Norton/Symantec is notorious. Simply must get rid of that. Use the tool here by booting to safe mode + networking, downloading, then running it:

Link Removed

Reboot and install MSE to replace it:

Link Removed due to 404 Error
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Hi, welcome.

Yes, we can easily sort this for you.

First, boot to safe mode + networking. Download this from the following link: "Vista, Windows7 Driver (32/64bits) Driver only (ZIP file)"

Link Removed

Extract it to a folder. Then open device manager and right click on the Realtek HD Audio. Choose update software. Browse. Let me pick. Have disk. Browse. Now navigate to the folder you extracted to and double click on the .inf inside. Hit ok then next and it will install.

Try to reboot to normal mode. If not, go back to safe mode + networking.

Type msinfo32 in the start menu then press enter. File | save on the opened screen. Then zip the file and attach it to a post.

Also, download and run Malwarebytes. Update the definitions. Then let it scan the machine and remove all it finds.

Good luck and please keep us updated on how it's going.
 
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I extracted the file, but there isn't just one .inf file. there's two big files, named vista and vista 64, among others, which i'm guessing is for 32-bit or 64-bit, both with lots of .inf files that start with HDA, I tried the one that was HDAToshiba, my laptops brand, but it says

"the folder you specified doesn't contain a compatible software driver for your device. If the folder contains a driver, make sure it is designated to work with windows for 32-bit systems."
 
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Downloading now, I'll have specific instruction in a moment. Btw, you didn't follow the previous advice exactly. You shouldn't simply let Windows look in the folder and choose. You have to double (or single, depending on how you're set up) click the .inf....

Gimme a moment and I'll post.
 
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You know what lol. I'm fairly sure you can simply click the setup.exe in the same folder as the Vista and Vista64. It should still install well in safe mode like that. Let me know.
 
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I ran the .exe set-up, but when i hit finish and restart, it still freezes, and also wont let me start back into safe mode from the restart. I tried the finish and restart later in safe mode, but the yellow triangle is still there.
 
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Forget the Realtek audio for now. It's not causing the actual problem.

Follow my above quote. Once you get to normal mode desktop, you can install the Realtek driver.
 
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How do you zip the file after you save it, and what is the post i'm supposed to attach it to? Sorry for all the questions, I'm very computer illiterate haha
 
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Still no luck, I checked the device manager again, and opened the show hidden drivers, and under the "non plug and play" section there's two with the yellow triangle, "Security Processor Loader Driver" and "Symantec Network Dispatch Driver". Both say their code 24. For the audio, i ran the .exe setup and it didnt change, i even uninstalled the driver and then installed again, and it came up as it failed to install correctly and still had the yellow triangle.

i also ran malware-bytes, and got rid of everything, still wont start up normally.
thanks for all the help so far, i'd be lost without it.
 
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Norton/Symantec is notorious. Simply must get rid of that. Use the tool here by booting to safe mode + networking, downloading, then running it:

Link Removed

Reboot and install MSE to replace it:

Link Removed due to 404 Error
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
View attachment msinfo32.zip That's the zip of the msinfo32. I got rid of all the Symantec, but normal mode still freezes and it wont let me install MSE on safe-mode. Is it one of the audio driver that is making it freeze? Because that is how the problem started, the audio stopped working, I rebooted and that's when the freezing started.
 
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Nah, the problem is still being cause by Norton/Symantec.

It is still present in at least some form.

I would run the tool again to remove it. Then check the device manager for the Symantec Network Dispatch Driver. If it is still present, uninstall it while checking the box to delete the driver.

Do exactly the same for the Security Processor Loader Driver.

Try to reboot to normal mode when done.
 
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Oh wow, here is what will really fix it if the above doesn't.

You have a million programs starting with Windows and that is not good at all.

Type msconfig in the start menu then press enter. Go to the startup tab. Check the box to disable all.

Then check the box on the left of the entry(ies) to re-allow Sidebar (both if there are 2).

Save.

(If you really want Skype to start with the pc, you can enable that as well.)

----------

Before rebooting, use this AVG removal too as well:

Link Removed

Enjoy.
 
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I did all that, no luck, still freezing in normal mode, it doesn't seem like it's from too much going on at once, because I've never had anything like this happen before, or even really any slow moving programs.
 
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