Member Avatar for JillianO

Hi. I had spyware and viruses but I got rid of them. Right now I'm using safe mode with networking in order to access the internet. The reason being is, no matter what I do, my computer freezes up when I load it normally. I don't understand what's happening and I can't do anything about it. Does anyone know what could be going on and how to fix it? There's nothing wrong with it apparently. I have run virus scans and uniblue. There's nothing on it anymore. I did have spyware on it for a long time though. Even with the spyware, it wouldn't freeze up. Now that everything is gone, it's freezing up about 5-10 minutes after turning on the computer. Not in safe mode though.

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Dani AI

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Symptoms you describe (system stable in Safe Mode but freezing within 5–10 minutes in normal boot) strongly point to something that only runs in normal mode: a third‑party driver/service, a background program, or a hardware component that is stressed when full drivers are loaded. is on the right track about narrowing startup items; this should be done alongside targeted diagnostics rather than relying only on broad registry cleaners.

Quick, practical checks to run next:

  • Inspect the Windows event logs immediately after a freeze for errors or "hang" entries in the Application and System logs — they often show the failing driver or service that ran just before the hang.
  • Verify system files and disk integrity: run sfc /scannow to repair protected system files, and run chkdsk /r (after backing up important data) to find and fix bad sectors.
  • Test memory and disk hardware: boot a MemTest86 pass (or similar) for RAM, and run the drive maker’s SMART/diagnostic tool to confirm the HDD/SSD health.

Other isolation steps:

  • Disconnect nonessential USB/peripherals and use the minimum hardware to see if the freeze still occurs. Video and chipset drivers commonly cause freezes after login — try uninstalling/reinstalling the display driver or testing with the basic VGA driver.
  • If malware removal may have corrupted system components, try a repair install or a system restore point (after backing up). Registry cleaners and "one‑click" utilities (as suggested by ) can help but use them cautiously and only after a full backup.

Order of work: backup important files first, then isolate software (clean-start methods), then run hardware diagnostics, then consider repair install or clean reinstall. Mention from about leftover legacy startup entries is useful — check for stray startup items left by old programs.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for Xlphos

Have you tried altering any startup programs?

go to start > run (windows key + R) and type msconfig.

go on the startup tab and click on disable all. Then select the programs you need for example any anti virus programs and firewall.

You may want to consider reinstalling the Operating System.

Member Avatar for JillianO

Thanks! Yeah. I'll try that. :)

Member Avatar for slash49er

I would also download and run Glary Utilities. It will clean your registry, cleanup temp files and it will also remove any unwanted startup entries

Member Avatar for mjdodd

it may also be aorth checking inboot.ini, win.ini and system.ini (old boot compatible files from win95 and won 3 etrc as there may be booting files here that freeze it and just need reomoving!

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