If you are having problems with Windows 95 randomly locking up, programs or the hardware not operating properly, the problem could be caused by one of several easy-to-correct situations.

Check for Virus Infections first.

If you do not have an Antiviral program, buy a commercial version from the software department, or a shareware version from the Internet or a BBS. If you suspect a virus, do not download to the infected computer, obtain one from a reliable source.

1. Shut down the computer (use Start • Shut Down to close all programs, then power down the computer.)
2. Power on the computer with a write-protected "clean" start-up diskette
3. Run the virus scan program to search for possible viruses

If a virus is found, follow the manufacturer's instructions to remove the virus or repair the damage.

Check for Disk Drive Corruption.

1. Run ScanDisk. Click on Start • Run, type SCANDISK C: in the open: box, and press [enter] to start the program
2. Click on "Standard" for the type of test, then click on the Start button at the bottom of the window. If you choose "Automatically fix errors", the results box will list what was found; if you do not check this box, you will receive a message as each error is found, and a choice of how to fix it.

If Windows 95 applications, drivers, or other files have been damaged, you may be able to correct your problem by reinstalling Windows 95 or the damaged application.

Check for problems in Windows' temporary work directory.

Windows uses a temporary directory to store work files, clipboard data, etc. Usually this directory is in \WINDOWS\TEMP , but may be \TEMP or at some other location specified in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

1. Close any applications you may have running, or restart in safe mode, then open the temp directory using Explorer, or by double clicking My Computer, then on the C: icon, the Windows folder, then the Temp folder
2. Use [ctrl]-A to select all files in the folder, and drag them to the Recycle Bin
3. Right click on the Recycle Bin and select "Empty Recycle Bin" to delete the files. (If you have been saving files here, and do not want to erase them, move them to a different directory.)

Check for hardware driver conflicts.

Windows 95 has Plug and Play features that allow it to detect some devices the first time it starts up after the hardware is installed. There are conditions where Windows 95 will add drivers to the Device Manager (and to the system registry) that it may already have added previously. If multiple drivers exist, Windows could get "confused" as to which device to control or respond to, causing erratic behavior or the system to lock up.

You may not see these duplicate drivers unless you start Windows 95 in "Safe Mode:"

1. Restart the computer, (If you are already in Windows 95, use the Start • Shut Down option.)
2. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 function key to get the start-up menu selection
3. Choose Safe mode from the list. Windows 95 will not load any special video drivers among other things when in Safe mode. Your display will be in standard VGA mode (640x480x16 colors)
4. Right click on My Computer and select Properties
5. Click on the Device Manager tab. Move through the list of equipment, clicking on the small box with the plus "+" sign to expand the device list. You are looking for devices that do not belong in the list, or that are listed more than once
6. If you find a device that you are sure does not exist in the computer, select the device, then click on the Remove button
7. If you see a device listed more than once, select the first entry, and click on the Remove button.
8. You must repeat the Remove step for ALL OF THE DUPLICATE LISTINGS. Do not leave any of the copies. Windows should detect the device and add it back in the next time you start.

Some hardware has "daughter" devices; One example is EIDE disk controllers that have a primary and secondary interface listings with (fifo) characteristics. Remove the daughter devices first, then the parent IDE chipset listing. Once all duplicate entries have been removed, restart the system (Start • Shut Down • Restart the computer) and let Windows 95 restart normally.

Windows 95 may give the message "New hardware found..." If Windows prompts to "Restart now, Yes / No" answer no, and let it finish detecting hardware and starting up. Once it completes detecting hardware, use Shut Down to restart one last time. Repeat this process until no more duplicates are found.