Process Explorer Freezes System

Question

I am running Process Explorer version 16.02 on Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1 logged into a domain. The laptop is a Dell Latitude E6430 and is docked. Process Explorer runs as an administrator and minimized to the tray with CPU, Disk and Network History icons showing.

Occasionally, I will right-click the tray icons and click "Close Process Explorer". The rest of the menu disappears but the "Close Process Explorer" is still on the screen but slightly faded. At this point, the entire machine is frozen. The machine doesn't always freeze, though. Sometimes Process Explorer simply exits without incident.

When the machine is frozen, it is frozen solid. The mouse doesn't move. Alt+Tab and Control+Alt+Delete don't do anything. It appears the keyboard is completely non-functional. Pressing the power button on the docking station doesn't do anything. Pressing and holding the power button on the docking station for 4-5 seconds shuts off the laptop. When the laptop reboots, Windows complains of an unexpected shutdown.

With the laptop booted up from a complete shutdown (i.e. not sleep or hibernate), I can start and exit Process Explorer several times without freezing the laptop. My laptop has a sleep freeze issue. See this question. If I put the laptop to sleep and wake it up, then exiting Process Explorer will freeze the laptop.

Answer 1

In this case, it was a driver issue.

Check your driver for the "O2 Micro memory card reader". It should be Version 3.0.7.47, A05. Version A04 shows the behavior you described. See also GnawGnu's Blog.

Get the current driver from Dell support. Enter the service tag, check "Drivers" and look in section "Chipset".

When a problem like this arises, one could disable each device in Device Manager until the problem goes away. This will identify the device and hence driver which is having a problem. One could also use the "driver" tab in Sysinternal's Autoruns to disable drivers.

Answer 2

With Process Explorer closed, I deleted the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sysinternals\Process Explorer and started Process Explorer. The machine still freezes.

I put this as an answer so that if it works for someone else, they can upvote and let all of us know.

Answer 3

I enabled Right Control+Scroll Lock+Scroll Lock to trigger a Blue Screen of Death. When the laptop is running normally, this keystroke works and a Blue Screen of Death happens. When the laptop is frozen, I can't trigger the Blue Screen of Death with this keystroke.

I put this as an answer so that if it works for someone else, they can upvote and let all of us know.