A+: System lockups

System lockups can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• Corrupted or outdated display, mouse, or DirectX drivers

• Overheating

• Memory configuration problems in the BIOS

A computer that won’t start except in VGA or Safe Mode or has frequent lockups or screen corruption when you move your mouse needs upgraded display, mouse, or DirectX drivers. However, as a workaround, you can reduce the video acceleration settings.

To do this in Windows Vista, access the Display Adapter Troubleshooter:

Step 1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.

Step 2. Click the Display Settings link at the bottom of the window.

Step 3. Click the Advanced Settings button.

Step 4. Select the Troubleshoot tab and click the Change settings button.

To access the Windows XP dialog:

Step 1. Open the Display Properties window.

Step 2. Click the Settings tab.

Step 3. Click the Advanced button.

Step 4. Click the Troubleshoot tab, which adjusts hardware acceleration settings, and can be used to determine whether display, mouse, or DirectX drivers need to be updated.