"(Not Responding)" - What does it mean, and what do I do about it?

This problem happens continually under Windows 7 and it is obviously NOT an application problem. It happens in IE8, in WordPerfect, and with other software programs. Something as simple as trying to rename a folder hangs up consistently. I've checked for a eliminated all spyware and viruses. I've tried re-loading the applications. And it still occurs. Once again, it appears that Microsoft is using all of us as their beta test sites for software that ought to have been working before releasing it at hundreds of dollars per copy. I'm really frustrated with this.

I also get "not responding" every 3 minutes and takes between 15-30 seconds to come back. It happens when I'm on different websites, so it's not related just to 1. It's happened on MSN, bettycrocker & facebook. I use Vista and have 3G RAM. It started about 2 months ago. It is very frustrating. What should only take a couple of minutes to look up can take an hour or more since you have to stop & wait every 3 minutes.

Using laptop with Vista Home Premium, Core2Duo, T5750, 2Ghz & 3GB RAM. I am also getting the same Not Responding error. It is ANY application I run. All Office Apps, Firefox, you name it...it's happening...and it also started about 2 months ago!!! How odd... Just guessing it is a Microsoft licensing issue with a 3rd party product that expired & stopped working on a most recent Windows Update. Or it could just be plain broken - Ockham's Razor would suggest the latter!

I too had Vista start doing this about 2-3 months ago. I was running Windows 7 beta on another machine and it was perfect. I, in my cynicism, assumed it Msoft's way of forcing an upgrade to 7. So, I dutifully did so on my one year old Vista box. To my dismay programs hang constantly in in 7, heck it even hangs in shut down. All this from a clean install. All drivers are updated and no hardware was incompatible. The part that stinks the worst is that the machine has a intel matrix storage raid, since its software controlled every time 7 has to be shut down by the power button method the 2 terabyte drives have to be verified for errors...say goodbye to 5-6 hours of computing time as it slows the machine to a crawl.

I truly am considering drinking the Mac Kool-Aid and getting one and saying it just works...and when it doesn't a "Mac Genius" will fix it.

I was using facebook application like farmville it said "not responding" it was wasted of time and did not work it was very frustrating to me and other internet users.

Same happens to me. Mostly in Windows mail and IE8. I am operating on vista home premium 32bit with 4 gis ram. I have checked the system with Norton IES 2010, Maleware byte and Advanced system optimizer 3. No malware found. I am curious to know how to find out what is running that slows the interaction between windows and the application. In my case it is the Microsoft's own windows mail and IE8.

I think it is a bad design for microsoft to allow a third party program to take over the OS with this "not responding" and in vista and windows 7, the little circle.... The operator is allowed to be impatient and should have the ability to "kill" the "not responding" task. But very often, I find that the only solution is to reboot the machine with a power switch. This should NEVER happen. The OS MUST exercise control over all tasks. Microsoft has taken a very poor design approach at this IMHO.

This is happening to me when working with Microsoft office. Say.. I am inserting a picture. Yikes.. stalls then I have to wait, stalls, wait. Am I short on RAM... I have two gigs right now. Maybe I've got too much in my system tray? I never had these issues with my old computer which had less memory and I ran the exact same programs.

Bought a wonderful HP laptop Pavilion Entertainment model ... from Office Depot ... loaded Vista and it worked great with no problems ... received a copy of Windows 7 when it came out and it was properly installed ... now internet message is Not Responding and little circle appears and I must click and start over in internet exployer ... this is very frustrating ... can I go back to Vista? Or is there a fix for this problem... wonder if this is a Exployer 8 problem.... Thanks for the help...

I have read your articles and, as I too am a novice, as Jan requests earlier could you please tell me STEP BY STEP how to change the password for my Linksys Router? (It was only changed by a 'boffin' and he didn't tell me what he was doing!)

That article's been on the site for some time already: How do I change my router's password?

25-Feb-2010