Windows Vista freezes?

[st3ady]

Hello, I found this after realizing uTorrent was causing me to freeze. I read just about everything in the 4 pages, and I tried installing the 2.1.2.0 driver, crashed about 4 min after trying uTorrent with it.

I have Vista 64 Home Premium, a Quad Core Q6600, 4 gigs memory, and my wireless card is a PCI express MSI PC60G Wireless 11g Turbo PCI Card. I remember being angry that it did not work very well, and then read on newegg forums to install the Ralink utility/driver and it started working well.

I am confused as to why this freezing is occurring more these past few days where as in the past few weeks I have had very little freezing and restarting. I think I probably noticed this about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and had been downloading torrents no problem. Could it have been due to recent Windows Vista updates that were installed? I know I recently installed a bunch of them. Maybe I should have listened to the old addage: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Hopefully some news will come out on how to solve this issue. Thanks

[marcreunion974]

to craftie

as I said in the french part of the forum (in french)

I had the same problem till the suppression of zonalarm free edition

Since then, no more problem...

Apart from the fact that I still have the yellow triangle...That's annoying

no firewall at all, the tcp port changed in the router and the soft...

with xp no problem, with vista, I can't trust anymore my internet connexion...

if anyone have an idea

(vista home, amd x2 utorrent 1.8.1)

[kent_phoenix]

I think I have solved this problem. It has been haunting me for more than a year, and it seems to be a common problem with people who (1) are downloading torrents (but have no problem with direct peer to peer such as Soulseek) (2) Have XP or Vista installed (i think from XP service pack 2 onwards) and (3) Have a wireless modem.

There seems to be some kind of conflict between XP, torrent and wireless modem drivers when the torrent tries to access the DHT network. Some modems have updated drivers but not all of them do - mine doesn't. One option -apparently - is to swop your USB to modem cable with an ethernet/network to modem cable. Another option - apparently - is to disable hyperthreading in the BIOS. (For some reason, I can't get into my BIOS menu so I couldn't try this).

But the easiest option simply to switch off DHT networking in your torrent client (utorrent, bitcomet etc). I did this about three days ago and haven't had a crash yet, after constantly crashing on two different machines for more than a year.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that this might a universal solution and I haven't seen one yet.

SO - the SIMPLEST WAY TO STOP SYSTEM FREEZE WITH TORRENTS is to make sure the "Enable DHT Network" checkbox in your Torrent Agent is unticked. This will mean that thinner torrents might download more slowly but I haven't had any speed problems - but then I don't have a very fast connection.

Sincerely hope that work for everyone. Inexplicable system freezes are sooooo frustrating.

[Switeck]

Also try disabling LPD, UPnP, NAT-PMP, and Resolve IPs (right-click in Peers window of an active torrent).

[Like5boy]

Whoops, wrong topic, sorry guys.

[tragafantas]

I've changed the Wifi adapter. Now I'm using a TP-Link WN651G (Atheros AR5005GS chipset). No more crashings.

[teddy picker]

I turned off the DHT Network, the UPnP and all of that that Kent and Switeck suggested, and thankfully it did work. However, now I am getting DL speeds of approx 10kbs, whereas before I was getting in the 30-40 range on the same torrent. Now, I may be getting greedy, but has a way been figured out to enable the DHT Network, for faster speeds w/o crashing the system? I have also installed drivers suggested earlier in this post (using Chipset RT61). Has any new headway been made with this problem? Thanks in advance.

[dr_st]

After many frustrating months of system lockups during Torrent transfers or Windows file sharing, I came to this thread, and realized, as I suspected that the Ralink drivers are to blame.

I have an Edimax EW-7128G Wireless Card, which uses the RT61 chipset. I tried the driver 2.1.2.0 offered by norsk/tsume, and it seemed to work at first, but two days later, uTorrent is consistently locking up again within 10 minutes of use.

Teddy picker, Tommy00 and st3ady also report that the new drivers did not stop the crashes for them, although norsk reported that they did, and hasn't reported differently since.

In the meanwhile I am working around it by taking out one of the 2GB RAM sticks, so that I only have 2GB. So far no crashes, but of course it is not a viable longterm solution.

However, it seems that the RT2860-chipset based cards really do not experience the problem any more with the new drivers. It's the RT61 that still have it.

I am going to contact Ralink and ask for their help. If they cannot solve this issue fast, I will just buy an Atheros-based TPLink wireless adapter.

[teddy picker]

After continuing to experience the prob after DLing 2.1.2 I began harassing the manufacturer of my wireless card (Rosewill) and they ended up emailing me driver version 1.2.3. So after being like WTF, and suggesting to them that according to the Ralink website that wasn't new, they responded apologetically and w/in a few hrs emailed me the new Ralink Utility w/I believe version 2.1.3 of the driver, and this was on Friday and since then I've had no uTorrent related crashes and I enable the PnP DHT etc. and it's still working fine. I'm at work now, but will update this post w/the link that was emailed to me. I hope this solution works for the masses, as we all know how much of a frustration it is dealing w/this. And I'm using 6GB ram, so Dr_st you should be able to reinstall your 2gbs.

Here it is. I hope it works for the rest of you.

http://www.ralinktech.com.tw/data/drivers/IS_AP_STA_2500_D-3.2.0.0_VA-3.2.0.0_RU-2.1.3.0_VA-2.1.3.0_AU-2.0.3.0_VA-2.0.3.0_051908_1.0.1.0_Free.exe

[dr_st]

Teddy picker,

Thanks for your help. However, upon downloading the file and installing, I noticed that it appears to be the same 2.1.2.0 driver (for RT61). It identifies itself as 2.1.2, and bytewise file compare with the old driver I obtained earlier (and which still has the bug) showed no difference.

First let's be sure that we really have the same chipset. My card appears in the device manager as "Ralink RT61 Turbo Wireless LAN Card". Is yours the same?

When you go to Properties-->Driver, does it show the version as 2.1.3.0?

If so, perhaps you can somehow transfer me just the drivers? It should consist of 3 files - netr6164.cat, .inf, and .sys, all located inside "Driver" directory, somewhere within Program Files (x86)\RALINK.

It would be best if you could somehow upload them and attach a link to this post, or you can email them to me (my email provider is yahoo-dot-com, and my email name is also dr_st).

Thanks again, and looking forward for your help. So far I've heard nothing back from Ralink.

[somnomatic]

I'm still having the same problems after installing teddy picker's driver. Properties-->Driver still shows 2.1.2.0. Vista Ultimate 64, Rosewill RT61 wifi card, 4 GB RAM. Computer still freezes even with only 2 GB of RAM installed.

[zephurus]

Hey guys, download this: http://files.aoaforums.com/F2749-RT61%20PCI%20mPCI%20CB.zip

It's an older driver but it doesn't lock up my computer. Also, make sure to uninstall any Ralink crap and the driver itself before running the setup.

Cheers

[Sekani]

The 2.1.3 drivers for Vista are up on Ralink's website (dated 12/09/2008). Going to try them out and see if it solves the freezing problem.

http://www.ralinktech.com/ralink/Home/Support/Windows.html

EDIT: Nope

[dr_st]

zephurus, thanks, but the older driver refuses to even connect to my wireless network with WPA2/AES encryption.

This has been very frustrating, and I am totally disappointed with Ralink. I wrote them a few times, and they haven't replied to a single one of my emails. And now Sekani says that even the newer driver does not fix the problem.

I'm getting a TP-Link WN651G.

[joules23]

GUYS, im having this exact issue using Windows 7 (64bit).... Has anyone been able to solve this problem, really getting on my nerves. I also have a Ralink wifi card, and same issue- freezing upon opening/using utorrent

[prizm77]

Add another person experiencing utorrent crashing with the RT61 chipset and Vista 64bit. Sigh.

Let's hope for an update.

[dosby]

I downloaded and installed a driver for D-Link AirPlus DWL-G510 Rev.C, which is also RT61 based and it solved my problems. That driver is dated 2006, I guess that way Vista outsmarts it and does not let it crash the system.

I use 4G RAM, Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 (no updates) and latest uTorrent. The rest is irrelevant, I guess.

[Simo75]

I try D-Link AirPlus DWL-G510 Rev.C driver Vista64 on my Atlantis Land NetFly PCI-54M (Ralink RT61 based) but NOT install on Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 and Windows 7 Beta x64.

I have many freeze on Windows 64 bit (both Vista and Seven) with 4GB and RT61..sigh..soob..sniff..

Perfect on 32 bit Windows (XP, Vista and Seven).

[PGX]

Well...

I have Vista 64

When I run uTorrent, it freezes

My computer has no wireless card in it, let alone a Ralink one.

It is hardlined through the motherboard (EVGA 780i) lan to my router.

I have BitDefender 2009 Anti Virus.

I used to be able to use uTorrent just fine, when I had XP. I upgraded to Vista and now I can't use uTorrent.

I have tried so many things to stop the freezing that my head really just wants to explode, but nothing has helped >.<

Help me? =(

[vblown]

I've been having the same exact problems with utorrent.

Im running Vista 64bit, 4 GB RAM

my wireless card is a EW-7128

utorrent will run for 2 to 8 minutes then my computer freezes.

I'm also freezing in the game World of Warcraft as soon as the load after the character screen is over. I have no clue if that's related though.

I tried the newest drivers on the website and also the driver that other guy posted. Nothing is working for me.

[joules23]

Please bug ralink/rosewill to make new drivers that really do support 64bit OS's ....

techsupport@rosewill.com

FAE@ralinktech.com.tw

[deysonnguyen]

I fixed it on mine i had all the same problems.

something about P2P and vista i guess microsoft wanting to prevent piracy.

anyways all i did was disable DHT and it stopped freezing.

I'm not completely sure if it slows down downloads but hey your comp stops freezing right?

just go to open up utorrent go to preferences>Bittorrent and turn off enable DHT and enable DHT for new torrents

[dr_st]

joules23

I wrote them 3 or 4 emails a while ago (wrote to Edimax too). Received zero replies. Unless someone knows a direct email to an actual person, I doubt writing more will help.

deysonnguyen

Unfortunately that's not a viable solution. First of all, why one should cripple his program by disabling a feature that many deem important? Second, the freezes are not only uTorrent-related, even though uTorrent seems to trigger them quite quickly sometimes. I've had my computer freeze at random often, sometimes right upon boot. Also, transferring files via LAN/FTP makes it freeze even faster than uTorrent.

[KikkoMax]

Hi everybody,

I myself have a pc60g from MSI and have been experiencing the same problems with the 2.1.2.0 version (Vista 64 bit with 4gig of ram). The 2.0.3.0 version taken directly from MSI's website for vista x64 does not have the freezing issue; but it has a big problem with lag spike in video games online, thus making it worthless to me.

Still, I am able to profit from a lag free AND freeze free windows 64 bit environment! Let me explain how I got to it

So there I was playing Titan Quest with my GF with the 2.0.3.0 drivers... lag spiking like hell even though we were in a lan game. Since she was complaining so much about lag, I decided to check with a ping command to my router to see what the problem was... And I get a whole lot of lost packets. I go on the web and find the 2.1.2.0 drivers and install them directly. Everything works like a charm after that and I see no crash whatsoever even with uTorrent open and DHT running.... until I reboot.

Still upon reboot, after 5 min or so, FREEZE TIME. After a while I found out that it really was those goddamn drivers from Ralink tech that wouldn't work (damn their sorry incompetent asses), but I still wondered why it didn't freeze first time around.

And so I tried booting into the computer with the 2.0.3.0 drivers... no freeze. I wait a while... about 10-15 min at least. I install the 2.1.2.0 drivers... still no freeze happening. I am currently running on the 2.1.2.0 drivers with no freeze whatsoever, and it's been at least a week since I last rebooted my computer.

So my theory on what can and will possibly make your computer freeze with the 2.1.2.0 drivers:

- Windows boot up : I think that it's possibly related to the Superfetch service... While windows is caching all your ram for some reason my computer is prone to freeze, so I always wait before most of my ram is cached before switching the drivers back.

- Windows update : Fastest way to freeze your computer. Make goddamn sure you don't have automatic update on and when you do update, switch back to 2.0.3.0.

- uTorrent DHT : Quite possible but I think the danger's more when the torrent and/or uTorrent are starting up, because DHT was on in my uTorrent before when I changed the drivers and it didn't freeze anyway, but I decided to disable it just to be on the safe side.

Easy guide to making it work until Ralink decide they start caring about their consumers :

- Make sure you have DHT in uTorrent and automatic updates disabled.

- Always load 2.0.3.0 when you reboot your windows. (You can still boot with the 2.1.2.0 but you have to be really fast to go and change your drivers back before it freezes).

- Wait at least 10 min or until all your unused ram is cached in your task manager.

- Load the 2.1.2.0 drivers (or even 2.1.3.0 if you got them)

- Enjoy freeze free lag spike free windows for a while!

On a side note, if anyone would be kind enough to host the .cat, .inf and .sys files from the 2.1.3.0 drivers I would really appreciate a lot. I really don't like Ralink's crappy UI and going through 2 reboots only to get the files alone is too much for me

So try this out and tell us if it worked for you!

[Beef]

You say disable this turn off that but you are forgetting that you are actually changing your entire operating system so that a single application would work as it should - I maybe very loyal to uTorrent but this is too radical and if a patch will not increase compatibility with windows vista then it will not be any better when windows 7 comes.

I will be forced to change software despite my loyalty to uTorrent. In my case it is Vista indexing service that causes lockup - it tries to index a file that is currently being downloaded and it doesn't recognize a downloading file because it also does not recognize utorrent as a file-altering application but something else.

The lockup lasts about 30 seconds if i am not running a fullscreen application, if i am. then the lockup is permanent...