How to prevent recurring upload freezes?

[ian_c]

Recent attempts to upload short videos to Facebook keep freezing. The upload proceeds to a certain point, then mysteriously stops. Latest example; the upload reached 44.4% then...froze. This 'upload freeze' issue happened four times in a row yesterday. There doesn't seem to be any way to 're-start' frozen uploads either. All I can do is start over and hope the next attempt won't freeze (or abandon the upload attempt completely out of frustration). To be clear, sometimes an upload doesn't freeze, so the system is able to work occasionally, just not consistently. I'm all for patience and persistence, but the recurring malfunction can be a serious waste of time when the problem keeps repeating over and over again, even after chatting with Shaw tech support and having the modem's firmware updated (again) yesterday. Can anyone suggest a solution? Thanks in advance!

[mdk]

@ian_c -- mysteriously stops

There are several possible "failure points":

1. Your file
2. Your computer's disk-drive
3. Microsoft Windows
4. Your computer's hardware
5. Your computer's network-adapter
6. Your Shaw cable-modem -- it may have "poor signal strength"
7. Facebook

Suggestions:

Try to copy your file to a USB memory-stick, to make sure that it can successfully be read.

Try to upload to Facebook, using that USB stick, and a different computer.

Ask a Shaw Agent to remotely logon to the cable-modem, to view the "signal strength", and other statistics that the modem keeps.

[ian_c]

Thanks for the insightful feedback. Oddly enough, the next attempt to upload the same video file that froze at 44.4% DID succeed on the next attempt, which makes the periodic malfunction all the more puzzling. That particular video file was uploaded from the desktop's external hard drive, while other video files have been stored on USB Memory sticks.

One possible clue to the upload-freeze is that I'd stepped away from the PC after initiating the upload and when I returned to check on its status, the monitor had gone dark and the desktop was in some sort of dormant state that required me to move the mouse around to awaken the monitor, then I had to click on the SIGN IN button in the middle of the screen to see where things were at. It was then that I saw the upload was at 44.4% but noticed it wasn't climbing any further and realized that 'upload freeze' had struck again. I opened another tab and re-initiated the upload, which, as previously noted, did finally manage to reach 100%. It was during the time of the second upload attempt that logged on the Shaw to post my inquiry to this forum.

[mdk · Accepted solution]

@ian_c  -- the desktop was in some sort of dormant state that required me to move the mouse around to awaken the monitor

Open the Windows "Settings" window, and do a search for "power". Open the power settings. Change the "time-out" value when running on AC power to a few hours, rather than the power-saving default of 10 minutes. Or, keep using your computer while the upload is progressing.

[ian_c]

Thanks for your follow-up reply. The 10 minute default time-out may well be the root of problem, and would explain why some uploads froze, but others did not. Previously, I speculated that doing other things on the computer during an upload might be triggering the freezes. 'Stepping away from the PC' entirely after initiating an upload was an attempt to avoid that by letting the process continue uninterrupted.

After reading your reply however, it seems my subsequent inactivity may have triggered the power-saving 'time-out' to kick in after 10 minutes. I've now altered the settings as per your recommendation. Hopefully that will end the problem. (Otherwise I'll be back here again!)

One question does arise however: Why would a 'time-out' kick in during an active upload in progress? That part I don't get, as the computer wasn't completely idle... Any idea?

Thanks again for your informed advice. Much appreciated!

[mdk]

@ian_c -- Why would a 'time-out' kick in during an active upload in progress?

Interesting question.

It depends on what Windows is measuring, and what it is not measuring.

Experiment: open the Windows "Task Manager", and switch to its "Performance" tab. Click on the icon for the "network", and watch the graph of network activity. Stop touching your keyboard & mouse. Of course, running the Task Manager adds some "activity" to your computer, but keep watching the graph -- it occasionally has non-zero "spikes", because the other computers on your LAN are communicating ("file-sharing" and/or "printer-sharing") and the Shaw router is "chatting" with your computer. Also, Windows Update (and Adobe updater and iTunes) could be "calling home" in the background. What this shows is that your computer really NEVER is 100% "idle".

So, what is Windows monitoring, to determine "idle" ? No wiggles of the mouse? No touches on the keyboard?  No "active-content" on an open web-page (SportsNet "real-time" score-ticker? an advertisement that has motion?)  I just don't know what Windows is monitoring.

[ian_c]

"It depends on what Windows is measuring, and what it is not measuring. ...  I just don't know what Windows is monitoring."

..and neither do I, but I appreciate your effort to resolve the mystery nevertheless! The good news is that your earlier recommendation to extend the automatic time-out seems to have resolved the issue: An upload initiated on Sunday completed relatively quickly, with zero hiccups!

Thank you again for your timely advice!