The ICT teacher at the school I work at has reported that frequently students are experiencing their Python software crashing when they attempt to save files.  No error message is reported, the software just freezes.

They are using the IDLE GUI Python v 3.2.4 on Windows 7 Professional 32-bit.

Please advise.

Could you try to collect more information, like an error message, or better a traceback?

Do you get a Windows popup like "program crashed"?

Try to run IDLE from the command line, not from the icon, to get the traceback.

By the way, Python 3.2.4 is "old", you should try to reproduce your issue with a newer Python version, like Python 3.3.2.

Unfortunately we are unable to run it from the command line - as we are a school this is locked down for students. 

There are no error messages at all, the program just freezes.

Okay, we'll see if we can go to V 3.3.2  and see what difference this makes.

There doesn't seem to be a Pygame version for 3.3 on the pygame webpage?

Exactly what are people doing in the save dialog when they have problems? If they are saving to a standard path under Computer (on the left side bar), there should be no problem. If they are saving to some place listed under Libraries, such as Documents, then this is a known problem in 3.2 that was fixed in 3.3 by using a later version of Tk. See #12988 (and #14996). If this is the case, this issue is a duplicate and should be closed. Your description of Idle 'freezing', rather than closing, sounds like this is the same issue.

Ask the Pygame people to prepare a 3.3 binary and one for 3.4 as soon as it is released (or even now, for the upcoming beta).

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When Idle closes, rather than freezing, you should be able to get error messages, without access to Command Prompt, by running the standard white-on-black, text-mode python.exe interpreter in interactive mode.

In the interpreter window, start Idle in a new window like so:
>>> import idlelib.idle

While using Idle, nothing should appear in in the original window, though there may be some TclError messages that can be ignored. When Idle stops, a prompt will appear in the original window. If Idle stops abnormally, a trackback and error message should appear before the prompt.

Note that the above only works on the first import. If you repeat
>>> import idlelib.idle
the code in idlelib.idle does not get rerun and Idle will not start. You have to exit and restart python.exe.

In order for Idle to run, python.exe has to be present somewhere. But if it has been hidden or somehow blocked, you can try the same thing  as above but from an Idle Shell window. In other words, start a second Idle Shell from the first. I just cannot guarantee that this will work as well. If it does, the import will work again after Cntl-F6, Shell/Restart Shell.

> There doesn't seem to be a Pygame version for 3.3 on the pygame webpage?

Can't you try just to reproduce the crash in IDLE without installing pygame? (I don't know if pygame is available for Python 3.3.)

I am closing this on the theory that the problem has been fixed by one of the many crash fixers since 3.2. There is certainly insufficient information to act on. Currently, a problem would have to be demonstrated with 3.4 (or possible 2.7).