64 replies to this topic

[Jkc73]

Hello gbsk,

Apart from removing the above recommended by Rich, It may be so that IE8 is causing a few problems.

I have been through all of your past topics and it does appear that you have had several browser problems ranging from Internet Explorer,Mozilla Firefox and Opera.


One step I could recommend is to repair IE and see how this effects things.

Below is a link to a highly recommended How-to repair IE. (Don't be concerned that it refers to IE ver.6.0)

http://www.geekstogo...et-explorer-60/


Here is an automated fix by Microsoft that will repair IE, I'm not a fan of automated fixes, backup your data always.

http://support.micro...r_crashes/en-us


Here is a link to "Reset Internet Explorer Settings".

http://support.micro...8378#letmefixit


Here is a link to download IE8 for Windows XP. If you choose to uninstall and reinstall a fresh copy of IE8.

http://www.microsoft...;displaylang=en

Regards,

Edited by Jkc73, 07 April 2011 - 10:18 PM.

[gbsk]

Ztruccker, I uninstalled everything you suggested. I did not see anything by Panda or Sunbelt in my Add/Ininstall programs though. My computer does not seem to work any better. Any suggestions? Thanks GB

[Ztruker]

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem.

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem

These are good tutorials on using msconfig in XP, Vista or Windows 7:
How to use msconfig in Windows XP
How to use msconfig in Windows Vista
How to use msconfig in Windows 7

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Reboot and see if it runs better.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, start msconfig and click on the Services tab.
Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system. Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.
Enable everything else you disabled.

[gbsk]

Rich I did everything you said and then rebooted. I just had 2 tabs open in IE and it froze up so I had to delete IE from Task Manager and restart IE. Both IE tabs had under 100,000 MB running at the time. Any other ideas? GB

[Ztruker]

Don't know if you've tried this or not: Run IE without Add-ons Click Start then Run, type iexplore -extoff and press Enter or click on Go. or Click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)

[gbsk]

Rich I tried running IE without Add Ons. The computer works the same as before. The computer will also not work with Opera, which I like much better than IE so it seems like something else is wrong. Anyh more ideas? Thanks GB

[Ztruker]

How does it work if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking?

[gbsk]

Rich Thanks for the response. Sorry, it took so long. My wife needed so tabs open for a course she is taking. I tried it in Safe mode. It did not seem to help. would having a lot of programs and documents on the desktop make a difference? Even in Safe Mode,I checked the emails in my Yahoo email that I wanted to delete.The check mark had a lag time of actually appearing after about 5 seconds after I clicked each box. Many emails took 30 seconds or more to delete and moving from one browser window to another took 30 seconds or more. As I said when I started on this forum, I already told the malware people about this and they sent me to this forum since they basically cleared my computer according to them. I was thinking of going to a Linux workshop tomorrow to see if they had any alternatives. this has been going on since January. Please let me know if you know of any alternatives because my computer experience is taking much longer than it takes on a computer that works well like the ones at the library or this computer before Janyuary. GB

[Ztruker]

You can try a Live Linux distro like Puppy Linux, Ubuntu Linux or Linux Mint. Don't install, just run directly from the CD. See how your browser works there. You will usually have FireFox and possibly Safari to try. They will be .iso files that you use as input to create a bootable CD/DVD. You normal CD burning software should handle it (not th eone built into XP though). If not, use ImgBurn

Another thing to consider is defective ram, which can cause all kinds of weird problems. Download Memtest86+ (you want the 2nd one Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)). Unzip it then create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software or ImgBurn.

Boot the CD and run for at least 3 complete passes unless it shows errors sooner than that.

[gbsk]

Rich I downloaded this over the weekend and could not find it so I let it slip by. I downloaded the Memtest again today and could not find it. When it was downloading, a box did not come up asking where I wanted it to download. I thought it was just lost. I then ran Copernic today and the only instance of "Memtest" I had on my computer is when it took me to the website I downloaded it from. Also, my wife and I tried to register for an online class and neither of us could do it with this computer. She ended up doing it from the library computer. I used my son's laptop. Any suggestions would be useful. Thanks GB

[Ztruker]

This has been going on for a long time now.

My recommendation is to backup any data you need to save do the following:

Repair Install

If that doesn't fix it, make sure your data is backed up then do a Clean install.

Clean Install- WhatTheTech
Clean Install - Michael Stevens Tech
Clean Install - WinSuperSite

I looked through the entire thread again but did not see where you said what the make and model number of your computer is. Can you post that info please.

I don't know if you have a XP Install CD or a Manufacturers Recovery CD or a Recovery partition on the hard drive. The make and model will allow me to look in the online Users Guide and see what it says.

[gbsk]

Rich. I have a Dell Dimension 2400 and uses XP. I am not exactly looking forward to reinstall. Thanks GB

[Jkc73]

Hello gbsk,


I can understand you not wanting to reinstall your OS, a Repair Install is the next best thing.

If you are willing to try something else prior to this, then I recommend the following.

I have looked back over the thread, I notice this from your PCPitstop scan results,

"System OS Install Date 12/21/2009 4:36:38 PM"
Windows Internet Explorer 8
(20090308.140743) Microsoft Corporation 10/29/10
Windows XP Service Pack 3
(20080414.031525) Microsoft Corporation 10/30/10
Windows Feature Pack for Storage (32-bit) - IMAPI update for Blu-Ray
(1.0) Microsoft Corporation 12/30/10

You say the problems started in January... (this is soon after your install of IE8)

It's the install dates that concern me.

I recommend that you,

"Reset Internet Explorer Settings"

If this does not solve your browser problems,

Click the Start Button and select Control Panel. Select Add or Remove Programs.
Find and select Windows Internet Explorer 8 from the list of available applications. Click the Remove button.
Restart your system.

From the Start menu, select Run.
In the Open field, type sfc /scannow (Note: There is a space between sfc and /scannow)
Select the OK button.

Follow the prompts throughout the System File Checker process.
Restart the computer when System File Checker completes.

Please let us know how your system is operating now.

Note: It is highly advisable to update the IE browser to the latest version after this test.
Please report how it operates 1st.

How to Install IE 7,8 or 9(Follow method 2)



Best Regards,
Jkc73

Edited by Jkc73, 24 May 2011 - 08:39 AM.

[gbsk]

Jkc73,, Thanks for the reply. I will do the things you suggsted. However, when the problem started, I was using Opera as a browser. I used to have about 1 G of RAM and then boosted it to 1.5 G so I do not have tons of memory so Ithink Opera uses less RAM than most browsers and I like the way Opera works. I only use IE if I have to which is since the problem started. I like Chrome and Firefox but they seem to use more RAM so I do not thinkit is an IE problem. I originally thought it was a malware problem and I still think so but the malware forum guys said my computer is okay according to their tests. Thanks GB

[Ztruker]

No one looks forward to reinstalling, but some times it's the best, or only solution.

The best way to prevent having to do this is to keep several generations of full image backups so when (not if) something goes wrong, it's very easy to restore to the latest image you have when things were working correctly.

I personally have several layers of backup.

1st is Acronis True Image. I maintain 4 backup sets, each of which contains 1 full backup and 6 incremental backups. That way I always have at least 3 weeks that I can go back to and as many as 4 depending on where I am in the backup weekly cycle.

2nd I use a program called Mirror Folder to backup my data only to a 2nd internal hard drive and some of it to a 2nd computer I use as a Web server. All my pictures and music are shadowed there from my main Win 7 computer. They are checked every two hours except for pictures which are backed up immediately, sort of a software raid setup.

3rd I use Carbonite to backup all my data only to a server on the internet.

Overkill? Probably but I have never, ever lost a single byte of data nor have I had to reinstall a Windows OS in many years.

My data is important to me, especially the pictures, many of which are the only copies available.