Strange problem affecting browser(s)

[x213a]

My home PC is running on Win7 Ultimate. About 2 weeks ago the browser (Firefox) kept freezing every few minutes or so. The only way I could click on anything or navigate away from a page was by CONT-ALT-Delete and as soon as the task manager appeared and I hovered the mouse over an option (which took about 10 seconds before it lit and acknowledged) I could suddenly click again.

I tried installing Google Chrome but I still got the same problem - with the same solution.
I ran anti malware, AVG and then even installed a trial version of Kaspersky - No infections found. I Then tried Trend Micros Housecall...still no infections found.

In my frustration I reinstalled Windows yesterday. I still have the same problem although it does not happen as frequently as before.

Could this be a hardware issue? If so then what?

Cheers.

[BOAC]

I've had an occasional 'slow' browsing experience (Win XP SP3) for a couple of weeks now - FF, IE8 and Safari. Frequent use of refresh to get pages to load (PPRune particularly) and occasionally restart browser. I assumed it was just my machine.

[Keef]

Take a read of the Event Log. That is likely to tell you what's upsetting the machine.

[Bushfiva]

Having experienced something slightly similar over the past couple of days with Pprune, and taking a wild, wild guess I'd initially check what's timing out on these sites: possibly third-party content from an ad server. Then, I'd wonder if that content were Flash-based. Running a mix of browsers which block somewhere between everything and nothing, the latter are having the problems currently. As Keef says, the event log is your friend. So is Fiddler.

[Volant Brique]

x213a

As a possible cause, read http://www.pprune.org/computer-internet-issues-troubleshooting/394494-caution-free-online-banking-security-software.html.

Just a long shot but this programme has messed up many computers in very many different ways.

VB

[spannersatcx]

Could this be a hardware issue? If so then what? I had a similar problem it was the graphics card overheating, fitted another fan and it's been fine ever since.

[x213a]

Have reinstalled windows again, after wiping HD and overwriting with zeroes twice.

Still have the same problem, event log shows nothing significant.

?????????????????????

[mad_jock]

I would say its a dodgy ram unit.

If you have got 2 in remove one and see if that helps if it doesn't swap them.

[srobarts]

We have had an odd problem recently with some change BT seems to have made with our broadand connection. The router log was showing the router was having to restart some 30-40 times a day. Our router vendor has given us a beta version of some new firmware for the router that has solved the problem.
From experience Firefox is always slower when my PC has resumed from standby, so I now close Firefox before I put my PC on standby.
If your PC is crawling along on non internet applications. Open the processes tab of Task Manager click on the CPU column twice so the high CPU usage applications are at the top. The one consistently at the top (apart from System Idle Process) could well be you offender.

[douglas.lindsay]

FWIW I've found Firefox to be really slow ever since version 3, so I don't use it now. Even my wife (not an IT geek in the slightest) has asked me to set up Google Chrome as the default browser - apparently her Facebook games are too slow in Firefox :rolleyes:

[Saab Dastard]

I have access to IE6, IE7, IE8 and FF2 at the moment.

The fastest browser to load and do useful stuff with is IE6.

This is reasonably fair comparison, as they are running on similar PCs.

I'm not saying that IE6 is secure or functionally rich (I miss tabs) - just faster.

But then I have plug-ins installed on all the others which are probably slowing them down.

Slowest to load is IE7, with IEPro.

SD

[W2k]

I have had a similar problem, and it was caused by a hard drive about to fail. The drive is trying to read the same bit over and over again, which hangs the system temporarily as it's an operation that would normally take milliseconds. Eventually it succeeds and everything looks normal. (The hard drive light being constantly lit or blinking, or grinding/ticking noises from the drive, while the system seems hung is a 100% indicator of this.)

Reinstalling Windows would shift the files around on the drive somewhat, which would cause the "bad" area to be accessed more or less frequently. You can see why this would make the problem happen less often (or potentially more often).

Try running a comprehensive drive diagnostic (surface scan) or just try a different hard drive if you have one. You should also check your backups. Once a drive has developed a fault it is generally only a matter of time before it breaks down completely.

Bad RAM could produce similar issues but in my experience bad RAM usually tends to cause hard crashes rather than stuttering/freezing. Then again swapping RAM (or taking one stick out as was suggested) is a lot easier than swapping drives, so try that first and see if it helps.

SD, try Google Chrome. I wouldn't touch IE6 with a long pole but Chrome is really quite speedy and not quite so outdated security-wise.

[mad_jock]

I have had such problems as describe with bad ram which is why I suggested it.

What or how the proccess is doing while it stalls I don't know.

[Saab Dastard]

Thanks W2K,

I use FF 99.9% of the time, but I still have various other browsers available for test purposes. They still have their uses.

SD

[graham england]

Was coming here to ask for some help with a similar kind of problem and was surprised to see this thread.

For about 3 weeks the net from my desk top has steadily become basically unuseable. I have xp pro and use firefox for most browsing and IE7 for a few others, mainly work. The desk top is linked by wireless PCI card to my router.

IE gives a message "cannot display web page", while Firfox gives "server not found" maybe 50% of the time, often when it does reach the web page it goes into a basic or disrupted layout or doesnt load some graphics. The pages which most often cause problems are things like yahoo and BBC. When things go well the content of the page loads but embeded adverts may fail and give the server not found message. Numerous reloading usually gets there in the end.

I've been concentrating on my wifi, and have had my ISP out to check their stuff (virgin cable 10mb) - although the reported speeds have improved as a result of these efforts the underlying problem remains. I've removed my mcafee and defender all to no avail. I've checked for malware and viruses.

I'd already checked the fans in my case before reading this thread and have since looked at the event log (though I don't really know what I am looking at) it doesnt seem to have anything nasty.

Judging by the others with vaguely similar issues here I wonder if the updates from Microsoft around that time may be a factor? Bushfiva's comments make sense but he is too cryptic for my knowledge level to be able to solve it?!!!

BTW I have found firefox as slow or slower than IE since version 3 too.

Any help? I have pretty much run out of options.

Thanks

[old fart]

Hi,
Also came here to look for help with exactly the same problem!
Happens with both Firefox 3.6.2 and ie 8.
Started one or two weeks ago.
I have a new and clean computer.
Help please......
Cheers
OF

[BOAC]

Hey ho - maybe I am not alone (http://www.pprune.org/computer-internet-issues-troubleshooting/407701-browsing-oddity-pprune.html)? Welcome to the club.

[mad_jock]

I had the same problem in several countries.

My solution is to use a VPN to attach to an IP address in Washington or CA. If I do that there are no issues.

Persoanlly I think it has something to do with the BB server and connection time outs.

When it happens I would try and do a trace route and see if you have a huge delay with the node which bounces you across the pond.

[graham england]

Not much time this morning before work, but I've just been prompted to install a java update which took only a few moments, now a noticeable improvement with IE and Firefox.

[BOAC]

This page (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Firefox-Load-Pages-Faster) gave me a significant increase in browsing speed.

[BOAC]

Thanks, SoCal - will do.

[ericlday]

BOAC ref post 21 thanks its increased my speed.

[old fart]

Pipelining does not seem to have made any difference.
I thought that there was an initial improvement but its now back to previous....
cheers

[BOAC]

Yes, I am getting variable results but generally better. No 'adverse reactions' yet.

[green granite]

I am getting variable results but generally better. No 'adverse reactions' yet.

As above. :ok:

[Load Toad]

I.E.8 I only use for sites that seem to prefer it. It's OK. Firefox used to be fast but later versions seem slow. BUT - I find with FF that I add too many add-ons - start taking them off and it's back to speed. I've started using Chrome and it's fast so I'll give it a good try.

One thing - I've notice that Hotmail doesn't work as well with FF3.6.3 as half the time it doesn't like to forward or reply to messages without refusing to add the signature or keeping the original text in the message.