Computer keeps freezing on YouTube
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Computer keeps freezing on YouTube
Hope the experts here can help...
My self-built computer has now taken to freezing shortly after I try to play anything from YouTube or similar sites.
The computer was originally constructed about five years ago and following a virus attack I recently re-formatted and re-installed XP Pro (with SP3) from a new disk. When I first tried to play a YouTube movie following the re-install it told me that I didn't have Flash Player installed and invited me to install it via the Adobe website. This I did, apparently satisfactorily, but couldn't get beyond the first 10/15 seconds before it froze.
I have tried uninstalling Flash Player following the advice given in other threads and using the Adobe uninstaller and then re-installing but without success.
Control/alt/delete has no effect.
I also noticed that the machine sometimes freezes when the screensaver is running (and nothing else is). In all other respects the computer is working fine.
I'm fairly computer-savvy and have no hesitation in delving into the innards although I haven't yet been brave enough to interfere with the Registry.
Anyone got any ideas?
My self-built computer has now taken to freezing shortly after I try to play anything from YouTube or similar sites.
The computer was originally constructed about five years ago and following a virus attack I recently re-formatted and re-installed XP Pro (with SP3) from a new disk. When I first tried to play a YouTube movie following the re-install it told me that I didn't have Flash Player installed and invited me to install it via the Adobe website. This I did, apparently satisfactorily, but couldn't get beyond the first 10/15 seconds before it froze.
I have tried uninstalling Flash Player following the advice given in other threads and using the Adobe uninstaller and then re-installing but without success.
Control/alt/delete has no effect.
I also noticed that the machine sometimes freezes when the screensaver is running (and nothing else is). In all other respects the computer is working fine.
I'm fairly computer-savvy and have no hesitation in delving into the innards although I haven't yet been brave enough to interfere with the Registry.
Anyone got any ideas?
crazyplane123, get it right!
Read the real story here or here.
Short answer, extended support is available till April 2014.
Sorts of things I'd be looking at (obvious first): Has the clip downloaded completely? It will stop periodically as download speed fluctuates.
What AV and other security software is installed?
What's the RAM and CPU? If it's an old box, you might be short on resources, and will either have to add more RAM and/or trim some startup items.
Have you updated the drivers for your display and graphics?
Read the real story here or here.
Short answer, extended support is available till April 2014.
Sorts of things I'd be looking at (obvious first): Has the clip downloaded completely? It will stop periodically as download speed fluctuates.
What AV and other security software is installed?
What's the RAM and CPU? If it's an old box, you might be short on resources, and will either have to add more RAM and/or trim some startup items.
Have you updated the drivers for your display and graphics?
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Thanks for that Tarq57.
It's definitely freezing, not just temporarily stopping due to download speed. I should say that prior to the re-format/re-install it did play perfectly. RAM is 2.50GB, CPU is AMD Sempron 3000+. Antivirus is Avast! and AFAIK graphics and display drivers are up-to-date.
I'm thinking that maybe I should go back to the drawing board and re-format/re-install again and perhaps try a different graphics card and hope the glitch goes away. I would prefer not to as it is all a bit of a hassle.
It's definitely freezing, not just temporarily stopping due to download speed. I should say that prior to the re-format/re-install it did play perfectly. RAM is 2.50GB, CPU is AMD Sempron 3000+. Antivirus is Avast! and AFAIK graphics and display drivers are up-to-date.
I'm thinking that maybe I should go back to the drawing board and re-format/re-install again and perhaps try a different graphics card and hope the glitch goes away. I would prefer not to as it is all a bit of a hassle.
If it's a fresh Avast install (and I guess it would be) it's possible that is the cause.
While offline, run an application (movie, whatever) that prompts this jerking/freezing. Try disabling the AV for 10 min., and see if it still happens. If not, that's probably the reason.
The cure is to run a full virus scan. Once Avast has learned the contents of the drive, it will not scan everything running so remorselessly. (A simpletons explanation. Me, not you.)
In the Avast GUI, set it under "RealTimeShields>FileSystemShield>expert settings>advanced" to tick all three checkboxes, if they aren't checked already.
Check in all the shields that have them that the heuristics are set to normal. (File, Webshield, and mailshield, I think.)
If disabling the AV made no difference, I'm a little stumped.
I have visited PCPitstop in the past, which offers a battery of disk and processor health checks that I've found pretty useful for running diagnostics and muddling through problems, or just improving performance. Naturally, they want you to purchase some of their software (or partner software; reg cleaners, driver agents etc) but if you know how to interpret the results you might find it reveals the problem. You do need to create an account. I've never been spammed by so doing.
Welcome to PC PitStop! Only works in IE.
While offline, run an application (movie, whatever) that prompts this jerking/freezing. Try disabling the AV for 10 min., and see if it still happens. If not, that's probably the reason.
The cure is to run a full virus scan. Once Avast has learned the contents of the drive, it will not scan everything running so remorselessly. (A simpletons explanation. Me, not you.)
In the Avast GUI, set it under "RealTimeShields>FileSystemShield>expert settings>advanced" to tick all three checkboxes, if they aren't checked already.
Check in all the shields that have them that the heuristics are set to normal. (File, Webshield, and mailshield, I think.)
If disabling the AV made no difference, I'm a little stumped.
I have visited PCPitstop in the past, which offers a battery of disk and processor health checks that I've found pretty useful for running diagnostics and muddling through problems, or just improving performance. Naturally, they want you to purchase some of their software (or partner software; reg cleaners, driver agents etc) but if you know how to interpret the results you might find it reveals the problem. You do need to create an account. I've never been spammed by so doing.
Welcome to PC PitStop! Only works in IE.
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Well, I can now watch YouTube and similar without it freezing but not without a lot of hassle on the way!
I decided to do a repair install of XP Pro; this was quite straightforward except for hitting the old 'setup freezes at 34 mins remaining' problem. This took about three hours to resolve and was eventually sorted by removing all pci cards except graphics at which point setup continued. (For the benefit of others, it is caused by a hardware driver problem hence removing all unnecessary hardware).
I then had to refit the expansion cards and install related software. This was fairly trouble-free except the system would not 'see' the graphics card. This problem was finally resolved by re-installing motherboard chipset drivers from Gigabyte's site. The m/b disc which I had wouldn't work because the system thought the drivers were already installed.
Finally at 2130 everything was up and running as it should (including YouTube videos) having started at 1400. Still. I was in a cool room and not out in the 30+ degrees of East Anglian sun!
Throughout all this, 'Google was my friend' and it directed me to the many other souls who have had similar problems to me. I commend it to you all but you probably know that anyway!
Thanks to all who offered suggestions.
I decided to do a repair install of XP Pro; this was quite straightforward except for hitting the old 'setup freezes at 34 mins remaining' problem. This took about three hours to resolve and was eventually sorted by removing all pci cards except graphics at which point setup continued. (For the benefit of others, it is caused by a hardware driver problem hence removing all unnecessary hardware).
I then had to refit the expansion cards and install related software. This was fairly trouble-free except the system would not 'see' the graphics card. This problem was finally resolved by re-installing motherboard chipset drivers from Gigabyte's site. The m/b disc which I had wouldn't work because the system thought the drivers were already installed.
Finally at 2130 everything was up and running as it should (including YouTube videos) having started at 1400. Still. I was in a cool room and not out in the 30+ degrees of East Anglian sun!
Throughout all this, 'Google was my friend' and it directed me to the many other souls who have had similar problems to me. I commend it to you all but you probably know that anyway!
Thanks to all who offered suggestions.
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Oly,
If it ever happens again, try uninstalling and then reinstalling Flash.
I have had the dlls go corrupt a couple times in the past - they *seem* to work, but then lock up.
If it ever happens again, try uninstalling and then reinstalling Flash.
I have had the dlls go corrupt a couple times in the past - they *seem* to work, but then lock up.
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Ray
See original post. Unistalling and re-installing Flash didn't work nor did the other suggestions which is why I decided to do a repair install of XP.
See original post. Unistalling and re-installing Flash didn't work nor did the other suggestions which is why I decided to do a repair install of XP.
