New Computer Problem

[Qstick]

I am a complete computer idiot - now that that is out of the way - I started having a new problem last night and it will not go away.

I am using Windows XP and have the latest Norton including updates and have run Spybot - both came back clear as could be. I haven't downloaded anything recently and have no new products....

When surfing hte web if I open a new window, the old window becomes inoperable. If I attempt to transfer back to that page - somtimes it is blank, sometimes it can be seen, but I can never actually use the page. I can not click on anything, not even the "file, edit etc..." buttons on top of the page. Occasionally, the page I am using has this happen as well, but far more often it is when I open a new page.

Spybot came back clear and Norton scan was perfect and I have the latest updates installed.

EDit to add - ---sometimes my windowns appear without the address bar???? I don;t if this is true or not - but it SEEMS that my computer is louder now than before...

Any idea what might be causing this?

Thanks,

Zach

Edited April 15, 2006 by Qstick

[vluc]

I take it you are running Explorer as your browser? First question is have you done anything different to your machine recently? Hardware or software installs, etc.

All of the latest updates downloaded form Microsoft? Any particular web pages this happens on or all the ones you go to?

As an experiment, try downloading and installing firefox as your browser and see if the same thing happens. That way we can rule out one thing or the other.

[Qstick]

Thanks Vluc -

I just installed Firefox from a reccomendation from another post that you made and it seems to be working great.

The problem was with Explorer adn worked with all websites - not just a few.

I haven't installed anything new in months - I believe I am current with Microsoft, and I know I am current with Norton stuff.

40 minutes or so if using Firefox and I the problem hasn't happened yet.....

ZH

[lmccrock]

Louder than before? Could be a fan or hard drive near failure. Possibly a fan has already failed. Not sure if this is an issue since Firefox is running. Do other programs run fine?

I use Firefox 99.5% of the time, and IE for the rest since some web designers use Microsoft-specific tools.

Some reviews say that different anti-spyware programs find different problems, so go ahead and run Ad-aware and the Microsoft tool (which may have been downloaded for you with the XP updates).

Just for fun, open Explorer, click Tools->Manage Addons and see if anything unusual is there. The only time it happened to me, Spybot found the problem, but it was interesting to actually see them, too, in the browser Add-on window..

Lee

[vluc]

Cool. I haven't really used explorer in ages, but it seems your issues are related to that since FF is working for you.

Might be that spybot has "immunized" some of your sites from loading!

[blackdragon]

Welcome to my world!

Ivan

[Putty]

Might reconfigure Spybot search and destroy as it is disabling some java but alot of active x, hence the webpage inoperability.

Norton is junk, more machines have died due to that proggie.

Loud as in hard disk drive activity? if so, is it a seagate? Seagates are loud but alot of activity is no good on any drive. Some firewalls consider access to a router access to the network or internet and go off....especially with NORTON INTERNET SECURITY, which you will need to reconfig to trust local access through the router if you have Network magic.

You could also be RAM deficient and are page filing like crazy. etc. etc.

Dump norton, get F-prot anitivurs, has a free trial for 30 days...(separate mem space not interleaved throughout yur OS like NorDumb)

Add Spyware blaster. itsa free.

[blackdragon]

I think we should have the BE computer guy team, You guys are way smarter than the guy we use!

Ivan

[AZ38super]

I know everyone has their opinion about different programs but as I have said before here are a couple of mine.

First forget all spyware software all together, 99.9% is still just more spyware.

Second leave your Norton alone and forget crap like F-Prot and other free anti-virus

Third don't listen to everyone who says IE is bad news

Fourth I am guessing the problem is not what you are thinking and looking at.

I started on computers writing binary code for those that know what that is, began using the internet when it first came around and have been in web development for over ten years now and I have not had a virus or trojan on my computer during that time. Now I use the internet a ton and not always in the best places so it's not like there were no risks involved. I have ran a seedy program or two in my day.

I run a good hardware firewall setup correctly, a good wireless network for additional computers setup and secured properly, Norton Systemworks (antivirus) and IE as my main browser with others for testing web sites.

So why have I been so lucky to not have all the problems everyone else seems to have...It's not luck.

[Putty]

First forget all spyware software all together, 99.9% is still just more spyware.

Second leave your Norton alone and forget crap like F-Prot and other free anti-virus

Now I know why I have stayed out of the computer problems forum. Flame baters. All my advice has been 100% spot on.

[AZ38super]

Sandoz,

I was not trying to flame anyone.

As I said in another post, In an incident I had to help clean up, but was not under my control they had F-Prot running on a server with possible virus problems it was reporting all clean. I scan the same drives with Norton and found 118 remaining virus's. I do not trust the program for that reason.

As for so called anti-spyware they have no place and I do not waste my time installing or working with them.

[persona non grata]

hey Qstick, and others,

Happy Easter!!!

first let me say that reading anything on the internet, especially in a forum, is like reading graffitti. you have to take everything with a grain of salt. what everybody tells you is just a matter of opinion, so you get what you pay for. just wade through it all and pick out the best course of action for you.

no flame wars or baiting or trolling or whatever it is called is intended in my post.

a sworn state police man who did computer investigations, spefically child porn told me about norton, lavasoft's ad-aware, spypot search and destroy.

i've been running those ever since, for like 3 years now, and i have never had a problem. one of these days when i get around to backing up some important data to CD's and DVD's, i'll go ahead and download windows service pack two and the latest version of IE.

so for now i haven't felt the need to get any other anti-syware programs or get a web browser like firefox.

YMMV, though.

sure you're not going through some anti-gun service like AOL?

[George]

If there is anyone aboard this Forum whose advice I would flat-out trust on how to properly setup a Wintel driven PC, it would be my man Sandoz. Everything he has ever spouted here about this platform has been spot on. He "is" a Windows help forum ;-)

YMMV, mine won't ;-)

Regards,