Certain web pages locks up my computer. Here is one of them. What's upwith this?

[Explorer Man]

Every once in a blue moon I come across a (simple) text web page that
locks my computer up solid.

(WIn 98se, Directx 8 or 9, IE 6.028). Fully updated via windows
update.

There are no graphics or frames on these pages. Just simple,
formatted text. The page partially loads - text is printed on the
screen and then at some point the text will "smear" on some particular
line (as if it was being printed on a dot-matrix printer that was only
printing using one "dot" or print-wire). So the last words that are
attempted to be displayed are reduced to a a few pixels of junk - and
then the computer is locked up solid. I either have to turn it off or
hit the reset button.

Funny thing is, same thing happens when I try to view the same page
using netscape communicator (or is in navigator?) 4.79. Also, when I
save the offending page as a .htm file and try to load it into Word -
my system almost always locks up (If I'm very carefull to scroll the
page slowly it doesn't crash. If I scroll too quickly it will lock
up).

Here is the latest page that is causing the problem:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

The problem seems to be scroll-related. Sometimes the visible portion
of the page loads completely and it's only when I scroll down that the
computer gets locked up. Sometimes the visible portion is not
completely filled and I see fragments of the last text attempted to be
rendered and the computer is already locked before I attempt to
scroll.

So, what's the deal here? Do I have a dammaged dll or something?

Again, this happens very rarely (maybe once every 3 months) so
what-ever code is on these pages must be uncommon (?)

Please post any responses. Thanx.

 

[Richard]

Every once in a blue moon I come across a (simple) text web page that
locks my computer up solid.

(WIn 98se, Directx 8 or 9, IE 6.028). Fully updated via windows
update.

There are no graphics or frames on these pages. Just simple,
formatted text. The page partially loads - text is printed on the
screen and then at some point the text will "smear" on some particular
line (as if it was being printed on a dot-matrix printer that was only
printing using one "dot" or print-wire). So the last words that are
attempted to be displayed are reduced to a a few pixels of junk - and
then the computer is locked up solid. I either have to turn it off or
hit the reset button.

Funny thing is, same thing happens when I try to view the same page
using netscape communicator (or is in navigator?) 4.79. Also, when I
save the offending page as a .htm file and try to load it into Word -
my system almost always locks up (If I'm very carefull to scroll the
page slowly it doesn't crash. If I scroll too quickly it will lock
up).

Here is the latest page that is causing the problem:

The problem seems to be scroll-related. Sometimes the visible portion
of the page loads completely and it's only when I scroll down that the
computer gets locked up. Sometimes the visible portion is not
completely filled and I see fragments of the last text attempted to be
rendered and the computer is already locked before I attempt to
scroll.

So, what's the deal here? Do I have a dammaged dll or something?

Again, this happens very rarely (maybe once every 3 months) so
what-ever code is on these pages must be uncommon (?)

Please post any responses. Thanx.

Loaded fine for me using windows me IE 6.
Some times when problems like this occur, a reinstall of IE is in order.
When you are finished reinstalling, you'll note you have to setup OE again.
Just use the file/import messages to retrieve your old news/mail settings.

Also scandisk may be enough to fix minor problems.
When is the last time you defragged? You should do it regularly regardless
of what you do.

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

Every once in a blue moon I come across a (simple) text web page that
locks my computer up solid.

Not an HTML question. Don't post it here.

 

[Kev]

If you MUST have a dig at someone, at least have it in the correct
newsgroup! And, as an aside, I looked at the groups that it was crossposted
to and it could be relevant to any of them. I'm reading this in the IE6
ng......

Kev

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

If you MUST have a dig at someone, at least have it in the correct
newsgroup! And, as an aside, I looked at the groups that it was crossposted
to and it could be relevant to any of them. I'm reading this in the IE6
ng......

He crossposted to all of those newsgroups, so he should get his replies
in all of those newsgroups.

In any case, his question was most definitley not an HTML problem. Even
if it was, he wouldn't be able to edit those pages so an HTML solution
wouldn't help.

 

[rf]

He crossposted to all of those newsgroups, so he should get his replies
in all of those newsgroups.

In any case, his question was most definitley not an HTML problem. Even
if it was, he wouldn't be able to edit those pages so an HTML solution
wouldn't help.

How do you know all of this?

Several times in alt.html a browser crash has been directly attributed to an
HTML problem, where malformed HTML has triggered a known bug in a certain
browser, usually IE. True, the OP would not be able to edit those pages
*but* the OP would never ever use that malformed HTML himself and the thread
would be an education to all. The OP might also be tempted to start using
proper browser.

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

rf wrote:

How do you know all of this?

1) It works for me on IE 6 or Mozilla 1.5 (Windows 2000).
2) Google knows nothing about this issue.
3) He says that he also tried Netscape 4.x. Seems unlikely that two
rendering engines would have the exact same problem with the same HTML.

 

[whoever9262(sickoffakeMSmessages)]

Usually a video hardware or driver problem. Update.

 

[Toby A Inkster]

When is the last time you defragged? You should do it regularly regardless
of what you do.

I haven't for about two and a half years. My file system is currently only
3.5% fragmented.

 

[kayodeok]

I haven't for about two and a half years. My file system is
currently only 3.5% fragmented.

....one of linux's benefits... you should try windows

 

[Kev]

Now isn't that strange? It worked for me too, but that doesn't mean that it
will work for everyone. I thought the idea of these forums was to help but
you obviously have different ideas!

Kev

 

[Kev]

Ever tried talking to a brick wall?? Good stuff!!

Kev

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

Now isn't that strange? It worked for me too, but that doesn't mean that it
will work for everyone. I thought the idea of these forums was to help but
you obviously have different ideas!

Yes, working for me would be fairly a fairly flimsy argument on its own,
but the other two clearly prove that this is not an HTML issue.

 

[dp]

Every once in a blue moon I come across a (simple) text web page that
locks my computer up solid.

(WIn 98se, Directx 8 or 9, IE 6.028). Fully updated via windows
update.

There are no graphics or frames on these pages. Just simple,
formatted text. The page partially loads - text is printed on the
screen and then at some point the text will "smear" on some particular
line (as if it was being printed on a dot-matrix printer that was only
printing using one "dot" or print-wire). So the last words that are
attempted to be displayed are reduced to a a few pixels of junk - and
then the computer is locked up solid. I either have to turn it off or
hit the reset button.

Funny thing is, same thing happens when I try to view the same page
using netscape communicator (or is in navigator?) 4.79. Also, when I
save the offending page as a .htm file and try to load it into Word -
my system almost always locks up (If I'm very carefull to scroll the
page slowly it doesn't crash. If I scroll too quickly it will lock
up).

Here is the latest page that is causing the problem:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

The problem seems to be scroll-related. Sometimes the visible portion
of the page loads completely and it's only when I scroll down that the
computer gets locked up. Sometimes the visible portion is not
completely filled and I see fragments of the last text attempted to be
rendered and the computer is already locked before I attempt to
scroll.

So, what's the deal here? Do I have a dammaged dll or something?

Again, this happens very rarely (maybe once every 3 months) so
what-ever code is on these pages must be uncommon (?)

Please post any responses. Thanx.

Not HTML Problem. Your vid card can't refresh fast enough. Check your Vid
card site for updated drivers and your mobo chipset's site for updates as
well. Some do not play well with DX8 add 9. Alternatively, try lower monitor
refresh rates, screen resolution, or color depth.

 

[Explorer Man]

Re-cap:

Half the time the crash comes while rendering the suspect page within
the active window, other times crash occurs while scrolling the
suspect page. In both cases, at the moment of of the crash the last
few letters or words visible on the bottom of the page are garbled or
reduced to noise. Problem happens VERY RARELY, but when it does the
page in question can't be brought up in the following applications
without system lock-up:

- Microsoft Explorer 6.0.2800.1106
- Netscape Communicator (Navigator?) 4.79
- Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1)

Your vid card can't refresh fast enough. Check your Vid card
site for updated drivers and your mobo chipset's site for
updates as well. Some do not play well with DX8 add 9.
Alternatively, try lower monitor refresh rates, screen
resolution, or color depth.

Will try altering screen resolution, color depth, and refresh rate
(currently set to "optimal"). If this problem is related to any of
those I will post back.

More comprehensive system info:

Windows 98 (4.10.2222 A)

Video card:
ATI All in Wonder Pro 128 AGP (AGP 4X mode)

CPU: Intel P-3, 850 Mhz
System Memory: 256 mb

Video driver
version 4.13.7192 (ati2draa.drv)
date: 10-03-2001 or 09-23-01
Microsoft WHQL compliant or logo'd: No
(I believe this is the last driver available from ATI)
DxDiag status: Passes all tests

Video mode: 1280 x 1024 x 32 bit

Motherboard:
Gigabyte 6VX7-4X
VIA Apollo Pro
(Initial production - spring 2000)

Direct X version 9.0b (4.09.0000.0902)

(Note: Problem also occurred with Direct-X version 8).

Example web page that causes system lock-up when viewed:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Re-cap:

Half the time the crash comes while rendering the suspect page within
the active window, other times crash occurs while scrolling the
suspect page. In both cases, at the moment of of the crash the last
few letters or words visible on the bottom of the page are garbled or
reduced to noise. Problem happens VERY RARELY, but when it does the
page in question can't be brought up in the following applications
without system lock-up:

- Microsoft Explorer 6.0.2800.1106
- Netscape Communicator (Navigator?) 4.79
- Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1)


Will try altering screen resolution, color depth, and refresh rate
(currently set to "optimal"). If this problem is related to any of
those I will post back.

More comprehensive system info:

Windows 98 (4.10.2222 A)

Video card:
ATI All in Wonder Pro 128 AGP (AGP 4X mode)

CPU: Intel P-3, 850 Mhz
System Memory: 256 mb

Video driver
version 4.13.7192 (ati2draa.drv)
date: 10-03-2001 or 09-23-01
Microsoft WHQL compliant or logo'd: No
(I believe this is the last driver available from ATI)
DxDiag status: Passes all tests

Video mode: 1280 x 1024 x 32 bit

Motherboard:
Gigabyte 6VX7-4X
VIA Apollo Pro
(Initial production - spring 2000)

Direct X version 9.0b (4.09.0000.0902)

(Note: Problem also occurred with Direct-X version 8).

Example web page that causes system lock-up when viewed:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

If you have an ATI video board, try adding these lines to System.ini

[display]
DevBMP=0 <--- That's a zero

 

[Explorer Man]

Problem: System crashing (locking up) usually while scrolling certain
web pages. Problem occurrance is very rare. Applications that crash
are:

- Microsoft Explorer 6.0.2800.1106
- Netscape Communicator (Navigator?) 4.79
- Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1)

Video card:
ATI All in Wonder Pro 128 AGP (AGP 4X mode)

Your vid card can't refresh fast enough.

Refresh rate and screen size didn't seem to have an effect. But color
depth did. 256 color mode did not cause the above-mentioned lockup
problem (in any of the above-mentioned applications). 16-bit and
32-bit modes do cause the problem.

If you have an ATI video board, try adding these lines to
System.ini

[display]
DevBMP=0 <--- That's a zero

I noticed that this is a known issue with ATI - but an old one that
seems to have originated sometime in '97 with IE 3 or 4. I wouldn't
have thought it would have been affecting ATI drivers and hardware
that date from 2001.

http://members.aol.com/don5408/uaskb/ie4freeze.html

I set my display back to 1280 x 1024 and 32-bit color and tried the
system.ini suggestion. It did fixed the problem as far as IE is
concerned. Interestingly, both Word and Nescape still lock-up.
Example web page that causes system lock-up when viewed:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

PS-1:

With the above [display] entry in the system.ini, AND with the display
set to 256 color mode, the computer will crash (in a different way) if
I grab the IE window and try to move it off screen. This crash only
happens when the above web page is being displayed by IE. Doesn't
happen with a blank IE window.

PS-2:

I don't think this is a related problem but I notice question-marks
(?) that show up in odd places in a moderate amount of web pages
containing text. For example, in the above web page I see 24 question
marks between "NO.10" and "December 18" on the first line. I see 2
question marks after "Hawaii." in the first paragraph and one question
mark after "approaching." in the second paragraph. In fact there's a
question mark being displayed after every period that doesn't end a
paragraph.

Is this a font issue or what?

Definately seems related to the video card (when will ATI make a
friggen video card and driver that work?)

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Comments inline:

Problem: System crashing (locking up) usually while scrolling certain
web pages. Problem occurrance is very rare. Applications that crash
are:

- Microsoft Explorer 6.0.2800.1106
- Netscape Communicator (Navigator?) 4.79
- Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1)

Video card:
ATI All in Wonder Pro 128 AGP (AGP 4X mode)

Refresh rate and screen size didn't seem to have an effect. But color
depth did. 256 color mode did not cause the above-mentioned lockup
problem (in any of the above-mentioned applications). 16-bit and
32-bit modes do cause the problem.

If you have an ATI video board, try adding these lines to
System.ini

[display]
DevBMP=0 <--- That's a zero

I noticed that this is a known issue with ATI - but an old one that
seems to have originated sometime in '97 with IE 3 or 4. I wouldn't
have thought it would have been affecting ATI drivers and hardware
that date from 2001.

I have still seen that help with newer ATI cards. It can't hurt.

http://members.aol.com/don5408/uaskb/ie4freeze.html

I set my display back to 1280 x 1024 and 32-bit color and tried the
system.ini suggestion. It did fixed the problem as far as IE is
concerned. Interestingly, both Word and Nescape still lock-up.
Example web page that causes system lock-up when viewed:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

PS-1:

With the above [display] entry in the system.ini, AND with the display
set to 256 color mode, the computer will crash (in a different way) if
I grab the IE window and try to move it off screen. This crash only
happens when the above web page is being displayed by IE. Doesn't
happen with a blank IE window.

PS-2:

I don't think this is a related problem but I notice question-marks
(?) that show up in odd places in a moderate amount of web pages
containing text. For example, in the above web page I see 24 question
marks between "NO.10" and "December 18" on the first line. I see 2
question marks after "Hawaii." in the first paragraph and one question
mark after "approaching." in the second paragraph. In fact there's a
question mark being displayed after every period that doesn't end a
paragraph.

I see none of those question marks.

Is this a font issue or what?

I doubt it.

Definately seems related to the video card (when will ATI make a
friggen video card and driver that work?)

See if ATI has newer drivers on their Web site.

 

[dp]

Comments inline:

Problem: System crashing (locking up) usually while scrolling certain
web pages. Problem occurrance is very rare. Applications that crash
are:

- Microsoft Explorer 6.0.2800.1106
- Netscape Communicator (Navigator?) 4.79
- Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1)

Video card:
ATI All in Wonder Pro 128 AGP (AGP 4X mode)

Refresh rate and screen size didn't seem to have an effect. But color
depth did. 256 color mode did not cause the above-mentioned lockup
problem (in any of the above-mentioned applications). 16-bit and
32-bit modes do cause the problem.

If you have an ATI video board, try adding these lines to
System.ini

[display]
DevBMP=0 <--- That's a zero

I noticed that this is a known issue with ATI - but an old one that
seems to have originated sometime in '97 with IE 3 or 4. I wouldn't
have thought it would have been affecting ATI drivers and hardware
that date from 2001.

I have still seen that help with newer ATI cards. It can't hurt.

http://members.aol.com/don5408/uaskb/ie4freeze.html

I set my display back to 1280 x 1024 and 32-bit color and tried the
system.ini suggestion. It did fixed the problem as far as IE is
concerned. Interestingly, both Word and Nescape still lock-up.
Example web page that causes system lock-up when viewed:

http://www.illinoisdealers.com/memberarea/vol02no9.htm

PS-1:

With the above [display] entry in the system.ini, AND with the display
set to 256 color mode, the computer will crash (in a different way) if
I grab the IE window and try to move it off screen. This crash only
happens when the above web page is being displayed by IE. Doesn't
happen with a blank IE window.

PS-2:

I don't think this is a related problem but I notice question-marks
(?) that show up in odd places in a moderate amount of web pages
containing text. For example, in the above web page I see 24 question
marks between "NO.10" and "December 18" on the first line. I see 2
question marks after "Hawaii." in the first paragraph and one question
mark after "approaching." in the second paragraph. In fact there's a
question mark being displayed after every period that doesn't end a
paragraph.

I see none of those question marks.

Is this a font issue or what?

I doubt it.

Definately seems related to the video card (when will ATI make a
friggen video card and driver that work?)

See if ATI has newer drivers on their Web site.

I had pretty much the same problem with an ATI 9700. Disabled write
combining in the troubleshooting tab of the display properties, and in the
bios. Also set the AGP in the bios to AUTO rather than picking a specific
speed. Chipset and bios needed upgrades on my rig.
IIRC, the all-in wonder installs two drivers . Might want to select the
other one.
http://www.rage3d.com has drivers and good help forums. There's someone,
whose site I forget, who releases his own set of drivers for aTI cards
called Omega drivers. They have a very good reputation.
dp