Browser Problems

[Rafferty]

Yesterday my computer (Dell XPS210, WinXP, 80 GB HD, IntelCore2 duo) began
freezing anytime I used a browser (IE or Firefox). I contacted Dell since
the computer is still in warranty. By then the problem had "spread" so that
the computer was locking up in OE as well. They advised restoring to an
earlier date but I couldn't because that screen too was frozen. They
advised rebooting c. the XP installation disk and using CHKDSK. We first
attempted using CHKDSK using the "run" command within XP, no luck, another
freeze. Using the installation disk I was able to run CHKDSK but it took a
very long time, several hours, to run so I sacked out and left the computer
on. This AM there was a DOS window up and the report that CHKDSK had fixed
errors. So I rebooted and had a normal boot. Obviously I can use OE but
the freeze problem persists c. IE or Firefox. That is, it loads a page just
fine but then freezes so that I have to close the program. Any help you all
can provide would be deeply appreciated. I'll probably call Dell again as
well since I have an open case no. there but I can't do that until after
work. Many thanks in advance. BillR.

 

[Iceman]

Yesterday my computer (Dell XPS210, WinXP, 80 GB HD, IntelCore2 duo) began
freezing anytime I used a browser (IE or Firefox). I contacted Dell since
the computer is still in warranty. By then the problem had "spread" so that
the computer was locking up in OE as well. They advised restoring to an
earlier date but I couldn't because that screen too was frozen. They
advised rebooting c. the XP installation disk and using CHKDSK. We first
attempted using CHKDSK using the "run" command within XP, no luck, another
freeze. Using the installation disk I was able to run CHKDSK but it took a
very long time, several hours, to run so I sacked out and left the computer
on. This AM there was a DOS window up and the report that CHKDSK had fixed
errors. So I rebooted and had a normal boot. Obviously I can use OE but
the freeze problem persists c. IE or Firefox. That is, it loads a page just
fine but then freezes so that I have to close the program. Any help you all
can provide would be deeply appreciated. I'll probably call Dell again as
well since I have an open case no. there but I can't do that until after
work. Many thanks in advance. BillR.

You know, you can get infected with viruses and malware although your PC is
still in warranty.

Help with malware. All MS-MVP sites.

http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/darnit.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm

And you could also try HijackThis:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php

Post the scan results to any of these forums:

http://forums.tomcoyote.org/forums.html
http://forum.tweakxp.com/forum/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=29&MessageID=1...
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic87424.html