Internet applications hanging

therecklessone

Is anyone else experiencing this?

Running XP Pro on my laptop, I've noticed a couple of problems when I run any internet enabled applications. First I though it was being caused by MSN messenger, then just a general internet explorer problem, maybe someone can help...

[b[note[/b] This doesn't happen all the time, seemed to go away for a while but quite a bit in the last few days...

For example, I'll open an internet explorer window and connect to the net. That will work fine. But then if I try to open outlook express the cursor changes to an egg-timer for about 1-2 seconds and then nothing happens. Outlook doesn't open. So I'll try another browser window, but the same again, egg-timer then nothing.

I could try Windows Media Player, Spybot, Ad Aware, DAP or Norton, and all to no avail. If I try to run task manager the same happens, whether through ctrl-alt-del or right-clicking on the task bar.

Sometimes I'll return to the only working browser window and try to access a webpage, but then that'll freeze as well. I'll try closing the window, but end up having to end task the window.

Eventually ( no real time frame I can give, no more than a minute or two) things return to normal (with a whole load of windows opening all at once if I tried to open all the apps) and things seem to go OK from there. But until that point its frustrating as hell.

Tonight I noticed something for the first time. I kept task manager open from the start, and then when I tried to open a browser window I noticed sysfader appearing on the applications tab for a second then disappearing again, with no browser window opening. Tried the same again with the same result, i.e. sysfader for a second. Could this be of any importance?

I've run spybot and ad aware and both come up clean. I also tried hijackthis this evening, nothing unusual I could see but I'll post the log if anyone thinks it will help.

bus77

sysfader is used to effect fade in/out of menus and tooltip balloons. If it's persistently hanging-up, it can be disabled in Display Properties -> Effects -> uncheck "Use Transition Effects for menus and tooltips" (note: this is how it's disabled in Win2K; it might be done differently in XP).


Stole that from some other messege board:D
hope it helps

therecklessone

Thanks, close enough.

Its display properties -> appearance -> effects -> uncheck "use the following transition effects for menus and tooltips"

Hope that does it.

therecklessone

Well, tried that and initially thought it had done the trick.

:mad:

T'is at it again. Any thoughts folks?

BoB_BoT

ran a full virus scan? had similar problems with a machine in work, didn't bother stressing over it so i just formatted it. it may be a virus, I had ran spybot on it and nothing turned up, so you may want to give a virus scan a try.

therecklessone

Have up to date Virus definitions courtesy of Norton, nothing showing.

Spybot and Ad-Aware are run every week or so, I like to keep clean.

therecklessone

Oh, forgot to mention. Seems to happen when I access Boards. That of any significance?