[Don_S]

My computer is W7-64 bit. It kept freezing up in IE7 or maybe it was IE8 so I updated to IE11. I still have the same problem. If I add something to favorites my computer freezes. If I do a search and then open one of the suggestions it might freeze. Sometimes it freezes for no other reason than to piss me off. I do not get the blue-screen-of-death.  What I get is a web page that won't respond.

When it freezes I have to control+alt+delete. Then a window pops up to let me close the offending program. This closes all windows except things like ETrade-Pro and TeamViewer.  When I open the IE browser again it gives me the option to restore the previous session.  It works but it is tedious.  Sometimes it will freeze several times in 10 minutes. It certainly isn't getting any better.

I have searched for a solution but nothing worked. Now I am considering trying a different browser.  I  have used Firefox in the past but do not like its appearance. Maybe I could tweak it.  I never used it that long.

I am reluctant to try Chrome because I am afraid it will try to take over my entire computer. I use Yahoo for my main email accounts and home page as well as finance (stock) tracking and news. I am afraid Chrome will try to convert everything to Google. Am I right or wrong about this?

Any experience with Opera?

My preference would be to get IE working properly but so far I have failed. My computer is only a year old.  I use Norton 360 and have run Malware and SpyBot with no problems found.

I would appreciate suggestions on selecting a new browser or fixing IE.

[sonicxtc]

I have a friend who is a tech ace. Top guru at one of the big banks. He strongly urged me to try Opera.
I just did. It's FAST; has privacy option and seems pretty good on resources.

Find what programs are eating "resources" via task manager. Then, I'd also suggest you look at what programs run at start up automatically. You may not need  half of what's running. I just did this today and removed three; rebooted and all was fine using much lower resources.

Also, reboot at least once a week to clear out junk. And, use ccleaner.

Good luck.

PS I would NEVER use chrome. Firefox is good.

[WireNut]

Been using Firefox for years

[Don_S]

Everywhere I turn I hit a wall.  I do not know how to tell what is eating resources via Task Manager.  All it tells me is what page is stuck.

I tried to see what loads at startup by Start>typing msconfig>search but all I got was a page that offered me three choices for startup normal, diagnostic, selective. There was no list of programs starting.

I have a friend who is a tech ace. Top guru at one of the big banks. He strongly urged me to try Opera.
I just did. It's FAST; has privacy option and seems pretty good on resources.

Find what programs are eating "resources" via task manager. Then, I'd also suggest you look at what programs run at start up automatically. You may not need  half of what's running. I just did this today and removed three; rebooted and all was fine using much lower resources.

Also, reboot at least once a week to clear out junk. And, use ccleaner.

Good luck.

PS I would NEVER use chrome. Firefox is good.

[Don_S]

I just downloaded CC Cleaner and ran it. I was able to open four websites before my computer froze. Less than three minutes. Nothing gained but all my "Frequents" and login info was wiped.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I am reluctant to try Chrome because I am afraid it will try to take over my entire computer. I use Yahoo for my main email accounts and home page as well as finance (stock) tracking and news. I am afraid Chrome will try to convert everything to Google. Am I right or wrong about this?

I've been using Chrome for a few months, maybe close to a year now. You can opt out of any of the Google meddling easy enough, and it does not fill your PC full of crap.
Although, I get a browser crash once to twice a night. It closes. Then I get a message that Chrome has crashed. Then I reopen it. Then I get the option to reload the pages that were open. It's quick enough, the entire process takes no more than 10 seconds.
However, if I was typing anything, then it's as gone as gone can be which, of course, makes me want to fix it with a hammer.
It's made me gun-shy about typing much. Like right now....I've typed enough that I feel like I'm walking on eggshells and it's about to lose it all.

Ok...that's enough...time to press submit.   

[Alexdad54]

Try http://www.techradar.com/news/software/how-to-spot-suspicious-processes-in-windows-7-957026

You need to select the Processes tab in Task Manager. If that doesn't show you what processes are clogging you up, try this, it's a small freeware from Microsoft's website and is very effective at mapping and displaying processes. It's mentioned in the article above:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

This may also be the result of malware running, have you done any scans with different software, such as Malwarebytes?

[Don_S]

Yes,  Malwarebytes was what I used.  I should have been more specific. I will try the other links.

Bob, Maybe you should switch back to IE.  At least it saves my typing when it "restores".  I understand about repairing with a hammer. 

Try http://www.techradar.com/news/software/how-to-spot-suspicious-processes-in-windows-7-957026

You need to select the Processes tab in Task Manager. If that doesn't show you what processes are clogging you up, try this, it's a small freeware from Microsoft's website and is very effective at mapping and displaying processes. It's mentioned in the article above:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

This may also be the result of malware running, have you done any scans with different software, such as Malwarebytes?

[MaxCast]

I have used Firefox for 8 years and have not had problems.  Never used anything else except explorer to get to the ff page and download the browser. 

[rooze]

Firefox with the Ghostery add-on.

Part of the problem you're having might be coming from various ad-scripts, java/tracking code etc giving your browser the willies and causing it to lock. Running an ad-blocker is essential these days, imho. I don't know if IE has such a thing as an add-on utility to extend its range of features, if it does, try it and see if it helps. If not, I'd switch to FF in a flash.

[Doublej]

The issue may not be with IE but rather the machine itself. Try running IE in safe mode and see if the problem goes away. If you want help troubleshooting the issue, let me know and I will post a series of steps.

Note that for Malwarebytes to have a chance of being successful you have to start the computer in safe mode and then run Malwarebytes. If you booted normally and then ran the program it is much less likely to find it.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Note that for Malwarebytes to have a chance of being successful you have to start the computer in safe mode and then run Malwarebytes. If you booted normally and then ran the program it is much less likely to find it.

Hmmm...That, I didn't know.
Tell me again how to get to safe mode. While it's booting up, I tap the F_ key?

[Doublej]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-computer-safe-mode#start-computer-safe-mode=windows-7

Should be the F8 key.

[Don_S]

Thanks Doublej,

I ran Malwarebytes after booting normally.  I will try safe mode tomorrow by itself.  If it freezes then I will run Malwarebytes.

I have issues with turning off add-ons.  The issue is I don't know what I am doing and would probably kill something essential.    Of course I would not know which thing I killed that was essential so the doo-doo would be even deeper than now.

The issue may not be with IE but rather the machine itself. Try running IE in safe mode and see if the problem goes away. If you want help troubleshooting the issue, let me know and I will post a series of steps.

Note that for Malwarebytes to have a chance of being successful you have to start the computer in safe mode and then run Malwarebytes. If you booted normally and then ran the program it is much less likely to find it.

[Doublej]

Actually turning off add-ons is not a big deal. The browser will restart automatically with the add ons again.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Put everything you consider essential on another HDD, another PC, or on a thumbdrive.
Anything that means anything to you should not be stored on the main harddrive of your PC.

Bob
(trust me on this one)   

[FullRangeMan]

Chrome is out due WWW cyber nosey from Google.
Unfortunately Facebook is serious on the same way on collecting any information from the members.

[tomytoons]

Sysinternals is good it tells you the publisher in better detail of the item running.
My number one rule is never only run one browser on your computer.

Have you tried to "restore" the machine back to where it was few weeks ago?
That may clear problems .
Sometimes ya just have to reimage restore the machine,unfortunately.

I also use Chrome now.
I use 3 tracking blockers, HTTPS Everywhere, Ghostery, KBSSL Enforcer.

[Don_S]

Actually turning off add-ons is not a big deal. The browser will restart automatically with the add ons again.

I thought the idea was to delete offending add-ons. Otherwise the problem persists. 

Bob,  I backup to an external WD drive. I do not use WD's back up software because I do not like how it manages the data.  I copy/paste what I need to save.

Am I in safe mode?     I just booted up and as soon as I hit the power button I started tapping F8.  I did not stop until I saw my desktop display.  I never saw any indication the computer was starting in safe-mode.  I was never asked to select.  My XP computer always asked me or let me know it was starting in safe-mode.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Good deal, external HDDs are mandatory for me. My PC holds nothing that would bother me if I lose.

You're NOT in safe mode.
Coincidentally, my PC locked up so bad this morning, that I had to hold the power button  to restart it. When it came back on, it asked me if I wanted to restart in safe mode.
I had run Malwarebytes yesterday (not in safe mode) and it took 13 minutes and it found nothing. Since I was given the choice to open in safe mode, I figured "why not", as I'll run Malwarebytes in safe mode like Doublej mentioned. The scan took 44 minutes and it found two items. Not sure if things are 'fixed' yet, as that was just a few moments ago.

When I was in safe mode, the physical appearance was drastically different than normal. You lose quite a bit of your graphics capabilities as well as networking capabilities. I think the audio icon was muted as well. It should be very evident when you're there.

Bob