Annoying (and crippling!) Windows XP Explorer/Internet problem, help!

[highlanderfil]

I have no idea what is going on with my computer (running Windows XP Pro), but for the past couple of days I've been experiencing a problem that I have narrowed down to my desktop...or something of the kind. SpyBot, Ad Aware and virus scan have not revealed any problems. It started one day when I right-clicked on a file on my DVD-R drive to play it. Windows Explorer crashed, unfortunately I didn't write down what the problem was and have since not been able to replicate it. The following happens every once in a while - more often as this week goes by. - Internet Explorer and Mozilla freeze when I either hit a "Browse" button to try to upload something to a website. Same also happens when downloading something to the desktop - IE freezes when I try to navigate to the desktop. Actually, same holds true for many other programs - trying to save something on the desktop while navigating to it causes the program to freeze. - When this happens and I try to open Windows Task Manager to end the frozen program, nothing happens. Task Manager's little green icon shows up on my taskbar and when I hover my mouse over it, it says "Windows Task Manager" but I can't click it or view it or do anything of the kind. When I try to shut down my computer it takes a few extra seconds to "end the nonresponsive program". - If at the same time as this goes on I try to hit a button on my keyboard (Logitech Cordless) to access Outlook Express, ITouch freezes the same way Windows Task Manager does and I cannot access Outlook either. What is going on here? I scanned for viruses, no luck. I had the 12 Ghosts pop-up blocker working, thought maybe it was causing the freezes? Not sure, maybe, maybe not. What's going on here, guys? Only rebooting seems to help and even then the problem comes back. Ad Aware and Spybot and HijackThis actually revealed some problems which I fixed, I don't know, maybe they came back again. I'll install the updates todaym SP1 came with my Windows XP version. Mobo drivers and bios...don't think I updated those to the very latest ones, but it's never been an issue before...

 

[highlanderfil]

bump...anyone?:-(

 

[highlanderfil]

Actually now the problem is this: I don't even have to have IE freeze for the Task Manager to mess up - seems to me that my computer simply needs to be on for some time for the problem to occur.

 

[herkulease]

My cousin ran into this problem. the computer would hang. Majority of the time he uses the internet or his wife. it came down to a motherboard issue.

replaced it and he tried she tried and comp no longer hangs.

 

[highlanderfil]

Motherboard issue, eh? How exactly did he narrow it down to it?

 

[daveybrat]

Easy, format the PC and if it still acts up, then it's your hardware.

and yes....i know....nobody likes to format their PC's!

 

[highlanderfil]

 

[highlanderfil]

Yeah, I guess I'll end up doing that in a couple of days...even though Norton SystemWorks has fixed some problems, I just got it again - trying to save a .bmp I was editing, right before the "Save as" dialogue was being brought up, it froze and when I hit ctrl-alt-del, same old - green icon, no response.

 

[DanZee]

Take a look in your processes tab. That may be the work of an internet worm that resides on your comp. Look for any process that looks suspicious.