Computer gurus: I need your help!

MoD_Scotty · #1 04-13-2008, 10:50 AM

For some reason, my internet will be really slow, and/or stalled...UNLESS I "End process" on explorer.exe in the task manager. It won't load myspace at all, until I end explorer.exe...then the page instantly loads.

I had a cable guy come out to check my modem, it's cool.
I've done all the windows updates.
I'm running AVG antivirus.
I use Ad-Aware for spyware.
The other computers in my house work fine.

I'm running a year old computer with XP, that until about two weeks ago, ran perfectly. It's got 2gb of ram, probably 100gb free on the hdd, a dual-core AMD, etc. I thought it might have been caused by some game program my wife downloaded (I've since removed it), or maybe even an old SB Live card I installed (also removed now).

So why will my internet only work at full speed when I have explorer.exe ended? Obviously, this shouldn't be the case. It's getting to be a real pain to have to kill it every time I want to use the internet, and then load it again every time I need to do anything else.

HELP!

cdef · #2 04-13-2008, 11:55 AM

I've seen this reported as a 'feature, not a bug' in XP: Explorer will provide a preview of image or video files in the 'Details' box, but if any of those files are corrupt (partial) or unsupported Explorer will vainly try to load them anyway. Then processor usage quickly shoots up, which slows your system way down.

You could try disabling image and media previewing:

Start > Run

type in: cmd
then hit <Enter>

type in: regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll
Hit <Enter>. This disables media previews.

type in: regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll
Hit <Enter>. This disables image previews.

To restore previews, just do the same thing, but leave out the /u .

MoD_Scotty · #3 04-13-2008, 12:23 PM

I forgot to mention that I don't even use internet explorer. I exclusively use Firefox.

I might try that fix though, at this point I'm almost ready to switch to Vista!

fenderhutz · #4 04-13-2008, 12:26 PM

ACK Vista is the debil.

Run spybot search and destroy and/or download hijack this and post your log file to my PM box.

Also, go to My Computer, C drive, windows, system32, drivers, etc and delete the hosts file. If it fixes your issue, you have a hijacker on your machine. It is only a temp fix until you launch the offending program or reboot though.

MoD_Scotty · #5 04-13-2008, 12:27 PM

Also, Talkbass works, youtube works. Photobucket, Myspace...not so much.

Lalabadie · #6 04-13-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoD_Scotty

I might try that fix though, at this point I'm almost ready to switch to Vista!

Keep in mind that a frightening portion of the companies which made an early switch to Vista are actively working on downgrading to XP.

Are you on a wireless network?

MoD_Scotty · #7 04-13-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalabadie

Keep in mind that a frightening portion of the companies which made an early switch to Vista are actively working on downgrading to XP.

Are you on a wireless network?

Yes. No one else on the network has this issue.

DigMe · #8 04-13-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

ACK Vista is the debil.

It works fantasticamentally for me. I suspect that most who have trouble with it run into issues with hardware not being up to the task. It is quite demanding. I have my new MonsterPC up and running though and I'm loving Vista.

When you can open your system info and see the following then you'll know that you can run carefree:

bc

Hawaii Islander · #9 04-13-2008, 06:02 PM

You have explorer on your computer along with Firefox. Usually that's not an issue. But, have you been updating internet explorer? Sometimes people forget to do this since they don't activiely use the program. It doesn't mean explorer isn't running in the background in some form.

Lalabadie · #10 04-13-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawaii Islander

You have explorer on your computer along with Firefox. Usually that's not an issue. But, have you been updating internet explorer? Sometimes people forget to do this since they don't activiely use the program. It doesn't mean explorer isn't running in the background in some form.

Isn't explorer.exe the main process when running Windows?

MoD_Scotty · #11 04-13-2008, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalabadie

Isn't explorer.exe the main process when running Windows?

Right. The Internet explorer process is iexplorer.exe

LowDown Hal · #12 04-15-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawaii Islander

You have explorer on your computer along with Firefox. Usually that's not an issue. But, have you been updating internet explorer? Sometimes people forget to do this since they don't activiely use the program. It doesn't mean explorer isn't running in the background in some form.

I have both on my machine. We recently upgraded ie to v7.0 and it has been a nightmare ever since.

mothmonsterman · #13 04-15-2008, 05:11 PM

git yerself a good old linux boot disk, cfdisk it and start over, this time with less porn.

Personally i don't take crap from microsoft i've got a ghost disk and a spare hardrive with my image on it. and i keep all my media and data on a separate drive all together.

Ad-Aware gives more problems than it solves.
right click the little network connection thing and click on repair it'll probably help.
Also have the cable guy come back and replace the line in your house, works like a charm.