Computer freezing up....

[halfpint]

Is anyone having trouble with their computers since Apr 1. Everything fine until tonight. All my screens want to freeze up. Had a hard time shutting down aol thru my Fios and turning computer on and getting response. I have paid for norton/mcafee nightly check scans since I bought computer last year. Have to click 2 and 3 times to get any thing to open or close...even after aol has shut down...help.

[a22042]

To the best of my knowledge yesterday was a non event. If you dont mind me asking, why do you have aol and fios?

after rebooting you are still having issues? can you boot up at all, or when you say freeze is it a hard freeze that forces you to do a hard reboot (physically turn the power off and back on)?

[halfpint]

I have had AOL for years...I put in FiOS about a yr ago after getting new computer...I guess it is my comfort zone. Everything was fine tonight for about 30 mins of looking at my regulars sites. I noticed an issue when I went to turn on my do not disturb on IM...I am having to click repeatly until program, write mail, close the apps works. I shut down aol...finally, then tried to see my Norton info (that just renewed) and had the same problem then with screens freezing and not closing. I was finally able to do a system shut down...waited a few mins and turned back on....again samething as before. I had norton do a system check and they say it's fine...I don't know. I just know all my business in on this computer. This is my lifeline.

[keith455]

maybe it's the conficker virus [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[a22042]

Most up to date anti viruses were ready for conficker.

Not that it didn't do anything, but everything I have read so far points to that being a dud.

I would be more inclined to think simple spyware.

[Listener]

just a shot in the dark...but since i updated microsoft windows to version 8, i've quit having freeze ups, screens gone wild with multiple screens coming up by them self, and hesitations on clicking up new screens. it seemed to fix it. and i didn't have any problems with the worm.

ps: i forgot to add...i added 2 g's of memory.

[ptavares]

This has nothing to do w/ your problem I'm sure....but I loaded IE8 and had similar issues, but not as bad. I would be disconnected constantly, or freeze up. I finally gave up and went back to IE7. I am told that I should dump IE and use firefox. Any opinions?

[rjclark2]

When was the last time you rebooted your system? I tend to not shut my notepad down, but rather put it in hibernation mode when I'm not using. Over time, a couple of weeks, the notepad's performance starts to get degraded. A simple reboot fixes it every time.

[speedbump]

I saw two problems right off the bat. AOL and Norton. Two of the biggest resoruce hogs in the business.

I haven't used IE for years. I used Firefox for several years then started having problems with it so I changed over to Opera. I really like it except for a problem with a few sites telling me my browser will not accept cookies. It does, but for some reason some sites don't see it that way.

Try downloading Opera or Firefox and see if using one of them doesn't help the situation. As for Norton, I would uninstall it (if you can) and get Avast. It's free and does a great job.

bob...

[halfpint]

I saw two problems right off the bat. AOL and Norton. Two of the biggest resoruce hogs in the business.

I haven't used IE for years. I used Firefox for several years then started having problems with it so I changed over to Opera. I really like it except for a problem with a few sites telling me my browser will not accept cookies. It does, but for some reason some sites don't see it that way.

Try downloading Opera or Firefox and see if using one of them doesn't help the situation. As for Norton, I would uninstall it (if you can) and get Avast. It's free and does a great job.

bob...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for all the help...see it is still doing it tonight...I shut down every night..this is Vista too...never ever had a problem until last night!!! Norton or sysmantic runs everynight at 7 ...have never had anything come up on it...will just keep an eye on it...and fingers crossed...

[a22042]

I saw two problems right off the bat. AOL and Norton. Two of the biggest resoruce hogs in the business.

I haven't used IE for years. I used Firefox for several years then started having problems with it so I changed over to Opera. I really like it except for a problem with a few sites telling me my browser will not accept cookies. It does, but for some reason some sites don't see it that way.

Try downloading Opera or Firefox and see if using one of them doesn't help the situation. As for Norton, I would uninstall it (if you can) and get Avast. It's free and does a great job.

bob...

True norton is a resource hog, but it is also one of the, if not the most up-to-date lister of virus deffinitions. I use norton 360 and am happy with it. There are plenty of free solutions out there, but none are as comprehensive as norton or mcafee.

If your machine is beefy enough to run it, Norton does a great job.

I have been a programmer for roughly a decade, and while there are equally good arguments on both sides, ie is just fine as a browser.

firefox and opera are good, they have low overhead and tend to be a little faster (chrome is pretty decent too), but for the reason you mentioned I always end up back at ie. With firefox/opera/chrome etc, you always run the risk of a site not working. Some javascript not functioning, or the page not displaying as intended.

I'm not saying dont use firefox, it is a pure preference thing, but the reality is it isnt bad. Nor is vista. The problem is it is "hip" to hate microsoft and other big guys like norton. People buy into it with out actually knowing all the facts.

As for halfpints problem, it could be a million different things. With out looking at the event log to see what has happened there is not way of knowing.

[wickedkitty]

How old is your computer?

Most computers are built to last 2-4 years. It doesn't matter if you buy top of the line! I do, everytime I purchase, but most computers wear out in 2-4 years. (4 years for top of the line at that time)

If your computer is newer than that, you may have a virus or Trojan. But if it is around that age, you can bet, it is time to MAKE SURE you backup everything and get ready to buy a new one.

Let's face it. If a computer was built to last a lifetime, we would never buy another one and then the computer companies would go out of business. Kinda like a car.

Hope this helps.

[a22042]

I would disagree with this. Having worked in IT for a non-prophit org, computers that were 5+ years old were routinely shipped out to the field for use. My 7 year old inherited a computer were were using when he was born. Computers dont have a short lifespan because they wear out, it is because they get obsolete. Parts like the hard drive may wear out from wear and tear, but the cpu, memory, video cards, etc can last a very long time.

Doing regular backups should be a part of everyones routine. The piece of hardware that fails more often than anyother part on your computer is in fact the hard drive (at least until solid state drives become the norm).

But computers can last as long as you want them to if you take care of them, just like cars. Hell, one of my buddies has an old comodore 64 he pulls out now and then to play with.

As far as purchasing top of the line, that is a personal choice. For me, just like a car, the value of a computer drops heavily as soon as the next model comes out. Sure the new car smell is great, but if you wait till next years model comes out you can get a hell of a deal. I always buy computers that are 1 gen out (in today's age that only means 6-9 months old). There is practically nothing you would be doing at home that would require top of the line. Even the heaviest duty games dont require top of the line, and they will test your computer far better than anything else you would do on it (for games you just need to make sure you have a very good video card or cards if you go with dual SLI cards).

[halfpint]

I have an HP Vista just now 1 yr old...my other HP lasted 9 years...I will stay with them. I hate the idea I am paying for Norton and now this happens...I am noticing a trend that it seems to be "more" when I'm on aol...or google...hmmm guess I really need to learn how to back up my info...thanks for everyones input..

[a22042]

Have you run any sort of anti-spyware scans? do a search for spyware, there are plenty of free ones out there.

Norton does a great job against trojans, viruses, etc. Unfortunately spyware and even malware work differently, and slip past norton and other anti-virus checkers frequently.

The cold hard truth is there is no way to completely protect yourself from these things shy of never going out to the internet.

[speedbump]

If it were mine, I would get rid of Norton (or let someone who knows how to get rid of Norton cause it's hard to get out sometimes) and download Avast Free.

bob...

[a22042]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
AVAST 6.5 Norton 7.5 rating

PC Magazine did a review, Avast didnt even get in the top 10. If you check out page 3 of the link when he gets to Norton, you will find this paragraph:

Norton Internet Security 2009 excelled in the most important areas—firewall, antivirus, and antispyware—and it did so with little affect on performance. Its antispam and parental-control elements are dismal, but many users don't need those. Norton remains our Editors' Choice for 2009. Those who've sworn off Norton's suite for life (there are some who can't get beyond its past performance problems) should consider Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009. Its scores are impressive, if not quite as high as Norton's, and it does well in all areas, including those where Norton falls down. Click the links below for full reviews.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
They ranked nortol low, but because of the techsupport (which avast doesnt have), other than that it was reviewed very well. Avast didnt even make the list.

Norton is not the best, but it is better than Avast. Now, what is interesting, if you do a google search on "norton vs avast" you will find a ton of sites saying avast is beter, however, you will notice they are all forums filled with norton/symantec haters.

There is a reason most big companies dont use free tools like that for thier anti-virus software. By far most use norton or mcafee.

The biggest downside for norton is it's footprint. But it has one of the richest feature suites available. Its new whitelisting feature i sharp, and quitepossibly the way anti-virus is heading.

Furthermore, if you do a google search on just about any virus, the top result is almost always from symantec. They are on the forefront of the virus definition lists.

At the end of the day it is a personal choice. For me, I have tried Avast, mcafee, AVG, Avast, and a ton of others. Norton has been the most reliable for me.

[speedbump]

Avast didnt even get in the top 10. If you check out page 3 of the link when he gets to Norton, you will find this paragraph:

I hope you don't like AOL too.

I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion, that's why there are so many articles out there about Norton etc. I'm from the old school. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...

bob...

[a22042]

No I don't like AOL. I am also Microsoft certified (MCP and MCAD), ITIL certified, hold cetrifications from Serena, Gomez, Tripwire, and god knows how many other IT related certs. I have a total of 17 certifications in IT. If I was one of those douches that put all the initials after thier names, well, it would be a long name.

I have worked IT in the tech industry, the dotcom industry (short lived), government, and now private retail sector as an IT manager. I have worked as a programmer, a network engineer (LAN and WAN), helpdesk support, desktop support (yes, there is a difference), web developer, business analyst/systems analyst, and IT operations manager.

I have been in the IT field profesionally for over a decade, and have worked with computers since I was 8 years old when my uncle brought home out first computer (he worked at IBM). I have been taking apart and building them since I was 12.

Norton has come lightyears in the 2009 offering. Totally new interface (way more user freindly than McAfee, Avast, AVG, etc), has now whitelisting capabilities that are slick, and even have new parental controls and other added features. Compaired to the past the virus detection has come a long long way. If you want my opinion on the best, check out Kaspersky. It ranks number 1 in many many surverys. The only reason I dont use it is that it is a little more pricey than norton.

At the end of the day Avast is not bad for a free anti-virus offering. I wouldn't tell anyone "no, don't use that!" But I certainly wouldnt tell anyone to use it over norton, or even McAfee for that matter. You are right, personal opinion is everything. Pc people and Mac people, off the shelf software people and open source people, people who want to buy big software packages and customize down and people who like to buy small software packages and custom develope it up.

There is no one solution that is right for everyone. Having been in IT for so long, having worked with so many platforms, frameworks, etc., I understand this, and laugh when you get people who say "oh, this sucks, I hate it, you should never use it".



Again, it isn't the best on the market

[speedbump]

Again, it isn't the best on the market

That's why I said fool me once...

I had Norton Antivirus and something else they put out in the 90's. It sucked, both of them. They got down into the bowels of my computer and slowed it down so much I couldn't believe that anything you had to pay for could screw a machine up that bad.

I have a friend who has a computer for a brain. He is a genius. I had to call him out to get rid of all the Norton junk fro my computer. Uninstalling it wasn't sufficient.

They may be the greatest thing since cold beer, but I wouldn't give them my trust again. Maybe it's just me.

I used AVG for several years, then Eric next door to me who own's Alafia Computers told to get rid of AVG and install Avast, so I did. It seems to be doing a good job. And if it's free, it's for me.

bob...

[a22042]

As with any thing in life, but especially so with technology, I am always wary of "experts" who tell you that one thing is always better than another.

If this were true there would be only 1 computer manufacturer, 1 ssoftware company, 1 OS, 1 browser, 1 web language, 1 application language, etc. etc.

The reality is there is no "one-fit" solution for anything.

If toyotas were the best car for everyone, there would not be other cars out there. Yet, I can assure you there are those out there who will tell you that toyotas are by far the best vehicle on the road, and tell you many reasons why. Yet there are many types of cars out there.

In the computer world you have PC guys saying macs suck, mac guys saying PC's suck, and let us not forget the unix/linux/red hat guys laughing at both of them saying they both suck. Yet all 3 are in the market share targeting different consumers.

Invariably though, some "expert" tells someone that one or the other is terrible, unreliable, and they should use [insert OS here]. But that is not true. One is not better than the other. PC's are good for people who like to configure there own set up, but don't want to (or can't) get too in depth in that stuff. Macs are great for people who either dont care about configuration and want a simply computer they dont have to think about what works and what doesnt, and then you have the Linux guys who dont trust that whole GUI thing and prefer exact command line control over everything.

All I am saying is it is un-wise to say one particular thing sucks and is no good for everyone. This is almost never the case.

[TampaDude]

Norton's is good, but it's a major hog, and expensive. I dumped it and now use Avast...it actually found stuff that even Norton's had missed. It works great and it's FREE!!!