StickBoy
04-22-2009, 09:47 AM
Windows XP Home SP3
When starting Internet Explorer, it will sit "connecting" for hours if I let it. It responds to nothing.
CTRL+ALT+DEL
Task Manager comes up and in the Processes I see a new one: dwwin. A search tells me it has to do with Dr Watson (which, in my experience, is just as buggy as the programs it's supposed to help). I highlight it and End Process. This also ends Internet Explorer.
I start Internet Explorer again and it connects fine. Sometimes it comes up with the message that something has gone wrong, Send error report. If I click on Send Error Report, Internet Explorer closes. BUT, if I just move that error window to the side, I can continue to use Internet Explorer with no problems!
WHY? How can I fix this?
I have run Windows Update (up-to-date), Secunia - which could only establish network connectivity if an instance of Internet Explorer was running with the error message in the corner (all programs patched or uninstalled), Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (which froze when asked to remove objects, so I removed the registry entries manually). I ran CCleaner on the Registry. Also ran Toni Arts Easy Cleaner on the Registry. Defragged. Heh.
Oh yes, Firefox works fine. The problem is that the computer in question does not belong to me and I cannot seem to convince its owner of the superiority of Firefox. She insists on using Internet Explorer, in spite of these problems! So, please help?
Another thing, and I only mention it in case it may be related, sometimes (not always) when opening Outlook Express, the preview pane shows the error message about OE not being shut down properly. I suspect this has something to do with an End Process command being run on a slow or frozen OE.
There are no "mystery" processes running - I know what all of them are and they should all be there. I have taken out every background-running program so it's pretty much bare bones.
She had an older version of NOD32 - though the definitions were up-to-date. I replaced it with Comodo, which found no infections.
I really am lost as to what to do next. Any help is most appreciated!
When starting Internet Explorer, it will sit "connecting" for hours if I let it. It responds to nothing.
CTRL+ALT+DEL
Task Manager comes up and in the Processes I see a new one: dwwin. A search tells me it has to do with Dr Watson (which, in my experience, is just as buggy as the programs it's supposed to help). I highlight it and End Process. This also ends Internet Explorer.
I start Internet Explorer again and it connects fine. Sometimes it comes up with the message that something has gone wrong, Send error report. If I click on Send Error Report, Internet Explorer closes. BUT, if I just move that error window to the side, I can continue to use Internet Explorer with no problems!
WHY? How can I fix this?
I have run Windows Update (up-to-date), Secunia - which could only establish network connectivity if an instance of Internet Explorer was running with the error message in the corner (all programs patched or uninstalled), Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (which froze when asked to remove objects, so I removed the registry entries manually). I ran CCleaner on the Registry. Also ran Toni Arts Easy Cleaner on the Registry. Defragged. Heh.
Oh yes, Firefox works fine. The problem is that the computer in question does not belong to me and I cannot seem to convince its owner of the superiority of Firefox. She insists on using Internet Explorer, in spite of these problems! So, please help?
Another thing, and I only mention it in case it may be related, sometimes (not always) when opening Outlook Express, the preview pane shows the error message about OE not being shut down properly. I suspect this has something to do with an End Process command being run on a slow or frozen OE.
There are no "mystery" processes running - I know what all of them are and they should all be there. I have taken out every background-running program so it's pretty much bare bones.
She had an older version of NOD32 - though the definitions were up-to-date. I replaced it with Comodo, which found no infections.
I really am lost as to what to do next. Any help is most appreciated!