Disconnect problems

[Woodbear99]

For several weeks I have been trying to solve a problem with being disconnected from internet sites. Tons of troubleshooting have not been successful. The problem is this: I can go to any website and open one or two windows but when I try to open a third (or sometimes fourth) window (especially if it is a 'heavy' activity site, e.g. Pogo Games or some site that requires multiple windows) I suddenly get disconnected. It is as if I am overloading something (I have 3 GB of RAM) or causing something or other to overload. This happens whether I am using my AOL browser, Internet Explorer 8.0, or Firefox...so it is NOT the browser. With AOL when I get disconnected the browser will immediately try to restart and will be successful except if I have not 'removed' the offending 3rd or 4th window it will soon disconnect again. I try to quickly X out the 'extra' window but if I am not quick enough it will repeat that cycle again and again up to 6 or 7 times until I can 'catch' and X out the extra window. I have no idea where to start troubleshooting but it is very exasperating. I have a Dell Inspiron 530s, 200GB HD, 3GB RAM, Vista Home Premium OS, 32-bit. (Question: would upgrading to 64bit make a possible difference?) Any suggestions would be appreciated. My computer is loaded with applications, large graphic files, etc. etc. It may be that I need to simplify. Also have more than one anti-virus and/or anti-malware application. Could that be the problem? I need HELP Please.....If reinstalling the OS would be the solution I would do that as a last resort because I have so much personal data that has to be backed up as well as dozens and dozens of applications that would have to be reinstalled. But if I can't find another solution to this problem first I can go that route (again). P.S. I also tried a 'Repair Install' and got the message : Nothing to repair'...although that only took a few seconds so I doubted that a scan was done.

 

[H2SO4]

The behaviour you describe is certainly not normal, so there's no reason to think that an upgrade of the hardware or the OS is necessary. Instead, a bit of troubleshooting should help to find the cause.

How are you connected to the internet? ADSL through a router/modem? Cable modem? PPPoE? Something else?

How exactly do you define a "disconnect" in this instance? It sounds to me like you're saying the browser windows close - and then reopen?

Do non-browser network apps continue to work after this "disconnect" event? For example, instant messaging or email programs - can they still successfully operate after the "disconnect"? I'm trying to gauge whether your internet link is entirely severed, or whether it's limited to the browser(s).

Since you can repro the problem relatively easily, it would be useful to know whether it also happens when you boot to [safe mode + net]?

 

[Woodbear99]

First of all thanks for the reply....Help has been hard to come by with the problem I have. Not sure my computer expertise is capable of fully answering your questions but I will try to describe what happens...

And yes, I have Time Warner broadband cable modem. Booted up in safe mode + net and although everything went much much faster I still had the same disconnect problem with the AOL Browser, Internet Explorer 8.0, and Firefox. All three worked fine in accessing normal sites but each disconnected at the same point when I would try to access multiple windows at an intensive site (e.g. Pogo games and CBS Sports when I would try to open a third level window to actually play Texas Holdem Poker...or watch a ballgame). It gave me the impression that I was asking too much of the computer. Only AOL would automatically try to restart after this disconnect (the other two browsers just leave the screen and I would have to reopen them)...but when after AOL reopened (Youve Got Mail) unless I am quick enough to X out the 'offending' third or fourth level window it would soon disconnect again...it will repeat this cycle over and over until I can delete the extra window. I am not sure what type of 'disconnect' this is but that is what happens. Obviously when I am not signed into AOL (after this type of disconnect happens) I cannot access AIM, etc.

I should also mention that after the first reboot Windows ran a scheduled disk scan (which was extremely slow...over an hour for the 6 stages) but reported 'Volume is clean' ...whatever that may mean to you. On the other hand I ran a system files check (sfc /scannow) yesterday and it reported that there were some corrupt files it couldn't fix' .... but when i tried to look at those files in CBS.log I was told 'Access is denied'...that's what I love about Vista ... I cannot look at my own files on my own computer....but that is another story. I yearn for XP.

Hope this gives you some insight into what my problem may be. I may try again to do a System Repair if you think that may help....an earlier attempt resulted in the message: 'Nothing to Repair'...after what seemed to be a 2-3 second scan. ???

 

[H2SO4]

If everything is "much faster" in [safe mode + net], that suggests you've got something loading in normal mode which is perceptibly slowing down your machine. You could use the MSCONFIG utility to try to zero in on the culprit by selectively disabling/enabling ("selective" startup mode) components until the one making the difference is found.

Your computer hardware is not being overloaded. Even a dozen concurrent browser windows should be just fine on all but the most comically underpowered machines (and yours is not). Also, when "overload" does eventually occur, its symptoms are extremely slow response and "out of memory" errors, not browser windows that disappear. Your symptom is caused by something else, despite the fact that it only happens with multiple windows open.

A repair won't hurt, but if you've done it once already - without success - it's unlikely to fundamentally alter anything the second time. My suggestion would be to aim to clean up the configuration of the machine as much as possible. Use MSCONFIG (built in) and the "Autoruns" utility from Sysinternals (www.microsoft.com/sysinternals) to try to remove as much extraneous componentry as you can without removing stuff you really need. Uninstall your anti-virus and test what happens without it. Uninstall any additional firewall or security utilities you may have added. Reset the browsers' configuration and deactivate all unnecessary add-ons. Reset the Winsock configuration by running this command from an elevated CMD prompt (run CMD as Admin):

NETSH WINSOCK RESET

As far as "not being able to look at your own files on your own computer" is concerned, you might want to read this:

Principle of least privilege - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[tanuj_chadha]

Uninstall Dell Remote Access if you have that installed.

 

[Woodbear99]

Yes, thank you Tanaj...I DID have Dell Remote Access installed. I uninstalled it on your suggestion today but unfortunately that did not solve my disconnect problem.

Bur thanks for the help.

 

[Woodbear99]

To: H2SO4: The problem is still unsolved.

What I have done: Reset Winsock configuration (NETSH WINSOCK RESET)....no effect. still have the disconnecting.

What I am not doing: Resetting the browser configurations...inasmuch as it is the same problem on all three browsers (AOL, IE 8, Firefox) I did not feel that the configurations were the problem.

What I have been unable to do: Used Autoruns to 'try to remove extraneous componentry'...The number of 'Services' was staggering numbering in the 100s (undoubtedly part of the problem) but I had no idea which services I 'really needed'...I do not have that amount of computer expertise. I subsequently disabled many services that I did not think I recognized or needed (????) and wound up with a paralyzed computer that would not even do a 'System Restore' ...I wound up enabling 'everything' in order to be able to get back to getting my computer to operate....probably increasing the problem! I used msconfig but there are a minimum of Startup applications...maybe 6 or 8...and, as I said, a TON of services.

I also added 512MB of RAM (now to 3.5GB)....no effect. If I boot up in Safe Mode the computer runs faster but the 'disconnect' problem still occurs with all three browsers. In one instance with Firefox I was able to get to an additional window in Pogo Games but then got the message: 'Java not found or not working' I tried to access Java in the Control Panel and IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I then went to Java.com and was told 'I have the latest version installed' Tried to run the 'JVM working' test (at Java.com) and THEN got the disconnect again from Firefox.

It is also getting harder and harder to 'X out' the offending window (at AOL) before it triggers another disconnect and the cycle will repeat (AOL restart, subsequent disconnect) sometimes up to 7 or 8 times.

At this point I have to consider an OS reinstall or a new computer.

 

[tanuj_chadha]

You can try to do msconfig, clear all startup & enable them 5 at a time & then check what is the culprit.