Browser stalls out

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I’ve been having problems accessing web pages for almost two weeks. It may have started with an Avast update, but around that time I also installed a Firefox plugin to speed up videos (which I have since uninstalled) and I also was tweaking about:config. I would appreciate help determining what is causing the problem–and, of course, how to fix it.

I can browse for a while, then it stalls out but may come back later. Restarting the computer or browser only helps for a short time. Email and instant messaging are unaffected. Pausing or stopping the web shield sometimes instantly helps but not always. I don’t think it is browser dependent as I have started up IE and Flock when Firefox was stalled, but they couldn’t connect either.

I have used the Avast utility to uninstall and did a clean reinstall which didn’t seem to help. I am running version 4.8.129. I’m running Windows XP Service Pack 3 with Windows Firewall.

Any ideas what I can check?

Thanks.

2

If you are using Vista?, it may be “TCP Auto Tuning” problems. See http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/03/22/disable-tcp-auto-tuning-to-solve-slow-network-cannot-load-web-page-or-download-email-problems-in-vista/.

Edit: Sorry see you are Using XP.

3

My problem still continues. Sometimes I can surf, and other times I’ve got multiple tabs just spinning and going nowhere.

Is there a log file somewhere I can check for errors? I really need to find out the cause of this.

Thanks for any suggestions.

4

Welcome to the forums, cjsteele. :slight_smile:

Please download HijackThis from the link below. Do not download HJT to the desktop but instead download it into it’s own folder on the hard drive.

Run the program but do not make any fixes and then post the log results using the “copy & paste” method. It will probably take more than one post to be able to get the complete log posted.

OR, you can post it as an attachment to your post by clicking on “Additional Options…” below left of the posting box. Someone will review your log and then offer help.

http://filehippo.com/download_hijackthis/

5

Thanks, CharleyO. Here’s my HijackThis log as an attachment.

6

Same issue here and is worse since the latest update 081208-0 for 1296. Started with
the 1296 upgrade and has been getting worse. I suspect a problem with WebShield.

7

No problem on my XP SP3 systems.

8

Problem still persists. After posting my HijackThis and getting no response, I went thru this process (again):

Uninstalled through Add/Remove - Rebooted
Used uninstall utility - Rebooted
Reinstalled - Rebooted with Boot Scan
Turned off system restore and turned it back on

Still very laggy to almost non-existent internet. Paused webshield, no immediate improvement. Stopped webshield, am able to browse.

I am using SpamPal and found an old forum post about someone with that causing a problem. Added a line pertaining to that to my avast4.ini file on previous install, not sure it did much. Should I look that back up and add that line? Also, a line was added to enable logging. Is that still necessary or have the newer versions automated that? Is there still a place to send a log file–and if so, which file?

I’m running SuperAntispyWare now. Anything else I can try?

Thanks.

9

I am sorry, cjsteele, but I was unable to answer for a couple of days.

Since stopping webshield helps, I hope someone else, possibly someone from alwil, can help you with this.

By the way, what firewall are you using?

10

cjsteele, do you use any other firewall (besides Windows one)?
Any other security program that could interfere?

11

Nope. Only Windows firewall. Never had Norton or any other.

Also I tried stopping SpamPal to see if that might be the problem, but it didn’t help.

12

Does Firefox in Safe Mode (into Start Menu > Mozilla Firefox > … (Safe Mode) there is an entry for it) work?
Isn’t it any problem with your extensions?

13

cjsteele, how much RAM and what is the CPU type and speed?
Belarc will be able to help:
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

What I see in the HijackThis log:
SpywareGuard is obsolete and has not been updated in 5 years so un-install it.
Sun Java is down level and has vulnerabilities so go to Add/Remove programs and un-install all versions of Sun Java.
Go to Add/Remove Programs and un-install all versions of Sun Java then reboot.

Download JavaRa:
http://raproducts.org

Run it to remove Sun Java remnants and download the latest V6 R11 release of the application.

Get the latest version of Sun Java:
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Go to Secunia: Online Software Inspector and run it to detect other insecure applications:
http://secunia.com/software_inspector

Close all browsers then run HijackThis and select the following then Fixed checked:
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://cgi.verizon.net/bookmarks/bmredir.asp?region=all&bw=dsl&cd=6.1&bm=ho_search
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/sp/ymsgr/*http://www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://cgi.verizon.net/bookmarks/bmredir.asp?region=all&bw=dsl&cd=6.1&bm=ho_home <== make the homepage Google as it loads much faster
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/stp/ymsgr*http://my.yahoo.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/sb/ymsgr/*http://www.yahoo.com/ext/search/search.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/sp/ymsgr/*http://www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/stp/ymsgr*http://my.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/su/ymsgr/*http://www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Verizon Online
O2 - BHO: SpywareGuardDLBLOCK.CBrowserHelper - {4A368E80-174F-4872-96B5-0B27DDD11DB2} - C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\dlprotect.dll
O4 - HKCU..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - Startup: SpywareGuard.lnk = C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\sgmain.exe
O24 - Desktop Component AutorunsDisabled: (no name) - (no file)