Microsoft → [Vista] Issue with page loading on multiple browsers in Vista 32

I am not sure the correct forum for this but I will start here.

I still have a desktop running Vista 32. About a week ago I noticed that random web pages won't load completely in Firefox. I know Firefox is no longer supporting Vista after version 52. I have 3 other PC's running Windows 10 and Firefox with no issue at all.

I've tried Chrome and IE in Vista and the same issue happens. My internet connection is fine. I have run multiple speed tests on different sites and they are fine. I tried running Firefox in the safe mode with addins disabled and that doesn't help either. Yesterday I tried lowering the MTU setting in Vista from 1500 down to 1458 and that also had no effect. My Internet connection is through Spectrum at 25/5 MB/sec and I seem to be getting that speed.

I tried the line test here yesterday and it didn't report any issues either. This one has me really baffled.

Have you checked for malware just to be sure? »www.malwarebytes.com/premium/

Have you tried running Vista in "Safemode with Networking"? You need to find out if a clean startup has the same problems.

I have experienced the same problem, though I haven't tried to troubleshoot it yet. All of my virus and malware scans have been negative. I'm hoping to replace this Vista desktop soon so...it is what it is. It's been a great machine for 9 years.

AZ

Thanks. I needed to do that anyway. Oddly, Malwarebytes was one of the sites I could not open. So I downloaded it on another PC and installed it. it found a lot of crud, over 100 nasties. Sadly after killing them I still had the problem.

But the safe mode worked (see my reply on that).

Good suggestion. Thanks for the tip.

I booted into safe mode with networking and the problem cleared. I restarted and ran CCleaner. I disabled about everything in startup tab except Avast AV and my printer utility. I also disabled several browser plugins I didn't need under the browser plugin tab.

That worked.

Now I will start enabling things one at a time starting with Windows Defender.

Try Kramer's tip of booting into safe mode with networking. You push F8 as soon as the first Microsoft screen appears. You will get a startup menu. Select Safe Mode with Networking.

I bought mine in 2007. It is a Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop. It came with a TV tuner card and Windows Media Center. It has been a real workhorse for me. The fan on the original graphics card died several years ago. I found a decent ATI card that was cooled without a fan. I also had to replace the original power supply with a Thermaltake.

Mine is also an Inspiron 530. Fans still work but the graphics card failed years ago. Been using the onboard graphics ever since.

I'm running Chrome and Firefox on Windows XP and all websites work peachily. I'm guessing that you have been kitted with some stuff that MalByte is not finding ( Happens a lot, especially with rootkit detection turned off by default...... ) MBam has always been weak on rootkit detection even when enabled.

You should grab KAV boot disk and see what that finds. If you do then pay attention to the options. It defaults to medium detection levels on a couple of categories that are best if turned up to Max.

»support.kaspersky.com/4162
Direct ISO download : »rescuedisk.kaspersky-lab ··· e_10.iso

I may have been a little hasty saying all is well. My Yahoo still isn't loading correctly most of the time. I have everything turned off except Avast!. Disabling Avast! doesn't seem to help either.

When you installed Avast, did you do a custom install? Which bits and pieces of Avast did you install?

I always do a custom install for Avast (Free) and only install the File Shield and Web Shield. I never install all the other (crap in my mind) "stuff" like Software Updater, Browser Cleanup, Rescue Disk, Home Network Security, SafeZone Browser, Security Browser Extension and SafePrice Browser Extension. I also never install the Mail Shield as I had problems with many eons ago and in researching, it was suggested that if one has the File Shield installed, the Mail Shield really isn't all that necessary.


What I'm thinking is that if you have all the bits and pieces Avast offers installed, I'm not sure that when you disable Avast, all those bits and pieces are also disabled and maybe one of them is causing a problem?

I am using the file, web, and mail shields. I turned off the behavior shield. I've never had an issue with the mail shield.

This problem is so random it's hard to tell when it is fixed. For example yesterday Facebook was loading and not it's slow or not loading at all. My Yahoo wasn't working yesterday but loaded just now.

I am on a wored connection BTW.

Last time avast had a bug in behavior shield that shut my PC down this time they killed my connection with the new ransomware shield try disabling and see if your ok.

I turned off the Behavior shield in Avast yesterday. I didn't notice much of a difference. I am only run the file, web and mail shields. I have tried disabling Avast altogether and I still had issues.

Hokie51:
>>I've never had an issue with the mail shield.

The problem I had with Avast's Mail Shield was quite a long time ago and since I'd lived successfully without it, I've never installed it when moving to newer versions.

I hate random problems! They are so hard to pin down...

If you have a spare network card give that a try and see if it helps.

I am guessing the issue is Avast!. I tried turning off the shields but I don't think it really kills it. You can't stop it from loading on startup in msconfig. It just turns itself back on. I finally uninstalled it and I am getting a much better response on all sites. I will go with Windows Defender for now and see how things run.

I also uninstalled Avast, and I replaced it with free Avira. The operation of Firefox is much improved. A good thing too, because I didn't really want to go looking for another computer just now. I've used Avira in the past, but dropped it because I thought it was too pushy about upgrading to a paid product. I never did have virus problems with Avira, nor with Avast. I wouldn't rely on Defender in Vista...I always thought it was useless.

Thanks I will check Avira out. The thing I find frustrating is that I had truned off the web shield in Avast and saw no improvement. That tells me that it wasn't really turned off.

I agree Avast has grown to be bloatware and the constant nagging is getting old.

Hokie51:
>> the constant nagging is getting old.

This is interesting. On my laptop (Win7/Pro/64bit) I use as a testbed, I have Avast Free 2016 (not sure the version number but I installed it in October 2016) but I have never seen any sort of ad pop up outside of the "ad" at the bottom of the Avast screen when you open the software. From what you've stated, it sounds like you are seeing pop-up ads outside Avast's software screen--on the desktop itself?

On my desktop system that I use all the time (Win7/Pro/64bit), I actually use a very old version of Avast Free--7.0.1474, downloaded from »www.oldapps.com/avast_an ··· ast=8431 --because it works just fine, continues to get new antivirus sig files and does not have some of the restrictions that are in newer (more current) versions of Avast Free--like ads.

Note, that I do a custom install UNchecking Google Chrome and Google Toolbar offers. I install only: Web Shield, File System Shield, Network Shield, Behavior Shield and Script Shield and all others are UNchecked--in later (more current versions) some of these shields have been combined so that in those versions, the File Shield and Web Shield are what I install.

Once installed, I walk through the Settings options and I turn auto-sandboxing OFF (see the "Additional Protection" section, left side of the Avast screen). In "Settings" > "Updates", "Engine and Virus" are set to "autoupdate"; "Program" is set to "manual update" (so the software itself never autoupates). In the "Settings" > "Cloud Services", "streaming updates" is checked; "reputation services" is UNchecked. In "Settings" > "Popups" I set all pop-ups to 1 second except for the "Warning" and "Alert" popups which are set to 10 seconds. In "Settings" > "Account", I've never set up an account (see no point to it). "Settings" > "Community" all are UNchecked.

Avast is aware of the problem. No solution yet.

»forum.avast.com/index.ph ··· 204858.0