My new carputer locks up when I load internet explorer? What the ****?

**WoLLy** · 04-05-2006, 01:23 PM

Hey guys. I just built my carputer in my apartment.

The parts I ordered are here: Can someone give me a final thumbs up before I commit to my car PC config?

I didn't buy the graphics card, I'm using the onboard video to save power to make this run with a DSATX.

I have it installed with a 2.4 ghz pentium 4 processor, and a 550 watt ATX power supply I had laying around. It's running through a standard flat panel monitor for now.

I booted winxp pro on my puter... everything was fine. Installed asus drivers for Via chipset, onboard video, onboard sound, and belkin wireless card drivers.

I ran windows update multiple times to update everything to the absolute most current version.

System is stable... unless I load internet explorer. Upon loading IE, the system freezes. No errors, no messages; the cursor just stops moving and the system wont respond to keystrokes either. It has done it once while browsing folders in Windows explorer, also, but never any other time.

System is completely unmolested minus the drivers, a copy of powerstrip I installed then uninstalled (decided to stick with 800x600), and half of a 50 cent album I copied off my laptop.

I ran asus's motherboard monitor for 12 hours in record mode... it's reading a max of 36c processor, 37c motherboard. The voltage is constant on all voltage rails. The fan speed is constant and isn't giving out... at all...

The system ONLY crashes when IE is running.

So, what would cause this? Hardware problems? Software problems? I've tried reseating the ram, verified all connections, tried reconnecting everything... I just don't get it. Anybody have a clue where I should start diagnosing this problem.

Please, don't just tell me that IE is ****, I know this, but when it's the foundation for an operating system, it's just gotta work...

thanks
-dan

**Sonicxtacy02** · 04-05-2006, 01:27 PM

how did you manage to update xp without IE working?

**WoLLy** · 04-05-2006, 02:46 PM

i used the icon in the system tray that loads a non-IE window... the same one that pops up those nagging balloons reminding me that windows is not up to date.

**Uncle Shurley** · 04-05-2006, 02:57 PM

I would either repair or reinstall for sure. Not sure if this is relevant, but I had a similar problem when I had a 266 FSB AMD processor and 333 MHZ ram. You should always try to run the same speed on both. I had random lockups and BSOD's when I did that.

**WoLLy** · 04-05-2006, 03:19 PM

Well, my processor has a 400 mhz fsb.

The ram is clocked at 333 mhz, the fastest the board will support... :-\

I'm actually in the process of reinstalling windows as we speak, and god I hope this fixes this. It's so frustrating.

**TruckinMP3** · 04-05-2006, 03:30 PM

Try skipping the most recent update for IE...

**e39dream** · 04-05-2006, 04:10 PM

or maybe make the switch to firefox.... I used it once a few years ago and have never used IE since (ok I use IE like once a year at shoddy MS sites that require it)

**WoLLy** · 04-05-2006, 04:14 PM

Dream, that was the type of comment I was hoping to avoid by all the firefox happy guys out there. I dont like firefox... I like opera, but mostly, I don't like a system with stupid glitches that take it down every few minutes. I'm going to fix this right, not just "not use IE"

**Uncle Shurley** · 04-05-2006, 04:32 PM

It's more than just IE if it happened while surfing folders in explorer. It is definitly somthing that needs to be addressed. I am betting the reinstall will fix it. Let us know when you try it again.

**Eubey** · 04-05-2006, 04:39 PM

ok for real, firefox is the xact same thing as ie cept without the badness... not wanting to get in a flame war here, but FF has always run stable for me.

now back to you question, yeah definately sounds like a reinstall is needed...