Why am I losing web access? (icon, reboot, reinstall, Vista)

[Drover]

OK, here's the deal: about 4 times a day, I will lose web access. Not internet access -- just web access. As if the port closes or something. I haven't diagnosed if it happens with any other browser yet... but it happens when I use Firefox. When it decides it no longer wants to access the web, it just kind of hangs. But then, I can't access the web with IE, Chrome or Opera either. When I shut Firefox down after it does this, the process refuses to die. I can't even kill it using Task Manager. Nothing short of a reboot will restore web access. What gives? BTW: OS = Vista32

[EscapeCalifornia]

When you try to kill it in task manager, are you doing to from the applications tab or the processes tab? Are you running any third party firewalls?

[Drover]

Processes tab, because after I close the Firefox window it doesn't show up in the applications tab any more.

Third-party firewall: ZoneAlarm. That said, I run it on two other computers without this problem. Additionally, disabling it does not resolve the issue.

I just had the same problem not too long ago running Google Chrome instead of Firefox. So now I'm testing out IE to see if it crashes too.

[EscapeCalifornia]

I've seen ZoneAlarm cause soooo many weird problems. Just disabling programs like that doesn't always really disable it. I'd uninstall it and see what happens. If nothing else, it rules it out and you can always reinstall it.

[Drover]

How much good does ZoneAlarm do these days (the free version anyway)? Does Windows Defender do an adequate job?

Oh, and I just recovered from web access freezing up on me while using IE, so that makes 3 browers this has happened with. I think we can safely conclude the issue is not browser-specific.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Drover

How much good does ZoneAlarm do these days (the free version anyway)? Does Windows Defender do an adequate job?

Oh, and I just recovered from web access freezing up on me while using IE, so that makes 3 browers this has happened with. I think we can safely conclude the issue is not browser-specific.

I don't run any third party firewalls. I have a NAT router and Windows has had a firewall built in since Windows XP. Windows Defender is anti-spyware, not a firewall, and the only reason I have it is because it came with Vista. I use AVG Free for antivirus. I find it to be a much more light weight solution than the typical monster security suite that always causes trouble.

[Drover]

Ah yeh, I guess I meant Windows Firewall. I also run the AVG Free for antivirus, though I find it causes websurfing to "hang" a lot if you have linkscanning enabled. But then if you don't have it enabled it shows the little alert icon in the system tray and you won't necessarily know if something other than the disabled linkscanner needs attention. Ah well, can't complain much if it's free.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Drover

Ah yeh, I guess I meant Windows Firewall. I also run the AVG Free for antivirus, though I find it causes websurfing to "hang" a lot if you have linkscanning enabled. But then if you don't have it enabled it shows the little alert icon in the system tray and you won't necessarily know if something other than the disabled linkscanner needs attention. Ah well, can't complain much if it's free.

Uninstall it, then reinstall it without the link scanner installed. I believe there's a box you can uncheck if you do a custom install. Be sure to go into the Firefox add-ons and remove it. I also don't like the AVG toolbar since I don't see the point in pretty much any toolbar.

[Drover]

I like the Google toolbar. That's the only one I have.

Anyway, I uninstalled ZoneAlarm and it's still happening. And now it seems to be happening with more frequency. This is starting to honk my hooter.

[Brian.Pearson]

Try disabling the Google toolbar.