What OS are you using?

Is it patched to date?

What anti-spyware programs are you running? Are they up to date?

What anti-virus programs are you running? Is it up to date?

What firewall are you running? Have you changed it's configuration lately?

What browser software are you running? Why are you still running that POS?

Is this the only web site you're having problems connecting to?

I find that my Windows XP Home edition computer 'locks up' regularly when I go to 'My Active Topics' or 'Active Topics.'

If I stay out of those Forums, I'm all right!

Eric The(Stumped)Hun

Quoted: Paul, slow down I can't keep up.   OS- Microsoft ME.  up to date? who knows Norton anti virus and I think it updates automatically? spyware- no idea. firewall- no idea Of my most frequent sites this one is the only one I have trouble with.

Windows ME sucks - 98SE or XP are both better code and better supported.

Your countries department of homeland defense has asked you to lose Internet Explorer and use Firefox.

You've probably got 40 or more programs running in the background spying on your computer and that's your problem. Download, install, update and then scan your system with Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware (they're free). I teach computer networking and have my students run scans and most end up with between 30 to 50 programs. The worse was 327 on one young girl. These programs sit in the back ground and use your CPU's clock pluses and your bandwidth to make profit for them, steal your passwords, deliver pop-ups, hi-jack your browser.

Going to a browser program like Firefox or Opera you'll find that your safer, faster, and better browsering. Keep IE around for those sites with crappy Java code.

Not running a firewall is just plain silly. Within seconds of being connected to the internet you're under attack. My firewall at work gets hit three or four times a second. Mine at home four or more times a night. Download, install, and update Zone Alarm (it's free).

1. Firewall
2. Anti-spyware
3. Virus scanner