# Browser freeze...Help



## dahliaqueen (Nov 9, 2005)

I am having severe problems, mostly with this HT site, with browser freeze. Everything freezes- mouse, start button, etc. I am forced to manually shut down computer and re-boot.

My OS is Windows 98 2nd Ed with Mozilla 1.5(?) for my browser.

I suspect it is my crappy dial-up, but this major freeze does not occur on other websites- just momentary freeze that lasts a couple of seconds.

Could it be.....my modem?
crappy dial up
some element in the web hosting for this site?

Help me before i smash something.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

dahliaqueen said:


> I am having severe problems, mostly with this HT site, with browser freeze. Everything freezes- mouse, start button, etc. I am forced to manually shut down computer and re-boot.
> 
> My OS is Windows 98 2nd Ed with Mozilla 1.5(?) for my browser.
> 
> ...


The problem is almost certainly your browser. Either the HTML is too acrobatic for your browser to understand or the Java included with your browser can't handle the newer javascript found in the page. Most likely it's the Java.

The cure is to use a newer browser.


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## comfortablynumb (Nov 18, 2003)

upgrade to xp, 98 is going to get progressively more probematic as time goes on.

There are sseveral compacted XP versions that run lighter than a full install.

you may actually want to go with linux if the computer is a bit older an slower.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Please ignore my original post, I hadn't had my coffee yet.   

I see now that you're saying a permanent freeze on this website, and a momentary freeze on other websites.

A momentary freeze is probably just that the computer isn't fast enough for some of the stuff some websites do these days. If it has Win98, that would make sense.

A permanent lockup is another problem. First thing I'd try is a different browser. I don't know if you can upgrade your Firefox (or did you really mean the Mozilla browser?) on Win98, but if you can, do it and see if it helps. If that's not possible, see if Int.. Int.. (ahem) Internet Explorer (whew) works OK where Firefox crashes. But Firefox 1.5x is a pretty good browser, so if it's crashing, it's probably Windows' fault, not Firefox's. My experience with Windows 98 hasn't been that great, stability-wise.


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## dahliaqueen (Nov 9, 2005)

Thank y'all...........I upgraded to Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and the freeze is just a momentary thing now.

CNumb- i have wanted to explore installing Linux- could you define the differences in the OS from windows- just the high points.

Appreciate your help, muchly.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Linux uses a different filesystem, a different kernel, and has native applications, though can run some windows programs through a sort of emulator called WINE. Most modern versions of linux can mount and see windows partitions whether FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. There is also neat 3rd party program that lets windows mount and see linux EXT2 file system partitions, maybe works with EXT3, but not with Reiser file system.

On computer running win98, better to go with a small linux distribution like Puppy Linux, Damn Small Linux, or maybe Austrumi Linux. There are some other small ones, but these are ones I am most familiar with. Larger distributions tend to use either KDE or Gnome desktop. These are bloated and very slow to load on older systems. Remember modern software tends to be bloated and tweaked to run on fast modern systems. For example I put Puppy on an ancient 300mhz laptop with 32mb ram built into computer. Puppy worked amazingly well, but the default Seamonkey (Mozilla) browser that comes with Puppy wouldnt even start. Current Opera browser on other hand worked fairly well if you didnt try to open bunch windows at one time. I added a 64mb ram chip and Seamonkey worked fine. Seamonkey (and I assume Firefox) just werent designed to work with 32mb even when used on an operating system that could.


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## dahliaqueen (Nov 9, 2005)

Hermit John- Thanks for the info- most of it reads like a foreign language to me, but what i got is that if i want to be adventurous, use Linux Puppy or Damn Small Linux- heh...and to install a different default browser.

I want to buy a laptop and have considered Mac for the design applications- the thought of dealing with a new type of OS stalls me, tho.

If the discounts are deep enough after the Holidays, i just may go for it.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

dahliaqueen said:


> I want to buy a laptop and have considered Mac for the design applications- the thought of dealing with a new type of OS stalls me, tho.
> 
> If the discounts are deep enough after the Holidays, i just may go for it.


Oh for crying out loud, don't get a Mac! (Just my opinionated opinion)


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

dahliaqueen said:


> Hermit John- Thanks for the info- most of it reads like a foreign language to me, but what i got is that if i want to be adventurous, use Linux Puppy or Damn Small Linux- heh...and to install a different default browser.


Well, you haven't told us how fast your computer is, what CPU, or how much memory. A machine that came new with Windows 98 might be best suited to Puppy or DSL, or it might be fast enough to run a full distro with a more sophisticated interface, like PCLinuxOS.


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