Good explanation, I could understand it, so many times the people who so kindly help think we are all tech savvy and use abbreviations.
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Good explanation, I could understand it, so many times the people who so kindly help think we are all tech savvy and use abbreviations.
Insufficient RAM. If you cannot boost it, get a new computer.
You have added a stick (or replaced it), yet the problem remains? Look for other options - then, and only then.
Who has insufficient RAM? This thread is impossible to follow. I've seen only one actual posting of computer resources, and an AMD processor with 6 gigabytes of RAM has plenty of RAM.
It would be helpful to know both how much RAM the person KISS replies to has, and what KISS thinks would be sufficient RAM.
Usually it is possible to add more RAM, but on even slightly old computers that may cap out at a gig or two of RAM, which isn't enough to run even XP or 7 today.
However, if the computer does have 2 gigabytes of RAM, you can rescue its performance by changing to a lightweight version of Ubuntu Linux, such as Xubuntu or Lubuntu. You can try it on a second hard drive if you want (or on the same hard drive but I don't recommend messing with that). Windows has excessive bloatware and requires an antivirus; Linux does neither. Better system design protects against viruses. Ubuntu and its flavors are absolutely free, and there is extensive online support.
Now, mind, someone who posted this question and didn't tell us what computer resources he has, what browser he is having the problem with, etc., might have trouble installing and running Ubuntu or doing much of anything else. If you don't have a head, you're pretty much dependent on cheap Windows 8 computers from Walmart and whatever that machine will do for you until it doesn't.
I apologize if I'm repeating anything
I've been streaming for many decades now/ my Amazon stick & Roku stream with little worries .. It never stops like in years gone by.. I have my iMac staring at me but I rarely use it.. Will get to it this Summer
Streaming can be done by almost any device now.. If you have little remote speakers like Bose puts out or any generic , all you need is your pad or a cell phone( I know you asked @ computer) I'm hoping you have one of these devices .. First I would test the speed of your provider, easily done with many free apps.. Next up is just a small app .. If it's pandora we all know it's minutes away.. I don't use it or any like them because I have my Amazon Prime & my own music on Apple but it's all the same when streaming.. Ok I'm going to say you have a smart phone!? You install the free app/ sign in to your account and make sure the connection is good in your home.. Then what I do is connect my Bose small speakers.. Why your computer is not working would not be my worry because I listen to my music everyday.. Now I have an old iPod touch connected to my little Bose speaker with a little cable that came with the speaker .. I think all this is too confusing if you need to fix an issue in that computer for your music to work
Cheers
Tony
Both my wife and I have trouble with Facebook and Firefox. If my wife leaves even one tab open and walks away from her computer for any length of time, FF is frozen and a forced kill of FF is almost always needed. Pretty much the same for me. My wife uses a Dell desktop on wire, I use an Acer laptop sometimes on wire and sometimes wireless. I've switched between using and not using hardware acceleration, but using Chromium nearly solves the problem. If we leave a tab open with Facebook on Chromium it sometimes hiccups and stalls a bit but it doesn't freeze.
We can both stream our preferred music at the same time and we have no trouble using Roku on the wireless.
We use Linux Mint, not Microsoft. I've adjusted the Swap File and made a few other experiments but not one thing changes Facebook's screwing around at least a little bit mainly with Firefox, but to some degree with other browsers too.
And when Facebook throws it's latest changes into the mix, anything can happen.
I'd say it's a browser issue and mainly involving FF since we're having the same trouble and we're using totally different systems than the others here.
turn off all extensions and see what happens when you use it. Flash items won't work at that time. It can be the first one you turn back on to test youtube or other flash videos. Check it turning on one, checking, then the next, checking. If all else fails, go to Help area, the Troubleshooting section, clk on the Reset button there. Finally open your update program, see if you already have the recent flash update that was added. Also remember some problems may come from your ISP itself. If Facebook is giving problems with both FF and Chrome, suspect Facebook as creating the problem. I personally patched my FF28 concerning the TLS exploit and continue to use it. I recently did some LIVE USB flashdrive setups for Mint17 and did not some stalling with the latest FF when I was testing it, so might consider going back a couple versions to where it was working OK for you. That can be done by downloading older Linux version from Mozilla in deb file and installing it on top of the current version, thereby retaining most of your settings such as bookmarks, password file, cookies, etc.
Either turn on your windows full update or replace win 7 with win 8!
SEO Analyst
Dubaiposter.com
Mike the problem you are facing is a common one and I've seen many computers buckle under the pressure of trying to run these pop-up ads.
The biggest problem is Adobe Flash. It's not to do with your internet speed or your computer being too slow, it is plainly Adobe Flash. Many of these pop-up ads use Flash to make the advert look special (although now I wish they'd start using more HTML5 rather than Flash as HTML5 isn't as wasteful of system resources as Flash is - Flash is pretty much a dying technology that is only just about hanging on in there).
There is a few solutions to this problem - you can get an add-on for your web browser called Flash Block which will block all Flash content and replace it with a grey square with an F at the top corner, double clicking the F allows you to see the content
Flash Block is available for a number of web browsers including Firefox and Chrome, in Internet Explorer you have to block the flash ActiveX control from running and only allow it on certain sites.
IE - http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/disable-flash-all-but-whitelist-sites-ie8/ - in the guide the person mentions Shockwave Flash plugin, although now it's actually called Adobe Flash as Adobe took over Shockwave.
Chrome - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flashcontrol/mfidmkgnfgnkihnjeklbekckimkipmoe?hl=en
Firefox - https://addons.mozilla.org/En-us/firefox/addon/flashblock/
Safari - https://extensions.apple.com/details/?id=com.hoyois.safari.clicktoflash-GY5KR7239Q
As I'm not in the US I've never used either Pandora Radio or Apple radio, but have used both Spotify and the old Grooveshark. Spotify works as a stand alone program but you'll find that in the background the pop-up ads are actually being loaded using Internet Explorer, so if you block them through IE then that should block them through standalone programs like Spotify, if Pandora or Apple Radio are stand alone programs too (you install them and run them rather than load a URL into the web browser then to block the flash you need to follow the IE instructions and that should do it. If Pandora or Apple radio load up into a web browser - like Grooveshark used to do then block flash for which ever is your default browser - or block flash for all the browsers you have on your computer.
Also if pop-up ads are being created by something else like malware or spyware you might need to also use the IE block method to block them as they will default to IE, or run ESET Online Scanner to remove all spyware and adware and malicious programs from your computer. ESET is very good and if you set it to remove all malicious programs it will do a very good job. If you go into advanced settings on ESET before the scanner starts and tick the boxes Scan for potentially unwanted applications and Scan for potentially unsafe applications and Scan archives then this will make sure all the bad spyware programs are removed. When you start the scan just leave it going, it can take many hours, especially if you have a lot on the computer but at the end if it does find spyware or adware you'll be glad you left it going.
http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/
Once you've blocked flash you will need to enable it for certain sites as some sites need flash - Youtube is one although they've started to move more and more towards HTML5 (thankfully!).
And finally I don't know which web browser you are using, but you might find it better to switch to Google Chrome, especially if your using Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is known to be full of security bugs, and really doesn't handle system lock-ups very well and uses a lot of system resources for very little reason. Chrome however is very streamlined, the coding in Chrome is really fast, it doesn't use a Flash plug-in to run Flash instead it uses it's own built-in plug-in that it keeps updated all the time and seems a lot better than the Adobe version. Also Chrome seems to notice a lot better if something gets stuck in a loop, or if your running out of resources and gives you an option of whether to wait or kill the page, sometimes if resources do get really low it will just kill the page without even asking - and this results in an unhappy face and a message that something went wrong which quite often stops the computer from getting to a stage that you need to reset it.
This is Mike M and I first want to thank Lee for posting my query and all the respondents for their suggestions. (As many of you noted, I am on the other side of the "tech curve" and not knowledgeable enough to include all the specs you needed.)
Let me begin by saying that my problem seems to have been solved but not primarily of my doing. I Googled and learned that it may be that my drivers needed to be updated. From that, I found UpdateDrivers.net and, for $30, purchased a one-year subscription service. Then, had their CSR remotely set-up the service and update my drivers. This partially worked but Apple streaming radio still presented some problems. Another tech remotely added something and that, coupled with my deleting Apple from my Task Bar seems to have worked. (Maybe he did something with Adobe Flash but not sure.)
FYI, I have a Netgear C3700 combo wireless modem/router (DOCSIS 3.0 with a max download speed of 340Mbps) and use Google Chrome browser exclusively. I had always thought it was a pc problem and all of you mentioning a router/bandwidth problem was eye-opening to me. (Duh!)
One other thing: I think all these OS should have a self-contained, automatic aspect to periodically test, repair and update the pc. (Through my investigation, I found that there are performance tests and enhancements that I never knew existed. My generation may be a dying breed--tech-speaking--but why should anyone have to concern themselves with stuff like this!)
Thanks again!
Hi Mike M
Thanks for letting us know that the advice you received helped get you back on track with your streaming
. I wish more would respond after posting a question..Well Done!
One last piece of cautionary advice as you mentioned you are somewhat of a newbie to this tech stuff. Be careful with whom you let have Remote Access to your PC. There are a lot of malicious hackers in the cyber-world who will disguise themselves to look legitiamte to gain access to your system and them download spyware, key loggers, bots and other ugly creatures to your system. The internet and the CNET Forums are rampant with horror stories on the subject.
You also posted the following comment: "One other thing: I think all these OS should have a self-contained, automatic aspect to periodically test, repair and update the pc".
Most of the major PC brands (of which Sony was once one) do offer a remote PC inspection program that looks at your system periodically to determine what updates are recommended. They can apply them automatically or you can choose to visit their support website for your model and apply them yourself. Unfortunately, the automatic program is only offered for two or three years...after that you have to manually check the website or subscribe to a service as you have done.
Also, know that after a certain period of time there are no more updates (drivers, Bios etc) as they are driven by the OS version and you know who controls that
. Even though a OS may still be supported...hardware (the PC) becomes outdated and the PC maker shifts their attention to the latest product that generates revenues. Bottom-line ...the $30 you spent this time around may not be necessary next year unless they are providing other maintenance services ???
Anyway...enjoy your streaming and once again thanks for letting us know the outcome!!
Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM)
Mike I'm glad to see that it appears to be working better for you. You did something that my clients like to do sometimes and that is Google for help.l I tell them NOT to do it as many of the sites will do more harm than good as ajteck mentioned. You don't know which sites to trust. To help with this, you can install Web of Trust (WOT) at mywot.com on any browser you use. It works like a traffic light and is really helpful on Facebook to let you know about bad links. It's not 100% but it sure gives you a good idea about how sites are rated. It also doesn't work on FB in IE which is generally the browser that newbies use. smh <--smack my head
I went to the website you mentioned for drivers and Malwarebytes (I have premium so it's always scanning) blocked me from the site. WOT gave it a question mark which means it hasn't yet been rated.
I also suggest that anyone have at least one but two is even better anti-malware applications like Malwarebytes (malwarebytes.org) and Spybot Search and Destroy (safer-networking.org). If one of my computers starts to act at all strange, I will update and run both of these to make sure I haven't picked up any malware.
I was with a client last week who had me over to install her printer. She was so excited that she had a disk that would do all the install of the printer and she'd only paid $50 at one of the big office supply stores. I told her it wasn't necessary and to watch what happens when we plugged in the printer. It recognized the printer immediately. I did download the full drivers from the HP site just so she had all the scan/fax/copy/print options available.
CCleaner - it's a great program but ONLY if you understand how it works and what it cleans.
To those who mentioned that it screwed things up for them, you probably just clicked on the Analyze button at the bottom of the screen, then clicked on Run cleaner and wiped out everything it found. That means all your history, recent files, preferences, passwords, etc. for both Windows and certain applications are gone. That's why it's recommended that you know a bit more about your computer before you use the program. I will often use the registry cleaner part of it to clean out crap that is hiding in the registry.
Sorry to be so long winded but don't let your age dissuade you from continuing to learn about computers. I'm a mid-50s woman who teaches people who are mostly older than I am to understand their computers. It can be done. ![]()
Mike, there could be something obvious about your system that is contributing to this.
We need to know what brand and model computer, what processor, processor speed, how much RAM the system has, whether it is 32 or 64 bit (I think AMD is usually 64 bit, Intel could be either). Also what browser are you using and what version. All of that could explain it.
You can install a freeware program called Astra32 that will give you all sorts of information about your system.
As browsers and antivirus and other programs have come to tie up more system resources, computers that ran fine a few years ago now often bog down on the resources they have, so first question is what resources does your computer have.
Another helpful piece of information would be what is your signal source and its speed. Go to speedtest.net (I think) and it will tell you what speed you actually have, and point you to another site to test your ping to see if you are getting dropped packets. Run these tests when everything is fine and when you are having trouble as there could be a big difference. Then tell us the results.
Thanks!
I would never listen to streaming music has lots of viruses
There is an option in firefox that you can "block pop-up windows". You should be running a good (not free) anti-virus program and scanning your computer. The pop-ups can have" bad bugs" (so can PIX!) I recommend Norton, but there are others. If you download AVG they will put all kinds of ads on your computer!
Also, did you give access to your network to someone with a cell phone? Cell phones are network HOGS!
We are only running a 1mg network with a desktop, laptop and 8.1 tablet connected. We can stream from netflix, dish network and hoopla. I gave my daughter the password to connect her cell up to internet and now every time she comes over "Thrumming It" our internet connection is very slow!
We must be very knowledgeable when blocking ups to know which one to block.
If you block the wrong one and do not know how to unblock you are stuck.
Sometimes we try to block certain websites that we don't use (not just pop-ups) but links within a web page can result in frozen systems. For example, I don't always want to be sent through an "analytic" site. If I block those sites, sometimes everything is OK. Sometimes, though, the web page is expecting some return and keeps looping. It can be a tough decision, like you pointed out about pop-ups.
Everyone seems to be focusing on your computer specs and ISP. While those could be involved if the problem were simply stuttering or poor quality in the audio, the fact that your computer is locking up is quite a lot more serious.
First off, if your whole screen is freezing, such that you can't close programs or even move the mouse, it certainly has nothing to do with your ISP. Also music streaming is a very low-intensity task. Any computer made in the last 10 years at least could easily handle it without question. I used to even stream music on computers in the 90's.
If you're having actual freezing you have malware or hardware problems. The fact you describe a lot of pop ups suddenly appearing strongly suggests malware. The fact that it seems to be related to playing audio over the network could also mean that you have flaky hardware or buggy drivers that need to be updated. It would be virtually impossible to diagnose without examining it in person.
From Mike M: This was my first time posting a problem and the feedback from all of you has been simply terrific.
I need to clarify a few things: these pop-up ads were not the malware variety but occurred on some specific websites featuring ads that sponsors purchased. Plus, on music sites like Pandoro and Apple Radio, which also feature movement--video and/or audio.
Also, the web service I utilized, UpdateDrivers.net was an approved Microsoft-certified site (so I had some confidence going in).
As I replied in an earlier missive, their tech people helped me solve the problem, which has not reoccurred and hopefully will not in the future.
Thanks again
Hi Mike M
Thanks again for the response and clarifications. My next comments are not specifically directed at you as I hope others will read them and take note.
Mike it appears that from what you have shared with us regarding the fix from UpdateDrivers.Net that an obvious solution was not recognized. Note to contributors to this post that if you did mention updating the drivers in your response...my apologies. That's not to say that the advice given by the CNET Community members was invalid.
The post suggested that the problems only occurred when streaming music and when pop-ups occur. That explanation had the ill-effect of directing the attention of the contributors to other areas... albeit while possibly contributive to your problem...were not spot-on.
Here's an analogy I want to offer:
Imagine that you tell your doctor that your wrist/hand hurts when you play tennis. So he/she suggests that you wear a brace when playing. However, you fail to tell the doctor that the symptoms occur at work sometime. The doctor with that additional information may then ask the question what it is that you do for a living. You reply that you're a Data Entry Technician (i.e. utilizing a keyboard 8 hours a day). Now with that additional information the doctor may determine that playing tennis is quite possibly not the underlying cause but possibly caused by your occupation suggesting "carpal tunnel syndrome".
To medical professionals reading this I'm not offering medical advice...just trying to relate something that most can understand. To others reading this...If anyone experiences problems with their wrist/hand please seek professional advice from your PCP.
Now stay with me as I try to bring this into focus:
I may be mistaken, but I'd venture to say that you may have experienced one or more of the following even when not streaming music:
• One or more hardware devices are not recognized by the operating system.
• One or more hardware devices are recognized but are not functioning.
• One or more hardware devices take longer than usual to respond to commands.
• The computer takes a long time to boot up.
• The display produces graphic anomalies.
• The computer will not boot up.
• The computer randomly shuts down during operation (or you get the Blue Screen Of Death -BSOD)
The above are all symptoms suggesting a driver update may be the required.
So, assuming I'm correct that the issues may have occurred even when not streaming music...the focus of advice given by the CNET Community members may have incorporated a suggested driver update in addition to the other value information provided.
The take away is that CNET Community members offering advice (myself included) can be afflicted with "tunnel vision" when specifics are omitted or the problem appears to be laser-focused to one repeated operation (i.e. only when streaming music). Granted the question should have been asked if any of the aforementioned symptoms had occurred other than when streaming music For that lack of intuitiveness on my part you have my apology.
In closing to quote Shakespeare...All's Well That Ends Well.
Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM)