Computer locks up

The computer periodically locks up, especially while using an internet browser (either FireFox or IE). It seems more likely when I try to move the scroll bar or do something else while a web page is still loading.

The lockup doesn't completely freeze the screen right away, instead allowing me to drag the browser window around. But when I hit the X in the upper right corner to close it, the title bar says "not responding" and then nothing useful works: Ctrl+Alt+Del doesn't bring up the task manager, the taskbar either remains hidden or, if showing, doesn't respond, and dragging the browser window around leaves a trail of its image as the desktop doesn't get re-painted in areas that it has vacated.

DDS.Txt copy/paste:

.
DDS (Ver_2011-06-03.01) - NTFSx86
Internet Explorer: 8.0.6001.18702 BrowserJavaVersion: 1.6.0_20
Run by Maria at 21:54:06 on 2011-06-08
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.1.2600.3.1252.1.1033.18.2039.1061 [GMT -7:00]
.
AV: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 *Enabled/Updated* {17DDD097-36FF-435F-9E1B-52D74245D6BF}
FW: ZoneAlarm Firewall *Enabled*
.
============== Running Processes ===============
.
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG10\avgchsvx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost -k DcomLaunch
svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wltrysvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\bcmwltry.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Motorola Media Link\NServiceEntry.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intuit\Update Service\IntuitUpdateService.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\avgnsx.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Motorola\MotoHelper\MotoHelperService.exe
C:\Program Files\Dell\NICCONFIGSVC\NICCONFIGSVC.exe
C:\Program Files\Motorola\MotoHelper\MotoHelperAgent.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k imgsvc
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\Identity Protection\Agent\Bin\AVGIDSAgent.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\issch.exe
C:\Program Files\Brother\ControlCenter2\brctrcen.exe
C:\WINDOWS\stsystra.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\Identity Protection\agent\bin\avgidsmonitor.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG10\avgrsx.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG10\avgcsrvx.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jucheck.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE
.
============== Pseudo HJT Report ===============
.
uStart Page = hxxp://www.google.com/
uSearchMigratedDefaultURL = hxxp://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8
uInternet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = hxxp://www.google.com/ig/dell?hl=en
uInternet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local;192.168.*.*
uSearchURL,(Default) = hxxp://www.google.com/search?q=%s
uURLSearchHooks: AVG Security Toolbar BHO: {a3bc75a2-1f87-4686-aa43-5347d756017c} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
mURLSearchHooks: AVG Security Toolbar BHO: {a3bc75a2-1f87-4686-aa43-5347d756017c} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
BHO: Adobe PDF Link Helper: {18df081c-e8ad-4283-a596-fa578c2ebdc3} - c:\program files\common files\adobe\acrobat\activex\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
BHO: RealPlayer Download and Record Plugin for Internet Explorer: {3049c3e9-b461-4bc5-8870-4c09146192ca} - c:\program files\real\realplayer\rpbrowserrecordplugin.dll
BHO: AVG Safe Search: {3ca2f312-6f6e-4b53-a66e-4e65e497c8c0} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\avgssie.dll
BHO: Spybot-S&D IE Protection: {53707962-6f74-2d53-2644-206d7942484f} - c:\progra~1\spybot~1\SDHelper.dll
BHO: DriveLetterAccess: {5ca3d70e-1895-11cf-8e15-001234567890} - c:\windows\system32\dla\tfswshx.dll
BHO: AVG Security Toolbar BHO: {a3bc75a2-1f87-4686-aa43-5347d756017c} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper: {dbc80044-a445-435b-bc74-9c25c1c588a9} - c:\program files\java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl Class: {e7e6f031-17ce-4c07-bc86-eabfe594f69c} - c:\program files\java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
TB: AVG Security Toolbar: {ccc7a320-b3ca-4199-b1a6-9f516dd69829} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
TB: {EE2AC4E5-B0B0-4EC6-88A9-BCA1A32AB107} - No File
uRun: [ctfmon.exe] c:\windows\system32\ctfmon.exe
uRun: [StrgSync.exe] c:\program files\storagesync\StrgSync.exe -w
mRun: [SynTPEnh] c:\program files\synaptics\syntp\SynTPEnh.exe
mRun: [ISUSPM Startup] "c:\program files\common files\installshield\updateservice\isuspm.exe" -startup
mRun: [ISUSScheduler] "c:\program files\common files\installshield\updateservice\issch.exe" -start
mRun: [ControlCenter2.0] c:\program files\brother\controlcenter2\brctrcen.exe /autorun
mRun: [SigmatelSysTrayApp] stsystra.exe
mRun: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "c:\program files\common files\java\java update\jusched.exe"
mRun: [TkBellExe] "c:\program files\common files\real\update_ob\realsched.exe" -osboot
mRun: [ZoneAlarm Client] "c:\program files\zone labs\zonealarm\zlclient.exe"
mRun: [AVG_TRAY] c:\program files\avg\avg10\avgtray.exe
mRun: [QuickTime Task] "c:\program files\quicktime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
mRun: [iTunesHelper] "c:\program files\itunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
mRun: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "c:\program files\adobe\reader 10.0\reader\Reader_sl.exe"
mRun: [Adobe ARM] "c:\program files\common files\adobe\arm\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
mRunOnce: [AvgUninstallURL] cmd.exe /c start http://www.avg.com/ww.special-uninstallation-feedback-appf?lic=NFVWSzItQUxZTUYtU0xLTFUtQVoyVUItNkdPS0ItSkhGTkg"&"inst=NzctNDk2MDcyNDczLVQ1LVU4NSsxLUJBKzEtS1YzKzctWEwrMS1GUDkrNi1CQVI5RysxLVRCOSsyLUZMKzktRjEwTSs1LVFJWDErNC1YMjAxMCsyLUYxME0xMEQrMg"&"prod=90"&"ver=10.0.1187
StartupFolder: c:\docume~1\maria\startm~1\programs\startup\erunta~1.lnk - c:\program files\erunt\AUTOBACK.EXE
IE: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - c:\progra~1\micros~4\office11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
IE: {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE}
IE: {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
IE: {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - c:\program files\messenger\msmsgs.exe
IE: {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - {FF059E31-CC5A-4E2E-BF3B-96E929D65503} - c:\progra~1\micros~4\office11\REFIEBAR.DLL
IE: {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - c:\progra~1\spybot~1\SDHelper.dll
Trusted Zone: intuit.com\ttlc
Trusted Zone: microsoft.com\office
Trusted Zone: turbotax.com
DPF: {05CA9FB0-3E3E-4B36-BF41-0E3A5CAA8CD8} - hxxp://download.microsoft.com/download/e/7/3/e7345c16-80aa-4488-ae10-9ac6be844f99/OGAControl.cab
DPF: {0EB0E74A-2A76-4AB3-A7FB-9BD8C29F7F75} - hxxp://www.kaspersky.com/kos/english/kavwebscan_unicode.cab
DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} - hxxp://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/muweb_site.cab?1177896816140
DPF: {7B297BFD-85E4-4092-B2AF-16A91B2EA103} - hxxp://www.ca.com/us/securityadvisor/virusinfo/webscan.cab
DPF: {8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93} - hxxp://java.sun.com/update/1.6.0/jinstall-1_6_0_20-windows-i586.cab
DPF: {C7DB51B4-BCF7-4923-8874-7F1A0DC92277} - hxxp://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/content/opuc4.cab
DPF: {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0020-ABCDEFFEDCBA} - hxxp://java.sun.com/update/1.6.0/jinstall-1_6_0_20-windows-i586.cab
DPF: {CAFEEFAC-FFFF-FFFF-FFFF-ABCDEFFEDCBA} - hxxp://java.sun.com/update/1.6.0/jinstall-1_6_0_20-windows-i586.cab
DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} - hxxp://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab
TCP: DhcpNameServer = 68.94.156.1 68.94.157.1
TCP: Interfaces\{BE0F3586-8975-4D16-82B8-1033C61C9D72} : DhcpNameServer = 68.94.156.1 68.94.157.1
Handler: avgsecuritytoolbar - {F2DDE6B2-9684-4A55-86D4-E255E237B77C} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
Handler: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - c:\program files\avg\avg10\avgpp.dll
Notify: igfxcui - igfxdev.dll
SSODL: WPDShServiceObj - {AAA288BA-9A4C-45B0-95D7-94D524869DB5} - c:\windows\system32\WPDShServiceObj.dll
Hosts: 127.0.0.1 www.spywareinfo.com
.
================= FIREFOX ===================
.
FF - ProfilePath - c:\documents and settings\maria\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\qj5rc0hv.default\
FF - prefs.js: browser.search.defaulturl - hxxp://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=ytff-sunm&p=
FF - prefs.js: browser.search.selectedEngine - Google
FF - prefs.js: browser.startup.homepage - hxxp://www.google.com/firefox?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
FF - prefs.js: keyword.URL - hxxp://search.avg.com/route/?d=4c69e5b5&v=6.103.018.001&i=23&tp=ab&iy=&ychte=us&lng=en-US&q=
FF - component: c:\documents and settings\maria\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\qj5rc0hv.default\extensions\{66f2e20d-0da8-4c11-a9c8-dd8477b88acd}\components\FFExternalAlert.dll
FF - component: c:\documents and settings\maria\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\qj5rc0hv.default\extensions\{66f2e20d-0da8-4c11-a9c8-dd8477b88acd}\components\RadioWMPCore.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\avg\avg10\firefox\components\avgssff.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\firefox\avg@igeared\components\IGeared_tavgp_xputils3.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\firefox\avg@igeared\components\IGeared_tavgp_xputils35.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\firefox\avg@igeared\components\xpavgtbapi.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\checkpoint\zaforcefield\trustchecker\components\TrustCheckerMozillaPlugin.dll
FF - component: c:\program files\real\realplayer\browserrecord\firefox\ext\components\nprpffbrowserrecordext.dll
FF - plugin: c:\documents and settings\maria\application data\move networks\plugins\npqmp071503000010.dll
FF - plugin: c:\program files\mozilla firefox\plugins\npdeployJava1.dll
FF - plugin: c:\program files\mozilla firefox\plugins\npmozax.dll
FF - plugin: c:\program files\mozilla firefox\plugins\npyaxmpb.dll
.
---- FIREFOX POLICIES ----
FF - user.js: yahoo.homepage.dontask - true
============= SERVICES / DRIVERS ===============
.
R0 AVGIDSEH;AVGIDSEH;c:\windows\system32\drivers\AVGIDSEH.sys [2010-9-13 25680]
R0 Avgrkx86;AVG Anti-Rootkit Driver;c:\windows\system32\drivers\avgrkx86.sys [2010-9-7 26064]
R1 Avgldx86;AVG AVI Loader Driver;c:\windows\system32\drivers\avgldx86.sys [2010-9-7 251728]
R1 Avgmfx86;AVG Mini-Filter Resident Anti-Virus Shield;c:\windows\system32\drivers\avgmfx86.sys [2010-9-7 34384]
R1 Avgtdix;AVG TDI Driver;c:\windows\system32\drivers\avgtdix.sys [2010-9-7 299984]
R1 vsdatant;vsdatant;c:\windows\system32\vsdatant.sys [2008-7-9 532224]
R2 aawservice;Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service;c:\program files\lavasoft\ad-aware\AAWService.exe [2011-4-29 611664]
R2 AVGIDSAgent;AVGIDSAgent;c:\program files\avg\avg10\identity protection\agent\bin\AVGIDSAgent.exe [2011-1-6 6128720]
R2 avgwd;AVG WatchDog;c:\program files\avg\avg10\avgwdsvc.exe [2010-10-22 265400]
R2 DeviceMonitorService;DeviceMonitorService;c:\program files\motorola media link\NServiceEntry.exe [2011-2-25 87344]
R2 MotoHelper;MotoHelper Service;c:\program files\motorola\motohelper\MotoHelperService.exe [2011-1-27 226624]
R2 vsmon;TrueVector Internet Monitor;c:\windows\system32\zonelabs\vsmon.exe -service --> c:\windows\system32\zonelabs\vsmon.exe -service [?]
R3 AVGIDSDriver;AVGIDSDriver;c:\windows\system32\drivers\AVGIDSDriver.sys [2010-8-19 123472]
R3 AVGIDSFilter;AVGIDSFilter;c:\windows\system32\drivers\AVGIDSFilter.sys [2010-8-19 30288]
R3 AVGIDSShim;AVGIDSShim;c:\windows\system32\drivers\AVGIDSShim.sys [2010-8-19 26192]
S3 AVG Security Toolbar Service;AVG Security Toolbar Service;c:\program files\avg\avg10\toolbar\ToolbarBroker.exe [2010-12-27 947528]
S3 ICDUSB3;ICDUSB3;c:\windows\system32\drivers\ICDUSB3.sys [2010-1-12 11264]
.
=============== Created Last 30 ================
.
2011-06-09 01:49:38 1893 ----a-w- c:\windows\bcmwltrytmp.reg
2011-05-27 06:43:14 404640 ----a-w- c:\windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl
.
==================== Find3M ====================
.
.
============= FINISH: 21:57:37.31 ===============

Hi jtgotit2

Does it usually lock up after long period of using browser?

The time varies. Sometimes just a minute or so and sometimes after a long time -- an hour or more.

Does it freeze also with other programs?

It seems to be just Firefox. I've been on IE for an hour now, using different sites (email, facebook, Google) with no trouble. I've had no trouble with using Quicken or MS Word. I think I must have had the impression that IE would lock up from how after a Firefox lock-up, I had to power off then on. At that point, anything I tried after start-up would lock up, prompting a second power cycle. After that, it seems to work (although IE is and has been slower for me than Firefox was before this trouble).

Then it is very likely some firefox addon.

I suggest that you disable them one by one until locking up doesn't occur and enable them one by one as well.

Let me know if it helped.

:oops: This is a bit embarrassing. Thinking IE had no problem, I was listening to Pandora for an hour or two, then I opened another tab to look at a store's website, but then when I finished, the Pandora tab was locked up.

After restarting the computer, I found your advice about add-ons. In Firefox, I disabled the one called "New Tab Homepage" -- it has not worked as expected anyway. In IE, I found and disabled one with no human-friendly name:

Name {CD67F990-D8E9-11D2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE}
Publisher Not Available
Status Disabled

I'll certainly report back on whether this helps, but since I found I'd misstated the situation, I wanted to post this development ASAP. Thank you for your help and your patience.

Have you lately taken off dust from fan and case?

It might be a heating issue.

Good thought. It's an older laptop, so I guess that's a possibility. I'm starting to think it may be headed for e-waste, but will keep trying to get it back to a reliable state.

I suggest that you use either some fan/cooler table or some canned air spray to bottom of laptop and post back if it helps.

I found it a simple matter to open a panel on the bottom of the laptop and clean out the accumulation of lint I found in the heat-sink.

But although a cooler CPU certainly couldn't hurt and may indeed extend the life of this machine, I later found something else that I now think is the real cause of my troubles. I noticed that the icon for AVG had an animation moving almost all the time. Its control center interface came up slowly (as has most all programs) and I saw that the Updater had been running since I'd started the computer over five hours earlier. Then, I found that the updater had been denied access to the internet by ZoneAlarm. Despite the agonizingly slow response, I finally was able to disable the automatic update in AVG, and after rebooting, have seen a wonderful improvement in response time.

I'll certainly report back in a couple of days, but for now it looks to me as though my problem was extra-slow response due to the thrashing of AVG update. I am wondering if I'll have to re-install AVG or ZoneAlarm (or both) to allow regular updates.

Yes I think that it is worth trying to reinstall AVG because enabling auto updates shouldn't cause that. Looks like a corrupted installation to me.

I've removed both ZoneAlarm and AVG, then reinstalled AVG. I'll put ZoneAlarm back on in the next day or two although I'm still wondering in the back of my mind whether the problem was strictly with AVG or inan incompatibility with ZoneAlarm. The uninstall of AVG was balky; I had to download their uninstaller as the regular SetUp uninstall couldn't get everything off.

Now, the good news. This seems to have solved the hangs. Thank you very much for your support. It's most appreciated.