Browser hanging up problem

[seraphina]

Real puzzling problem. I’m on a relatively new machine, vista home edition. Rig is an Intel Core 2 Duo. 2 gig RAM.

Whenever I use my browser it functions fine for a short period, then stops connecting to new pages when I link to them. They simply time out with a “could not connect” error message after a long delay.

Happens when I use IE, but also Opera, Safari AND Firefox. Modem seems fine, and email and itunes are still accessible. The only way I’ve found to fix the issue (temporarily) is to restart—and it often takes a freakishly long time for the pc to shut down (5-10 mins plus) when I do that.

Anybody got any ideas? It’s quickly become very frustrating.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Bobbye]

"The only way I’ve found to fix the issue (temporarily) is to restart"
This sounds like a RAM problem- especially all the browsers are affected.

You can reset IE, but it's not a unique IE problem..

"long time for the pc to shut down (5-10 mins plus)"
Take as much off of the Start up as possible.

 

[seraphina]

Thanks for the advice Bobbye. I'm not terribly tech savvy. Is the RAM issue likely a hardware issue, or software? What sort of fixes are available?

 

[Bobbye]

This should help you understand: From Webopedia:
RAM: acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly.
RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.

RAM is synonymous with main memory, the memory available to programs. Programs are stored in ROM, which is Read Only Memory. When programs run, they use the RAM. If too many programs are running or if the RAM is bad, the system will either crash or slow down significantly.

Tips to Diagnose and fix a slow running computer:
http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/slow_computer.asp

Follow the work through on the page I left. If the problem still exists after, we'll have to test the memory to make sure it's good.