# I don't like my computer. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505 "2002-03-28T02:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/1 "2002-03-28T02:59:39Z")
(breathes in, slowly, to gain composure) I dislike my computer. At least six times during a surfing session (and this happens only at this site - hmm…), Explorer crashes. Sometimes, it takes out only one window - I’m of the habit of opening threads in a new window, out of having a slow connection; I can read a thread while another loads. But this happens, even when I slow down and don’t do this. Why, oh, why must you crash so? I had to retype a post _four_ times once, because right when I was done primping and shearing it, Explorer crashed in a flaming, devestating inferno of vomit and old orange peels. And _only_ Explorer crashes. Not WinAmp, not at any time Word, never Solitaire, not the small library of games I play - you function well enough even when I have all of those programs loading at the same time. Explorer. I don’t do anything too taxing - the most memory-intensive game I have is Dark Forces. Should I switch to Linux - after all, I’m only a humble savage, but one who can be led to the light. What do you want from me? But since I’m a very passive and non-violent person, I’m gonna blame myself for this. Happy? You’re gonna cost me a fortune in therapy. A computer that cost about five or six hundred dollars total is gonna send me around the bend to the nearest Castle of the Insane. I hope you dream well tonight, because I’m keeping my eye on you, computer. (breathes in again, holds it in, exhales and wipes forehead with hanky) Thank you for your time. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/2 "2002-03-28T03:52:05Z")
So why the fuck don’t you switch to a different browser? You aren’t stuck with Explorer, I don’t care WHAT operating system you’re using! ---
**Author:** ![Marley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Marley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/3 "2002-03-28T06:13:36Z")
You could try selecting the text of the message as you type, say at every new paragraph or major change. Then copy the text into your clipboard and keep typing. If nothing else crashes, you should still have the contents of your clipboard when you start Explorer again. Then just paste and continue. [sub]\[/sub] Plan B: type your message elsewhere (Notepad or Word or even your email program) and paste the completed text into your reply. Oh, wait, I forgot this is the Pit. Didn’t mean to be helpful, sorry. Why the fuck do you keep using Internet Exploder? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/4 "2002-03-28T21:04:13Z")
I echo the rest–don’t use IE. Download Mozilla. It’s free and the setup utility is pretty easy to use (and a relatively fast load as far as these things go). I’m a fairly hardcore IE fan, and even I’m impressed by the latest version. Here’s the link: > **[Internet for people, not profit](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/)** > > Mozilla is the not-for-profit behind the lightning fast Firefox browser. We put people over profit to give everyone more power online. Try it. Trust me, good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Trari\_de\_Reeson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Count\_Trari\_de\_Reeson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Trari_de_Reeson)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/5 "2002-03-29T01:06:01Z")
Download and run AdAware, I promise it will fix your problem… well maybe not but it worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![mighty\_maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@mighty\_maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mighty_maxx)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/6 "2002-03-29T01:40:37Z")
Have you ever tried to update or reinstall? Don’t use netscape you’ll just create yourself more problems. Mozilla is pretty good, but its unfamiliar to a lot of people, so may be difficult to get used to. It also does not work with windows the way IE does. Update or reinstall to fix your problem. Oh and the Pit response…Who the hell would let this go for so long with out useing a different browser???.. :wally ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/7 "2002-03-29T03:21:52Z")
1. Try clearing your cache from time to time. 2. Track down which sites cause you to crash. Avoid them. 3. Sometimes vicious sites with multiple pop-ups causes crashes. Disable javascript and ActiveX. That will also stop the loading of flash animations as well. Those are bandwidth hogs. 4. Get anti-ads programs such as AdSubtract, Webwasher or Proxomitron. 5. Netscape and Opera won’t save you. When it can’t find a site, or if you block a site, both of them freezes. At least IE gives you a generic 404 immediately. Try these tips, and your waves won’t freeze up on you while you surf. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/8 "2002-03-29T05:13:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mighty\_maxx \* > **It also does not work with windows the way IE does.** WTF? It most certainly can do anything that IE does in relation to “working with windows”. And after two weeks of Mozilla, I can’t begin to imagine how I ever got along without tabbed browsing. Unless of course you meant “Since it’s not integrated into the OS, if Mozilla happens to have a security problem, it won’t automatically compromise your whole system”. -lv ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/9 "2002-03-29T15:25:54Z")
Mozilla’s a bit feature heavy. Try opera… [www.opera.com](http://www.opera.com) or k-meleon, [http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/](http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/) , which is a lighter version of Mozilla. I agree that ad-aware may help… [www.lavasoftusa.com](http://www.lavasoftusa.com) should get you there. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/10 "2002-03-29T20:58:09Z")
That’s okay, I don’t like your computer either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/11 "2002-03-29T21:12:02Z")
Kinda reminds of this: [http://www.theonion.com/onion3636/counterpoint\_technology.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3636/counterpoint_technology.html) ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-like-my-computer/100505/12 "2002-03-29T22:37:39Z")
Oh and another thing. It could be your JVM/JRE that is causing problems. Have it updated by downloading the latest JRE from [Sun’s](http://java.sun.com) web site. Follow instructions carefully, and uninstall and re-install all of your browsers.