Browser crashing on certain sites

[javarro]

I've had this problem for a couple months now, I've searched the net for a solution but nothing has worked. I've scanned my computer, restarted firefox in safemode, tried different browsers, firefox, IE, google chrome.

If I goto mininova, piratebay or a few other torrent sites, my browser crashes. I can't even type "mininova" into google, as soon as I get the results page, it crashes. Makes it very hard to even search for a solution.

I'm running windows xp pro, sp3, updated, updated firefox, no addons, same with IE. I'm not even sure what else I can do, it's frustrating.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Farstrider]

Problems like this are always hard to fix, what Java Runtime are you using? Sites that run Java can cause this problem if you are using a mismatched version. This is the latest version:

Version 6 Update 17

Short of that I am not sure what could be causing the browser to crash, hard to say with out actually having a look at the PC.

[javarro]

Problems like this are always hard to fix, what Java Runtime are you using? Sites that run Java can cause this problem if you are using a mismatched version. This is the latest version:

Version 6 Update 17

Short of that I am not sure what could be causing the browser to crash, hard to say with out actually having a look at the PC.

Yeah, I did update java after reading this, still happening though. I have a laptop with vista on it, and it loads those sites fine. I just don't know what else I can check.

[+BudMan MVC]

Well I assure you the google results page for mininova is not using java.

You say it happens on all browsers - and it only happens on torrent sites?

"If I goto mininova, piratebay or a few other torrent sites"

Hmmm -- sounds like you got some kind of parent software or something, other security software or even some type of malware -- if you saying it only happens on torrent sites across all browsers -- thats what it sounds like to me.

I would really really like to see this issue - since the only thing that makes any sense for what you have described is some kind of software running on your machine that trying to block something.

What is the actual crash info you get?

[VPuccetti]

If you're going to torrent sites, do you have proper security on your computer? You could have a browser hijacker or other forms of virus'.

Run a deep scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (free for personal use) and tell us if it finds anything.

[javarro]

Well I assure you the google results page for mininova is not using java.

You say it happens on all browsers - and it only happens on torrent sites?

"If I goto mininova, piratebay or a few other torrent sites"

Hmmm -- sounds like you got some kind of parent software or something, other security software or even some type of malware -- if you saying it only happens on torrent sites across all browsers -- thats what it sounds like to me.

I would really really like to see this issue - since the only thing that makes any sense for what you have described is some kind of software running on your machine that trying to block something.

What is the actual crash info you get?

Yes it has only happened on torrent sites, if I type piratebay, or mininova into google, or try to visit the site, the browser will crash a second after loading the google search page or the actual site.

It happens on every browser I've tried. There are no parental programs installed, no parental settings turned on that I know of. This is the crash details from firefox after typing "mininova" into google search.

Add-ons: {E2883E8F-472F-4fb0-9522-AC9BF37916A7}:1.6.2.53,{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0017-ABCDEFFEDCBA}:6.0.17,[email protected]:1.0,{972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd}:3.5.5

BuildID: 20091102152451

CrashTime: 1260501005

InstallTime: 1260297757

ProductName: Firefox

SecondsSinceLastCrash: 269

StartupTime: 1260500986

Theme: classic/1.0

Throttleable: 1

URL: http://www.google.ca/search?client=firefox...G=Google+Search

Vendor: Mozilla

Version: 3.5.5

I've ran Adaware, and tried a couple other free alternative scanners I got from a list off these forums in the software section. I'll download Malwarebytes and try that next as well.

Update: Malwarebytes did not find anything.

Edited December 11, 2009 by javarro

[+BudMan MVC]

and what addon is this?

972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd

I don't have it -- and if you google for it, lots crash info.

[javarro]

and what addon is this?

972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd

I don't have it -- and if you google for it, lots crash info.

I checked on that in Google, it does show alot of crash results. I deleted the folder which was supposed to be a fix, but it didn't keep it from crashing. I've also completely uninstalled Firefox, tried IE without firefox installed and it still happens.

I read somewhere some torrent sites have ads that can cause browsers to crash and some would share the same ad, I know one I used to visit sometimes I had no problem with just recently started crashing, I'll look into it more.

[+BudMan MVC]

Wouldn't know about ads -- I don't see them ;) Firefox user and you don't have adblock?

But that makes no sense when you view google result page searching for mininova for example.

You saying it happens in every browser points to something outside the browsers as the issue.. What is in common? The google search results page doesn't have any on it as far as ads even in IE.

So your saying if you stay off torrent sites all your browsers work fine??

[javarro]

Wouldn't know about ads -- I don't see them ;) Firefox user and you don't have adblock?

But that makes no sense when you view google result page searching for mininova for example.

You saying it happens in every browser points to something outside the browsers as the issue.. What is in common? The google search results page doesn't have any on it as far as ads even in IE.

So your saying if you stay off torrent sites all your browsers work fine??

Yeah they all work fine unless I visit those torrent sites, or type the name of them into google, actually, I tried typing them into Yahoo search as well and it crashes the browser. It's like those sites are blacklisted by something, I dunno, I cant figure it out. I might just reinstall windows.

[cork1958]

How about visiting this site, http://msiad.visualware.com/myspeed/speedonly.html. Does IE crash on that one?

I JUST had that problem where I couldn't load that page with IE, or any part of visualware actually. It would crash instantly.

Don't know what I did to fix that problem, other than go there using Seamonkey one time to see if it would crash. It didn't and the next time I tried IE, it didn't crash either.

[javarro]

How about visiting this site, http://msiad.visualware.com/myspeed/speedonly.html. Does IE crash on that one?

I JUST had that problem where I couldn't load that page with IE, or any part of visualware actually. It would crash instantly.

Don't know what I did to fix that problem, other than go there using Seamonkey one time to see if it would crash. It didn't and the next time I tried IE, it didn't crash either.

I've fixed this problem. I found a post on a forum from someone with a similiar problem, sites being blacklisted by windows. It's caused by a program like spybot or something, I did try out a few different ones shortly after i installed windows so I guess one must of done this. it added sites to my host file, I removed them and I can load the sites now.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[+BudMan MVC]

A host file entry would not crash the browser.. Where did the host entries point too?? Most of the time they point to 127.0.0.1 which loopback.

Not getting to the site is one thing - host entries crashing the browser makes no sense. And how would search on google have anything to do with a host file entry?

So either you were not giving us the actual symptoms, or you still had some program running.. A entry in a host file will not crash a browser on "searching" for mininova on google -- sorry it just not possible.

Unless your not actually going to google due to the entry??

[javarro]

A host file entry would not crash the browser.. Where did the host entries point too?? Most of the time they point to 127.0.0.1 which loopback.

Not getting to the site is one thing - host entries crashing the browser makes no sense. And how would search on google have anything to do with a host file entry?

So either you were not giving us the actual symptoms, or you still had some program running.. A entry in a host file will not crash a browser on "searching" for mininova on google -- sorry it just not possible.

Unless your not actually going to google due to the entry??

Well that's what it was doing, I opened the hosts file, it had a list of the sites that I had not been able to goto because of the crashes. If I typed it in google, or yahooo, (i didnt try any other search engines) in any browser I could find, it would crash the browser. I tried FF, IE, opera, seamonkey, chrome, and a couple other ones I don't remember the name of. I did not have any programs running other than msn messenger, maybe ventrilo sometimes, and filezilla.

The forum I found with the post said it was caused by either xampp or a program like spybot may have added them, they were unsure. Once I removed the list of sites, about 10 of them, it worked fine.

Each entry had the site name, then an IP address, I didn't make a copy of it so I can't list them, but I gave all the info on the crashes in this thread and said exactly what was happening.

This is the site the thread lead me to http://www.ebookorama.com/problem-getting-into-sites.php

[+BudMan MVC]

Again I have to say BS... Unless you were not going to google, since there was some host file entry for google?? That pointed you to some crap site? Which makes no sense for the programs you speak of to do.

Just doing a search on google has nothing to do with entries in your host file.

As to that link -- its nothing more than info about how host files work.. And again I am telling you its freaking impossible for anything in a host file to cause you to have problems with a "search" for something on google.

Unless!!! You were not on google???

I could have a host file entry that pointed to some odd ball IP address for say mininova -- WTF does that have to do with searching for mininova on google -- nothing thats what!

Like I said your NOT giving us the full info here, you never said you could not get to a specific website -- you stated that when you even searched for a site on google it crashed.. That has NOTHING to do with a entry in a host file, or actually going to the site.

I'm not saying your host file did not have crap in it -- but we are missing part of the puzzle here for sure..

Im glad its working for you -- but there is part of the puzzle missing here!

[javarro]

Again I have to say BS... Unless you were not going to google, since there was some host file entry for google?? That pointed you to some crap site? Which makes no sense for the programs you speak of to do.

Just doing a search on google has nothing to do with entries in your host file.

As to that link -- its nothing more than info about how host files work.. And again I am telling you its freaking impossible for anything in a host file to cause you to have problems with a "search" for something on google.

Unless!!! You were not on google???

I could have a host file entry that pointed to some odd ball IP address for say mininova -- WTF does that have to do with searching for mininova on google -- nothing thats what!

Like I said your NOT giving us the full info here, you never said you could not get to a specific website -- you stated that when you even searched for a site on google it crashed.. That has NOTHING to do with a entry in a host file, or actually going to the site.

I'm not saying your host file did not have crap in it -- but we are missing part of the puzzle here for sure..

Im glad its working for you -- but there is part of the puzzle missing here!

It sounds like you're saying I'm lieing about something? I don't understand that, I gave all the info, I know if I'm searching on google or not, I even pasted the crash info from the google "mininova" search from firefox, so obviously I'm not lieing. I removed the lines in the host file, nothing else, and it works, I dunno what else to say.

[+BudMan MVC]

Im not saying your lying -- Im saying we are missing info!

its impossible for a host record to mess up search on google -- since the host record would never be used. You do not use host records when searching on google.. Host records are just like dns, just used first.

Unless the host record was pointing you to some other site that was not really google? And yahoo, etc.

I believe you that your browser crashed -- but its impossible for the cause to be a host record which would not even be used unless you were going there. And searching on google does not have you go to a host. So unless it was not really google you were on? Your crashing from a record in a host file makes no sense.

[soldier1st]

it sounds like something on his pc caused the torrent sites to crash the browsers as it could be some type of parental control software and it should not be the hosts file as it would cause the page not to load but not crash it, can you check your event logs for any errors?

[+BudMan MVC]

^ Exactly -- it has to be something that was interacting with the process of rendering/downloading the page looking for keywords related to the search terms he said where crashing the page.

Lets say for example that pointing to IP for say mininova or piratebay.com could crash his browser.. If it was pointing to say 127.0.0.1 loopback this should not happen.. But lets say it did or that it pointed to some host with bad code that did crash every single browser out there - which he said was happening ;)

The process of searching on google for a term does not have anything to do with the host file.. -- unless for example you had www.google.com in your host file pointing to some other site other than google??

But if this is not the case, then the host file is not used when searching for a term on google or yahoo as per his example.. When you search on google your machine does not actually go to sites listed on the page - does not load anything other than what google returns.

Unless maybe you had some kind of addon to pull thumbnails or some such thing for pages returned?? There are addons that do this - but they are not available for all browsers -- which he said he was having the problem in every browser, etc. So that pretty much rules out some weird add on that would of been accessing sites from a search, etc.

Like I said we must be missing a piece of the puzzle - because from the info given is HIGHLY unlikely, I mean really HIGHLY unlikely that -- pretty much impossible I would say that anything in his host file would have anything to do with searching on google or yahoo.

Would really like to know for one what was in his host file that he believes could of caused such an issue -- and for another would like to know the actual root cause of the problem. Im glad its working for him now - but Im not satisfied with the presumed cause.

[+BudMan MVC]

I have the same problems as described in the first post. However, the problem did not reside in the host file.

Neither did the OPers ;) Its impossible to put a entry in the host file that would crash every browser based on a search for something on google ;)

Unless of course that host entry was pointing you to somewere that was not actually google ;)

I would of loved to have know what the OP actual problem was -- but just like yours it had nothing to do with the host file ;)

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Neowin cannot be used as a support site for torrent sites (some of which are rife with trojans and other malware).

Neowin is not interested in being associated with this sort of behaviour and we ask our members not to discuss these types of issues here.

[Thread Closed]