Computer won't load anything

[Barry]

Microsoft are well known for not thoroughly testing their software. They do it to 95% and let the customer do the rest!

[prsjnb]

I've ran antivirus nothing found. Nothing loads, if I click on Google it's just one eternal egg timer spinning round. The computer is fairly new and good spec so why all this instability ?

If you cannot access the internet, your perceived problem with Google might actually be a network issue. Open control panels and click 'Network and Internet' and then 'Network and Sharing Centre'. In the window that opens you will be able to view active network(s) and the connection status. If none is shown, click 'Troubleshoot Problems' and Windows will try to identify the problem and resolve it for you. If there is no problem, or there is one but Windows cannot resolve it, try resetting your modem/router. If the problem persists, and you use a WiFi connection, do you have any other WiFi-enabled devices in the home that you could use to check the signal status? If not, or you do and they confirm that your WiFi network is functioning, then the problem may reside with the WiFi adapter on your PC. Ideally,the next step would be to establish a physical (ethernet) connection between your PC and the modem/router (long cable or temporarily relocating your PC). Without knowing more about your home network it is difficult to offer more specific advice.

Based on my own experience (N.B. Windows 64-bit) there is one other possibility. When I moved from Windows 7 to X, everything was fine to begin with. Within the next 24 - 48 h, however, Windows X carried out an 'auto-update', after which everything went pear-shaped and I began to experience a problem similar to yours. The only solution I found was to 'roll back' the Windows X upgrade to my Windows 7. Note that you have to follow the procedure described on the Microsoft support pages to do this, as it is not simply a case of using 'System Restore'.

My brief experience of Windows X was sufficient for me to realise that, apart from cluttering up my PC with 'apps' that I have no use for and, by default, enhancing Microsoft's ability to monitor when, how and for what purpose I access the internet, I'm better off sticking with Windows 7, which on every PC or laptop I've ever run it on, has been slick and totally reliable.

Hope you get things sorted.

Jon

[Audio Advent]

That was my immediate thought.

Loading programs and going on the internet to search or use Google apps are completely different things. For a start, you have to load the browser (Chrome I guess in this case) to use the internet - therefore things are loading fine!

Sounds like programs are loading fine but they're not accessing the internet to get the data they need to complete the start-up (if you're talking apps).

and so is highlighted another problem with the App + cloud computing model - much of it requires a solid internet connection to even start. No internet and your computer is rendered useless. I've a load of processing power sat on my lap, why would I choose software which then could render it useless dependent on external factors?

[StanleyB]

Does it work OK with internet explorer or Firefox?

[spm]

I've Windows 10 on a couple of machines and they have been fine however they haven't really been used in anger. We also have a laptop with Windows 8 and Chrome often won't load - sometimes when the machine boots there is an error message about Windows failed to connect to Service or something but often Chrome simply won't load. There is a fix that tends to work but it doesn't seem to be permanent fix and that is to run command prompt (cmd) as administrator, when cmd window opens type netsh winsock reset press return, close cmd window and then restart computer. I obtained this 'fix' from an internet search and don't profess to have any great knowledge of computers. These days if it won't load I tend to just use a different browser and after a while it seems to fix itself. I was planning on moving to Windows 10 to see if it cured the problem.

[walpurgis]

I'm not going to opt for the Windows 10 upgrade. I have a feeling Windows 10 will not be with us too long before it is superseded and by the time Windows 7 gets too old to carry on with, there'll be a better alternative. Windows 7 will be perfectly usable for a good few years yet. I have 8.1 on my other PC anyway and am unlikely to put 10 on that either.

This may be of interest: http://www.computerworld.com/article...-7--vista.html

[struth]

I'm not going to opt for the Windows 10 upgrade. I have a feeling Windows 10 will not be with us too long before it is superseded and by the time Windows 7 gets too old to carry on with, there'll be a better alternative. Windows 7 will be perfectly usable for a good few years yet. I have 8.1 on my other PC anyway and am unlikely to put 10 on that either.

This may be of interest: http://www.computerworld.com/article...-7--vista.html

Not taking it either Geoff. Win 8 is ok for me. Nothing is perfect but it works well for me even though you get occasional glitches. Still got 2 vista machines that work ok if not stressed. Fine for light use and music duties.

[walpurgis]

Not taking it either Geoff. Win 8 is ok for me. Nothing is perfect but it works well for me even though you get occasional glitches. Still got 2 vista machines that work ok if not stressed. Fine for light use and music duties.

I found Vista slowed PCs and in particular laptops an awful lot. My daughter's and my brother's laptops eventually became virtually unusable, even after a cleanout and strip down of unwanted stuff. Probably due to the limited computer spec at the time.

I've bought this as an extra PC: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3114470071...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Spec seems OK. No O/S installed. I'll test it with a spare copy of XP before putting something permanent on it.

[struth]

Yes your right re vista. It becomes sluggish quite quickly. Operating parameters of the laptops were inclined to be close to the bone thus a!ythi!g added slows diwn to a crawl. I increases ram and hd in one and ram in other which helped a lot. Still if asked to do 2 things at once it usually does neither

[spm]

I put zorin on a couple of old machines that had XP on just to have a play and seems to work very well and is quite intuitive. Would recommend for anyone with an old XP machine that is struggling. I did have a problem that I couldn't get a very old printer to work with it though.