Internet Freezes - Different Types And Different Fixes

A very annoying problem a computer will sometimes experience is an Internet freeze. While any type of freeze is very aggravating, an internet freeze-up comes in two different styles; one being even more maddening than the other.

In this article, we will explain the difference between these two freezes and explain how to get them to stop and prevent them from ever happening again.

The Internet Stall

The first type of internet freeze is really more of an internet stall. This is true because when it occurs, if left alone, it unfreezes itself. When this freeze occurs, everything suddenly comes to a stop. Then anywhere from a split second later to a minute or so later it seems to unfreeze all by itself.

This kind of internet stall is usually caused by an inadequate amount of space being allocated to temporary internet files. Without getting deep into the study of Widows operating systems and Internet Explorer, you can think of the use of temporary internet files as a way to keep you online sessions running fast and smooth. If they are not running fast and smooth, it may be because too little space is being allocated to the temporary files.

The Automatic Choice

In Windows explorer, the setting for temporary internet file space is found in tools-internet options-browser history settings. There is a radio button you click to choose to let Windows control this setting automatically. This is your best bet. If the operating system you're using is Windows XP or Vista, they usually do a great job at allocating the perfect amount of space. However, with an older OS, you may need to choose an amount on your own. 100MB will usually do the trick.

Sometimes you will notice, particularly in an older computer, even if it is using XP or Vista, the amount of space allocated is more than the amount recommended. When this happens, it is time to click on the button that says "Disk Cleanup."

True Internet Freezes

The other kind of internet freeze is actually a true computer freeze. It is just that it happens when you are surfing the net. The difference between a true freeze and a temporary internet freeze is the only way to fix a true freeze is to shut off the computer and start it up again.

True computer freezes occur because of corruption in the registry. If the only time the computer freezes is when you are online, this simply means the part of the registry that is corrupt is being addressed when you are online. When you are not online, your operating system isn't venturing into the corrupted area.

The best way to beat registry corruption and prevent more from developing is to use a registry cleaner regularly. Generally speaking, a registry that has corruption causes the computer to run slow compared to a computer with a clean registry. Also, registry corruption can cause computer errors as well as computer freezes. So, you can see it is a good thing to keep your Windows registry free of this miserable stuff!