Vista PC STILL Freezing When Connected to Broadband via Dongle

[alan_fincher]

I'm still trying to sort out the problems that kept freezing my Vista PC when trying to use my "3" Broadband dongle in Hospital.

 

Now I am home, I can find quite a few hits that suggest that the latest release of AVG free anti-virus software could cause this problem, (although AVG don't seem to acknowledge it as a likely issue).

 

However most of those hits are for Windows 7, which I don't have.

 

I believe it's only on AVG version 9.

 

Is anybody running AVG 9 with a broadband dongle please ?

 

Any issues ?

 

What operating system, if you are, please ?

[Purple Fairie]

are you using AVG free edition?

if so that's probably your problem. i was having probs with mine so asked my brother-in-law who's a computer genius, and he says the new version of AVG free wouldn't work with a router (which i have at work). it's something to do with their firewalls apparently, and to get rid of it completely. he suggested downloading Avast which, in his opinion, is now far superior to AVG, and it's free.

(of course it could just be vista!??)

hope you get it sorted.

[bottle]

Hi Alan

 

Running Orange 'dongle', XP and AVG 9 (free), no problems at the moment.

 

Does not help you much though.

[koukouvagia]

Is anybody running AVG 9 with a broadband dongle please ?

 

 

What operating system, if you are, please ?

 

I've got a 3 dongle which I think is the same as yours – an Huawei E169. I normally only use the dongle with a netbook when I'm on the boat. However, I've just tried it on two other computers at home. You might be interested in the results, if only for the purposes of elimination.

 

(1) Netbook AVG 8.5 (free edition) and Windows XP

(2) Laptop with AVG 9 (paid edition) and Windows 7

(3) Desktop with AVG 9 (paid edition) and Windows XP

 

The dongle works without crashing and I get around 750 kbps.

 

The frustrations you are having with your dongle seem almost as frustrating as those with your hip.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

Jim

[Grasshopper]

the new version of AVG free wouldn't work with a router

 

I've seen a lot of customers running AVG 9 Free with routers without any problem. And indeed I've just installed it on a customer's PC that is on my workbench and it is working through my router OK. But I suppose it might be the specific firewall settings on your router if it is in a work environment.

 

I haven't seen it working with a dongle so I can't really comment whether there is an issue there.

 

 

EDITED TO REMOVE SUGGESTION AS I'VE JUST READ THE EARLIER THREAD

Edited March 12, 2010 by Grasshopper

[Guest]

Hi Alan

 

AVG Free 9 here on two laptops running Windows 7 and i have five different 3G USB modems including the Huawei E220, on both T-Mobile and Three. I can swap modems without rebooting. Doesn't seem to be a problem at all.

[RLWP]

I've seen a lot of customers running AVG 9 Free with routers without any problem. And indeed I've just installed it on a customer's PC that is on my workbench and it is working through my router OK. But I suppose it might be the specific firewall settings on your router if it is in a work environment.

 

I haven't seen it working with a dongle so I can't really comment whether there is an issue there. But I would be more inclined to suspect a Vista/driver issue or a problem with the dongle itself. Have you tried completely uninstalling & reinstalling the dongle?

 

Further to this. Alan, did you do the firmware update to the dongle that you were talking about in a previous thread?

 

Richard

[Grasshopper]

I've just edited my earlier post as I've now read your previous thread and from that it is clear that the problem is specific to your laptop and not the dongle.

 

This sounds like one of those problems which you can spend days on without finding the answer. And often the only solution is to reinstall Windows and start from scratch. But best of luck.

[alan_fincher]

Further to this. Alan, did you do the firmware update to the dongle that you were talking about in a previous thread?

 

Richard

No,

 

Because I have two dongles a Huawei E220, (the main one) and a ZTE MF627 (acquired through "Dongle for Fre" offer), and both worked perfectly before, whereas both cause the PC to crash now.

 

As both a different dongles, from different manufacturers, with different connection software, It seems unlikely to me to be dongle specific in both cases.

 

"3" do not provide any later firmware update for their dongle, and it seemed likely that i I took a generic update, it would "lose" the current connection method.

 

I'm convinced it's the PC, or something running on it, not both the (different) dongles.

 

Is that conviction unjustified, and if so, why do you think so, please ?

 

Why would firmware that was rock solid 6 months ago now need an essential update ?

[imnogeek]

No,

 

Because I have two dongles a Huawei E220, (the main one) and a ZTE MF627 (acquired through "Dongle for Fre" offer), and both worked perfectly before, whereas both cause the PC to crash now.

 

As both a different dongles, from different manufacturers, with different connection software, It seems unlikely to me to be dongle specific in both cases.

 

"3" do not provide any later firmware update for their dongle, and it seemed likely that i I took a generic update, it would "lose" the current connection method.

 

I'm convinced it's the PC, or something running on it, not both the (different) dongles.

 

Is that conviction unjustified, and if so, why do you think so, please ?

 

Why would firmware that was rock solid 6 months ago now need an essential update ?

 

@Alan

 

firstly I must agree with grasshopper, these problems are sometimes easier and quicker resolved with a re-install but below are a few pointers that may help you.

 

You can uninstall AVG and try your dongle without AVG as a

temporary

measure to see if it is the problem.

incidentally, I have installed AVG free 9 on various OS including one with an orange dongle in and have had no issues.

You could open your firewall and reset it back to default settings.

Uninstall any dongle software, resart computer then install

one

(prefferably the latest/newest one) and try it - this could show if there is a conflict between drivers used by the dongle especially if they share a driver but one requires an older version.

 

as far as firmware is concerned, your PC is ever changing with updates to virus checkers, windows etc so if the PC is not static then the firmware may well get updated to "compensate" for the new issues that could arise.

 

off topic... and I came here to learn about boating to find myself writing my first post in a computer related thread

 

Gary

[alan_fincher]

By no means proven yet, but I have tonight uninstalled AVG, (which I have always found fine, and issue free), and replaced it at least for now with Avast (about which I asd yet know nothing, but at least it's free).

 

Running connected to internet with the Huawei E220 dongle, so far the PC has not crashed.

 

I think it may well be AVG - certainly the change to version 9 is something that has changed since it was all working OK.

 

I hadn't expected Avast to actually talk to me though when it detected a threat! Not good jumping out of chair with fright with a broken pelvis. I may have to see if the spoken alert bit is an optional feature!

[imnogeek]

By no means proven yet, but I have tonight uninstalled AVG, (which I have always found fine, and issue free), and replaced it at least for now with Avast (about which I asd yet know nothing, but at least it's free).

 

Running connected to internet with the Huawei E220 dongle, so far the PC has not crashed.

 

I think it may well be AVG - certainly the change to version 9 is something that has changed since it was all working OK.

 

I hadn't expected Avast to actually talk to me though when it detected a threat! Not good jumping out of chair with fright with a broken pelvis. I may have to see if the spoken alert bit is an optional feature!

 

If it found a threat then I would do a full scan with it and also with Malwarebytes (Malwarebytes.org and it is free), the lock ups may have been due to a threat that AVG was struggling to deal with.

 

Fingers crossed for you.

 

Gary

[Purple Fairie]

I hadn't expected Avast to actually talk to me though when it detected a threat! Not good jumping out of chair with fright with a broken pelvis. I may have to see if the spoken alert bit is an optional feature!

 

oops! forgot to warm you about that, sorry

[alan_fincher]

I'm having less than total success with Avast, I'm afraid.

 

Although apparently running fine for a day, this morning it barked at me, and said it was not protecting.

 

Offered a "Fix Me", and a "Start" option, neither of which worked, and gave few meaningful clues as to why it was failing, (attempts to restart individual components did it as well).

 

I went for a complete uninstall and reinstall, and it's now apparently working again.

 

If it does it again, it'll not be staying!

 

[David Schweizer]

I hadn't expected Avast to actually talk to me though when it detected a threat! Not good jumping out of chair with fright with a broken pelvis. I may have to see if the spoken alert bit is an optional feature!

Well I know virtually nothing about computers, so I feel particularly smug about advising someone who used to earn their living in IT.

 

Just right click on the Avast logo, click on Silent/Gaming mode and switch the sound off. The annoying American voice will be silenced

Edited March 15, 2010 by David Schweizer

[alan_fincher]

Well I know virtually nothing about computers, so I feel particularly smug about advising someone who used to earn their living in IT.

 

Just right click on the Avast logo, click on Silent/Gaming mode and switch the sound off. The annoying American voice will be silenced

Thanks David,

 

Will do that, although I'm not sure it's staying. Don't want to have to uninstall and reinstall an AV product just to keep it running OK!

[Justme]

Don't want to have to uninstall and reinstall an AV product just to keep it running OK!

 

 

Which suggests you have a deeper seated problem.

 

I would back up & reinstall the OS.

[David Schweizer]

Thanks David,

 

Will do that, although I'm not sure it's staying. Don't want to have to uninstall and reinstall an AV product just to keep it running OK!

It was only recently installed for me when my McAfee ran out, but Jan has had Avast on her laptop for ages and it seems to keep her computer clean.