Had Same Issue Twice. Wondering Re: Cause

[michaeldf]

I've got a brand new HPE-570t system that has had the same issue occur twice.

Both times I was online and on my blog and using Internet Explorer 8 when the situation occurred.

I took a screenshot, but I think I can describe it:

The tab I was using to write my blog (I had more than one tab open) froze. When I tried to push 'enter' nothing happened, except there was a vertical line that suddenly showed up. If I repositioned the mouse pointer and pushed enter again, another vertical line would appear. And again, and so on.

But other than that, nothing happened.

In both cases, I was able to open a new tab, go into my blog, save my work, and then close that "frozen" window. So no harm.

But what is causing this?

Do you think it's an internet connection issue (I use a wireless router), an Internet Explorer 8 issue, a blog issue (I use Wordpress), or - worst of all - some kind of computer hardware issue?

Here's my computer:

HP Pavilion Elite HPE-570t customizable Desktop PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 quad-core processor with Turbo-Boost [up to 3.8GHz, 8MB cache]
• 9GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [3 DIMMs]
• 2TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
• No additional office software
• FREE UPGRADE! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2011 - 3 year from 2 year
• 2GB DDR3 ATI Radeon HD 5570 [DVI, HDMI, DP, VGA adapter]
• LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, audio
• No TV Tuner
• Beats Audio (tm) -- integrated studio quality sound
• HP USB keyboard and optical mouse

 

[crewton]

Are the lines on the monitor itself or just in the IE8 window?

 

[Rusting In Peace]

Can you provide that screenshot?

I don't think it's an internet connection issue nor blog issue. I suspect it's either IE8 or a hardware issue.

What to do is use Firefox for a while and see if you can recreate the issue.

 

[michaeldf]

Can you provide that screenshot?

I don't think it's an internet connection issue nor blog issue. I suspect it's either IE8 or a hardware issue.

What to do is use Firefox for a while and see if you can recreate the issue.

I'll give it a shot:

The lines aren't on the monitor itself, in the sense that when I open a new tab they don't appear; they are only in the tab that had the problem.

 

[crewton]

I'm going to say the blog is doing that one.

 

[michaeldf]

I'm going to say the blog is doing that one.

That would make me happy. But I've never had this issue happen before.

In addition (and I know I'm throwing out new info now), the first time this happened, I also had about half a dozen Notepad files open. And at some point during the period while I was trying to figure out what was going on, I clicked on the Notepad files' icon down on the Start bar, and they appeared in miniature at the bottom right of the page (as they always do) - but instead of seeing a small image of each file, there was just the scripted 'N' of the Notepad logo.

The second time the Notepad issue didn't occur. But the vertical lines as I hit 'enter' were the same.

I have until tomorrow night to return this computer to HP with no questions. But I've already loaded a bunch of files on it, so it wouldn't be desirable for either HP or for me. Unless the computer has a problem.

I've used the computer a lot of hours these past three weeks. And these two events have been the only time I've had any problem.