Internet Explorer 5

All you need to do is format you hard drive and reinstall windows. I would recommond Windows 2000. It is a lot more stable than Win 9x.

I'm using windows98SE.
Did format, it made no difference, I'm afraid

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by themarsian on 08/31/01 06:22 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Try W2k... Makes sex so good even the neighbors will have a cigarette!!!

<i>Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else. </i>

Suggestions to go with Win2000? It is more reliable, that’s right.
But you have to check your hardware compatibility first.
Possibly you'll have to buy a new modem, or the whole new computer in order to run Win2000.
But Win 2000 won't help you if you're having hardware problem.
It’s possible also, that your Win98 is screwed up somehow, we don’t know.

Looks like which OS doesn't mean much sometimes.
I have 2 Win98 machines with IE5.5 Internet connected and networked running with no problem, at work also.
From some posts I can see some people suffer from so many Win2000 problems, often on second machines/motherboards, that we didn’t have on different OSes, neither the whole office, company for last 5 years.

Have you installed upgrades?
No conflicting devices?
Enough free space on the harddrive/partition left?
There are some issues on IE at Microsoft site, have you read the article:
<A HREF="http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb/psssearch.asp?SP..." target="_new"> Exception OE in Vxdndis When You Connect to the Internet </A> ?
Your problem is not exactly the same, but probably the driver is corrupted, or you might have related problem with conflicting software installed, or troublesome hardware (including RAM, network card, harddrive).

NickM is onto something here. I'd suggest you start pulling out all unnecessary hardware and see if the problem goes away (like sound card, any other expansion cards that aren't neede while you're surfing) also see if you can swap in some different RAM, or if you have 2 sticks try just one, then the other. Also, CPU overheating can be a nasty cuplrit in these types of problems. Is your HSF good enough? Do you have enough power (especially if you're running a TBird) A lot of times hardware will cause problems like this. Good luck, and keep us posted.

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

Solved the problem I think, my son came home this weekend and brought a copy of Norton Utilities 2000 with him. Its funny I did a system file check before and it showed no missing files, yet when I used Norton there were well over 100, 82 of which belonged to Direct X I think, mostly DLL files.
Anyhow since Friday night I haven't had a blue screen, but instead while I'm surfing the PC has started to power down and reboot by itself every so often. Could anybody out there give me a reason and a solution for this????????
Many thanks.

I had asked my ISP about the blue screen problem, that was 31/8/01, well last night I got a reply and they are telling me that the problem could be the ethernet card that they installed.
The error has 311 in it, that would be the netgear FA311 ethernet card. The bit about vxd is to do with virtual drivers of the card and wonder if the card is using the same IRQ as the graphic card.
But it isn't, however it does share with IRQ holder for PCI steering.
Anyway I've sent them an email telling them how disappointed I am with their slow response.
I've got a PC technician coming monday afternoon and I'll see what he has to say before I get in touch with my ISP support about the ethernet card.
Let you know how I get on.