For about a month now, all three of my browsers (Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3.6.3, and Google Chrome 5.0) keep freezing randomly. Windows 7 Action Center has reported to me that "Flash.ocx caused IE to crash.", and Google Chrome said in an error message that "Shockwave Flash Player was running slowly and crashed". This seems to happen regardless of the content of the site I am currently VIEWING at time of freeze-up, or how many sites I have open at one time.

This seems to happen most often when I have had another window on top of my browser for awhile and then try to return to my browser. Also happens sometimes when I'm closing the last of several sites I've had open.

Usually, restarting my browser will fix the issue temporarily. On occasion IE will freeze repeatedly every time I launch it, my only solution being to restart the computer. Only once have I been able to replicate a freeze-up on all three browsers in a row, repeatedly, using the same website -- YouTube -- to test.

Reinstalling all Adobe products, even using the online uninstaller, then re-downloading has not fixed the problem.

One time a Windows System Restore seemed to fix the issue, but I would rather not try that now as the restore would have to over a month ago and I have made several minor changes during that time.

P. S. Both times this started happening after I used DellConnect remote support service. Could there be any CONNECTION?

Thank you in advance for your time and help.


Here is the output from Windows 7 Action Center.

--------------------------------

Source
Internet Explorer

Summary
Stopped working

Date
‎5/‎13/‎2010 5:55 PM

Status
Solution available

Description
Faulting Application Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\internet explorer\iexplore.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: iexplore.exe
Application Version: 8.0.7600.16385
Application Timestamp: 4a5bc69e
Fault Module Name: Flash10e.ocx
Fault Module Version: 10.0.45.2
Fault Module Timestamp: 4b5f8faa
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 001e41a5
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 1708551230


OTHER SYSTEM INFO:

OS NameMicrosoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS ManufacturerMicrosoft Corporation
System NameGRADYTAYLOR-PC
System ManufacturerDell Inc.
System ModelStudio XPS 1640
System Typex64-based PC
ProcessorIntel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P8800 @ 2.66GHz, 2667 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/DateDell Inc. A14, 3/29/2010
SMBIOS Version2.5
Windows DirectoryC:\Windows
System DirectoryC:\Windows\system32
Boot Device\Device\HarddiskVolume3
LocaleUnited States
Hardware Abstraction LayerVersion = "6.1.7600.16385"
User NameGradyTaylor-PC\Grady Taylor
Time ZoneHawaiian STANDARD Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory3.96 GB
Available Physical Memory1.16 GB
Total Virtual Memory7.93 GB
Available Virtual Memory4.86 GB
Page File Space3.96 GB
Page FileC:\pagefile.sys


NameATI Mobility RADEON HD 4670
PNP Device IDPCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9488&SUBSYS_02721028&REV_00\4&1668647A&0&0008
Adapter TypeATI display adapter (0x9488), ATI Technologies Inc. compatible
Adapter DescriptionATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670
Adapter RAM1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)
Installed Driversatiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver Version8.631.0.0
INF Fileoem73.inf (ati2mtag_M9x section)
Color PlanesNot Available
Color Table Entries4294967296
Resolution1280 x 720 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel32
Memory Address0xD0000000-0xDFFFFFFF
I/O Port0x00002000-0x00002FFF
Memory Address0xCFEF0000-0xCFEFFFFF
IRQ ChannelIRQ 4294967294
I/O Port0x000003B0-0x000003BB
I/O Port0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Memory Address0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Driverc:\windows\system32\drivers\atikmdag.sys (8.1.1.921, 5.76 MB (6,036,480 bytes), 2/20/2010 4:53 PM)
Only suggestions is based on what you said. Have you installed a different anti-virus lately. If so this might cause the problem, Norton is notorious for this exact same thing. It also can be in yur Windows system and you'll never find it because no one seems to want to own up to a flaw anymore. I had a like problem and it got so bad I had to replace the hard drive even though every test said it was OK. Put the new in and haven't had a problem since. It got so bad my internal programs were freezing over time Nope, I've had McAfee ever since I got this computer.

Is there any chance this could be connected to flash? Because it didn't happen for at least 5 months and then it just started all the time. Most of the trouble is with IE. Any way to clear out any and all memory the computer has of flash ever being installed? Would it cause problems to try? Maybe something is corrupted.

If you think it's a flash related issue...which i'm not convinced of YET.... then DLoad and run the Adobe flash uninstaller tool from their site...then DLoad and install afresh ver. of flash...