Surfing. system freezes

[Segilla]

Using my faithful Belkin wi-fi on my old laptop. all is still OK. For a week or so on my Dell Inspiron 1720 with Vista Home edition it was OK, but now, after about a dozen sites have been visited, the progress bar shows the blue creep forward to about half way - then it stops. The only remedy is to close down and re-start computer. Both rigs have Zone Alarm. Neither avast! nor Spybot find anything untoward, though avast! reports that there are two folders it can't check. . .

[ACtheTROLL]

clean the cache
tools| internet options | browsing options delete
in fact download ccleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/download

have a good clearout - consider upping IE's cache to about 400 Mb
tools| internet options | browsing options | settings
while you are in there
set "check for newer" - to "everytime"

[Segilla]

Thanks ACtheTRO:LL
I can't find browsing options in any of the tabs under Intermet options.
The tabs there are General/Security/Privacy/Content/Connections/Programmes/Advanced.

Grateful for more advice.

[Segilla]

ACTheTROLL;The ccleaner has now been downloaded and used. But I'm still unable to locate the browsing options you pointed to. Can you ampify your advice please.

[Jugglering]

Segilla - are you using Internet Explorer (IE) or Firefox ? AC is describing how to clear the cache in IE.. but I suspect you are using Firefox, in which case you need to follow a slightly different (but essentially the same, just different names) path to clear the cache:-

Tools
Options
Under Private Data - look at the Settings
Click on the areas to be cleared (eg browsing history)
OK

[Segilla]

Thanks. Problem solved. Now to see it work!

[Segilla]

Confidence that the problem with IE7 had been solved was misplaced, alas.

I have checked that the changed settings are atill as instructed above. Max of arouind a dozen screens can be visited then it still freees.
e.g, Trying to look at all 15 pages of special price DVDs, I got to p.11, then no further. Any more ideas, please?

[Segilla]

No sooner had I sent my previous message, than a suggestion arrived.
Disable Flash Player - which I have done, and so far all now seems to be well. But no information about the effect of disabling Flash Player, so a comment wd be most welcome. TKS.