Animation Problem

[zarzenz]

For a while I was getting this Wilders forum, and it was the only one, completely crash my computer.

It was intermittent... some visits would be fine... other days... every visit would result in a freeze on every try to get in here and read the posts.

So I started doing all sorts of tests and runs to find why.

I found it.

For some reason... and maybe someone knows why... it's due to having the IE browser animations enabled... as per the default setting.

Since I disabled this setting I have had no crashes at all.

The only difference now when coming here is that I no longer get any avatars to move. They are all static, but that's ok, I'd rather that than to be crashed all the time.

So why does that happen. My system is 400Mhz Celeron with 256Mb memory, and running IE6 on WINME via AOL.

Is it a speed thing with my processor a bit slow by modern standards. It can't be the memory, or is it an AOL problem not able to handle the GIFs coming from so many different URL's etc.

Is this is a known issue.

And if anyone has similar trouble... give it a go at disable and see if you get a cure like I did.

[LowWaterMark]

Is this is a known issue.

No, it isn't. This is the first I've heard of this type of problem.

It could be related to AOL and how it uses cache servers and a proprietary image compression technique, though we have many AOL users here and none have reported a similar problem as yet.

Can you take a look at the compression settings in AOL? It's via AOL > Settings menu > Preferences > Internet Properties (WWW)... This brings up an AOL modified version of the IE "Internet Options..." panel. On the AOL version there is a tab called "Web Graphics".

What option is selected there? If it isn't "Never compress graphics", then definitely set that option. This setting is highly recommended regardless of the speed of your connection. If that wasn't what was set and you've just set it, then signoff, reboot and retest everything to see if it makes a difference.

Also, are you calling up browser windows in AOL itself, meaning are you using the AOL browser, or do you run IE outside of AOL. (Start AOL and connect. Minimize AOL. Open IE from standard IE desktop icon and then browse?) There are subtle differences when using IE from within AOL versus outside AOL. We may need to check you different browser settings there.

[zarzenz]

Hi LowWaterMark,

I already did the never compress graphics in AOL as part of my first run of tests before I started on the actual IE browser settings. I was determined to find the cause and this was something I did quite soon into my check off list.

I also ran with IE run from it's own rather than the modified AOL browser and it still crashed, but of course it still was being provided via my AOL dial up.

BTW... what a fantastic difference uncompressing the graphics on AOL made to my images... so much better.

I did then find that they took more space in the IE cache and so to compensate for this I increased my temp IE size from 20 to 40 mb and that gave me the same kinda time to keep my most used graphics in cache as per my browsing habits from before the change was made.

But once cached... wow... fantastic images every time.

So then I started on the browser settings.

The first clue came when I set to have no images at all, and that cured the problem. So it was then a case of playing around with the graphic settings themselves, setting not to resize made no difference, but then stopping animations got it spot on.

I reckon... it may be a combination of maybe my computer itself and AOL and maybe... just maybe... some strange interaction with this site, because it's the only one I ever got the problem, but then this site does have so many fantastic and wonderful avatars animated. But I am just happy now that I can get on here without having to reset the computer with all the scan disk stuff each time etc.

Thanks for your response, and excellent advice which I can confirm for other AOL users is very worth doing. Just gotta increase that cache size a bit to compensate for the extra graphic space taken.

[bigc73542]

I thought you might have stopped the animations to save band width, because for the last two days I see no animations and I have not changed anything. It looks a little different this way.

[bigc73542]

I got to looking for the reason my avatars quit their animations. And in internet options on the advance tab I clicked on restore defaults and behold I have animations again. The strange thing is I had not changed anything in internet options to stop animations. I guess it must be PFM.

[zarzenz]

That's strange bigc,

So you had this the other way around. Yeah something must have happened in your settings for some unknown reason that disabled your play animations, and so the reset default put it back. So it's good you found that anyway.

I'm as sure as one can be that my problem is probably an individual set of circumstances perculiar to my system here or AOL in particular in my case.

I may try do more looking into it if I feel the need to get my anim's back but for now I'm cool about it.

I have a feeling that if I ever change to broadband, which is starting to get very popular and at last, not too expensive over here in the UK, then my problem would be over.

I even got to wonder if it could be a ploy by the provider to have this kinda thing happen on dial up's these days to make folks switch to broadband quicker. But then that's just my over suspicious mind working overtime... I don't really think they would do that.

It's interesting however that when you do open some threads here... how if you watch the downloading info in the bottom left of the browser window, it takes quite a few seconds to get all the pics in... and that was a clue to me thinking it was a graphic problem, coz on a few times when it crashed... it actually got stuck on saying it was downloading a pic... not always... but it was a clue that I needed to start thinking it was graphic related... and the rest is as I explained before.

I'll post back if I ever get to find out more on this one.

[bigc73542]

It might not help but if you have an intel based processor and graphics it might be worth going to Intels web site www.intel.com and checking for a graphics update. My comp. has only been in production for three months and they already had an update for it. So if it is intel it couldn't hurt.