CRAZY Internet Explorer / Networking Issue

[Vicenarian]

Ok, so brand new computer (from local computer store, so no trialware/junkware, etc.) with Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1, etc.

Connected (wired) to router. 25 Megabit connection, other computers work fine connected to same router.

Problem: Internet Explorer (10, which came already installed) takes like 8 seconds to initially open and load. Once started, sites load not terribly bad...but still a bit slow at times.
The only thing I did was transfer customer data from old PC, install email client, flash player, adobe reader, java, and Microsoft Security Essentials. (Computer came with MSE installed, so I just updated the program) That's it.


Observations: Opening IE spawns multiple (maybe 2-3) iexplorer.exe processes

Things I've tried:

- Resetting IE to default settings (including advanced settings)
- Disabling all add-ons
- Running IE in No add on mode
- Running IE in 64 bit mode
- Reset IP/Winsock/etc.
- Set IPv4 to Google DNS
- Reverted to IE9
- Reverted to IE8
- Ran CMD and tried pinging 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS) which usually worked, but would time out once in a while...pinging Google.com domain had same symptoms


When I finally reverted to IE8...all websites load nice and fast...but now file downloads don't start/complete properly. IE throws a message like, "Could not download so and so file..." or something like that.


Any ideas? It does seem network related, but why then do other computers connected to the same network work fine, and this one does not?

 

[FremontPC]

How about Chrome, as a side by side? What's the HDD doing during the slow response times? Anything in the Event Viewer?

Have a look at the disk with Crystal Disk Info and see if maybe the new drive is a lemon.

Shoot us the mobo brand/model and CPU just in case.

 

[GeeksInKhakis]

Update ethernet drivers? Firmware on router?

 

[FremontPC]

Good point on the drivers, GIK.

Vincearian, assume you've tried swapping out the patch cable, different port on the router?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'm reading "IE takes a while to load and sometimes opens multiple times"....so I'm not even thinking the network comes into play...thus wouldn't spend a minute looking at the patch cable or router. I'm thinking a plugin that is in the browser. Installing Chrome and most likely seeing that behave fine should further confirm this.

 

[FremontPC]

He did a reset on IE, so that should nuke the add-ons, also ran it in no add-ons mode.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

There are some that I've seen survive that....

 

[Vicenarian]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I was doing this job onsite yesterday, so I don't have the PC with me to test at the moment.

It was an Intel i5 CPU and ASUS motherboard; brand new stuff, and had a clean install of Windows 7.

Viewing Task Manager, the CPU wouldn't spike or anything when opening IE, and all other programs load lightning quick (Microsoft Office, etc.) so I'm guessing it's not the drive (but you never know).

What really puzzles me is that doing a ping would sometimes work, and other times would time out. I know IE is very deeply integrated into Windows...but yeah.

I was going to install Firefox/Chrome, but was running late for another appt. but I might have to give that a try.

 

[mr m]

I was going to install Firefox/Chrome, but was running late for another appt. but I might have to give that a try.

I'm running into a lot of connectivity issues since IE10 was released. As a rule I install FF and Chrome and leave them on the desktop as an alternative browser and tell the clients to try one if they are experiencing problems.

 

[GeeksInKhakis]

Is there any Antivirus software? I'd take that out of the equation. I've noticed an issue lately with the latest Norton (for us from Comcast website) that causes IE to not load sometimes. Then you have to remove / reinstall and all is good.