Issues with this site (page loading taking up CPU cycles)

polyfusion

I was wondering if anyone else is having problems accessing threads here?

A lot of the time, when I go into a thread, my browser starts taking 90-99% of the cpu cycles, and I have to go into the Windows task manager to close the browser.

I've done some experiments, and it's definitely this site that's causing the problems, I haven't seen it happen with any other sites I visit.

I use Opera most of the time, but it also happens with IE. All are current versions. No virus or malware on this PC either.

And it just seems to happen when I enter a thread. Up a level from that (forum level) appears to be ok. And it's only started doing it in the past week or so. I haven't installed anything (other than XP updates and antivirus definitions) during that time.

Any ideas?

sceptre

No-one else seems to have reported something similar. I'll transfer this over to Development in case there's something the lads are aware of. Might be as simple as a problem with Flash on your PC or something though - some of the adverts are done in flash.

Conor

Can you narrow it down?

• Is it only for threads in a few forums or does it happen on all of them? (Please try some forums you don't normally visit)
• Does it happen when there are no flash ads on a page? (When the ads are replaced with Google ads.)
• Does the page fully render or is it partially rendered when your processor goes to 100%?
• Are you using a non-default skin? If so, does it happen when you use the default ("White") skin?
• Are you using any sort of ad blocker, popup blocker, spyware remover or similar and does the problem occur or disappear when you turn on/off any of them?
• Which version of Opera are you using?
• Which version of IE are you using?
• Opera v IE. Does it happen more often with Opera, more often with IE or is there no difference?
• If you have Chrome, Firefox or Safari installed, does the problem occur with them too?

polyfusion

Conor wrote: »

Can you narrow it down?

• Is it only for threads in a few forums or does it happen on all of them? (Please try some forums you don't normally visit)
  
  It appears to happen in some threads in any forum - it doesn't happen all the time.
  
• Does it happen when there are no flash ads on a page? (When the ads are replaced with Google ads.)
  
  I don't think so, I was beginning to think it was related to flash ads.
  
• Does the page fully render or is it partially rendered when your processor goes to 100%?
  
  The page renders fully. It seems I can scroll through the page, then at some point it just freezes, I go to the processes tab on task manager, see that it's almost 100% cpu usage, and have to kill the browser. It has also halted any transfers I had downloading. Sometimes I only realise that there is a problem when I right-click the page, and can't enter the context menu to make a selection. I usually have multiple tabs open, but it has happened with just the one tab open browsing boards.ie. I haven't encountered it using other sites.
  
• Are you using a non-default skin? If so, does it happen when you use the default ("White") skin?
  
  No, using default skin.
  
• Are you using any sort of ad blocker, popup blocker, spyware remover or similar and does the problem occur or disappear when you turn on/off any of them?
  
  Nothing extra over what is included with the browsers. I haven't tried turning them off yet.
  
• Which version of Opera are you using?
  
  10.53
  
• Which version of IE are you using?
  
  8.0.6001.18702
  
• Opera v IE. Does it happen more often with Opera, more often with IE or is there no difference?
  
  Hard to tell, I only tried IE with boards a couple of times, but it did happen. (I only use IE for a select few web-sites that Opera has a few issues with, like the O2 site, or that gives me more functionality, like Outlook Exchange browser).
  
• If you have Chrome, Firefox or Safari installed, does the problem occur with them too?
  
  None of those are installed.

Thanks for having a look and transferring to the correct forum.

Conor

OK. Based on what you've said there, it smells like a flash ad issue, probably an ad that is appearing in the 300x250 slot down the bottom of the page.

Can you make a note of the URLs that it happens with and reply with them here? I may be able to figure out which ad is causing the problem.

polyfusion

No problem, I'll make a note when it happens again.

I'm almost certain that it was a mobile phone company at least a couple of times when it happened a few days ago, 3 or Vodaphone perhaps.

Conor

I had noticed a few complaints about the 3 ad. It was pretty hard to narrow down.