Freezing, Crashing, Uncontrollable Avatar, and other problems

Okay, so. For a while now, I've had the issue where I'm signed on to SL, I get to stay there for maybe ten to fifteen minutes, and then it crashes and I have to wait another five minutes to log in again. Repeat.

Add on to this the fact that lately, sometimes when I sign in, my avatar has frozen. Sometimes fully loaded, sometimes only partially loaded, but I can only rotate in one spot. When I try to move forwards or backwards (or fly), it either doesn't do anything at all, or moves at random times in random directions, and I can't control the motion.

I can teleport, but it takes a while.

What's going on?

I just got a new Dell XPS m1330 with Intel Core2Duo 1.8, 2GB RAM and an Intel 965 express chipset running windows vista home premium. system requirements say SL should run no probs, and I can log in, but nothing (textures, terrain, prims) will load and avatar is stuck with no movement at all. Have access to the user menus and limited chat ability.Have looked numerous blogs regarding issues with the Intel 965 chipset family, and all have said they crash before log in, none experiencing my difficulties. Any ideas?

What versions of SL are you running? This issue is a recurring one; see

https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-2051

Also, you might try lowering your bandwidth in Edit/Preferences... sometimes this helps.

tried lowering bandwidth and every other possible graphics feature, still logging in and unable to move or load anything, textures, terrain, prims, nothing, avatar is gray and newbie female in a squatting position. read in another post about turning off object occlusion, did that as well, no luck. not sure where else to go from here, waiting on a response from Intel's Second Life forum, any other ideas would be helpful and much appreciated.

Are you using wireless?

Trick -- don't wait the full five minutes, or you may be perpetually waiting another full five minutes. Just try every 30-45 seconds.

Have you checked your computer for spyware?

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

yes wireless, is that bad, I have used wireless with SL before without any issues?
And yes spyware malware free, hard drive is brand new as well.

using version 1.18.5(3), and if this is the problem how can I get an older client?

Can you at least temporarily disable the wireless and use a hard-wired connection? Would help pinpoint whether that was the problem or not.

Wireless can cause the kind of problems you're seeing. Using things like microwave ovens and wireless phones can make it worse, too.

I've had my wireless router, which I don't use for SL but do for other things around my place, go kinda weird on me. Usually powering it all off (unplugging it) for a couple minutes fixes mine up - maybe give that a try?

If that doesn't help and you're handy with a computer, try releasing and renewing your DHCP address.

through processes of elimination, I think I may have knocked some things off my list of possibles. I plugged right in to the broadband connection from the modem and still had the same issues. My house mate, who has a Dell Inspiron with an nVidia graphics set and Core2 Duo has the same exact issues on his laptop. We have 2 different laptops, same Manufacturer, different OS (I have Vista, he uses XP), different graphics manufacturers(both of which are listed in the sys. requirements page), same Core2 Duo, and same wireless network. I think I can eliminate the wireless if the straight broadband connection didn't help any, can eliminate graphics drivers (was my first thought to the problem, doesn't seem to be the case), and also eliminate Vista, cus if his has the exact same issue, but with XP i don't think its the OS. So that leaves me at Dell and the Core2 Duo. Dell, well what can I say that hasn't already been said, lol. So I'm thinkin' maybe its the Core2 Duo. I read in another post a solution to a Core2 Duo issue would be to -->Client-->Render-->Run Multiple Threads, but all that did was make my avatar (the gray newbie female stuck in the sitting position) disappear and turn my screen into a mess of strangely colored shapes. I have no idea what releasing and renewing my DHCP address is, but I'll look it up cus now I'm curious. Not givin up yet, all your help has been much appreciated and any more ideas wold surely help. Thanks.

In XP, not sure about vista:

Control Panel --> network connections --> Your connection

Support tab --> Repair

This can clear up a number of things.

This is, virus wise, kinda dangerous... Now would be a good time to re-scan both yours and your roomates PC.

Try this.. Log into SL and do Help->About Second Life. Find the part that looks sorta like this...

...and copy down the IP address - the part highlighted above. Log out of SL.

Do up a DOS window (click the Start button then click Run... then enter 'cmd' without the quotes) and type...

ping 8.4.130.123 -n 150

...but use the address it gave you. Press return and go grab a drink - it will take a few minutes to run. Once it's done, it will display some statistics - post those here..

Last night before I went to sleep I disconnected my modem and router, did the network connection repair thing. Woke up this morning made my coffee, turned on my modem, router, and computer. I fully expected another agonizing day of disappointment, but sure enough, it worked! I guess for some reason when I jacked straight into the broadband, the IP was still the same and had not reset. But now everything is good to go! Thanks for all the help! You're aces in my book!