Firefox and Explorer stop working

[moseman]

I use both these browsers at times and they both have the same problem, they stop working. Could it be a RAM issue, I have 1 GB which is small but could it shut these browsers down? If not any ideas? It is REALLY annoying! Oh yes it is IE7

[x302]

I have recently started having the same problem,and it started around May 29th 2008.
I have never had computer problems in the three years since I built this one.I also am running 1 Gig of ram.While I can get the browsers to work,they stop working for some reason,I uninstalled windows xp and it does the same with win98 se.
I thought it was my DSL so I exchanged the modem and still the same thing.
However originally I couldn't get explorer to load or work at all,but I have been doing some house cleaning on the computer and it does seem to have helped.
Also I noticed that because my os had changed that many of the drivers also need to be changed as the xp drivers wont work on win98.
It started when I visited a site about computers I wish I had jotted down the address.
The page was taking a really long time to load,so I took a couple of minutes break,as I walked back into the room my computer suddenly restarted and from then on all kinds of problems.
I'm thinking it is a virus or Trojan of some sort.As it had disabled my windows firewall,and deleted a number of files that are required to either install anti-virus programs or files that are required to run such programs.It seems to be attacking the mainboard controllers.
I do have a copy of my system Bio's so if it is something that has attacked the mainboard then at least I can perhaps over write the file....last alternative however.
But I must add that sometimes things as simple as a missing sound card driver can cause problems with other areas idk why this happens but it does.
I can speculate that certain files are also installed in the os system folder in which may have the same like function,or share a feature with a windows component thus creating problems.