[jaredk]

I am getting error messages on a good number of web pages when I try to open them with IE 7. Most of the time the page will load, but a certain image(s) will be blank. Sometimes, however, nothing loads (e.g. espn360.com video).

The error report usually says this:

Line: 2
Char: 1
Error: Syntax Error
Code:0

But sometimes it's completely different.

The only thing new in the last few days on my computer is Microsoft Automatic Updates. I did system restore to before the updates, but that didn't help. I also tried updating Java - no good.

Any suggestions?

[jaredk]

bump

[d33psky]

How bloated is your temporary internet files folder in terms of number of files? Are you able to view other Flash heavy sites like Zillow, CNN Video, etc?

[jaredk]

If I go to C:\Windows\Temp\Temporary Internet Files, right-click the folder, and select "properties", it says I have 41 files in 5 folders. But if I double click the Temporary Internet Files folder nothing shows up.

I tried going to CNN Video, and it was an absolute mess. There were boxes all over the place with the little red x's in them.

[d33psky]

Just an FYI, in WinXP at least, temp internet files are stored in - C:\Documents and Settings\YOURUSERNAME\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files. The easiest way to view them is to, from IE, click Tools > Internet Options > Browsing history Settings > View Files.

I would try the following:

First, clear out your temporary internet files by using IE's Tools > Internet Options > Delete or using CCleaner.

Then, go here: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/155/tn_15507.html and see what version of Flash you are running. If not little box comes up with your version number, operating system, etc your Flash is either not installed or corrupt. If this is the case you will want to uninstall Flash if there is a corrupt installation and reinstall from Adobe's site.

[jaredk]

Thanks for the shortcut tip. I deleted the temporary internet files the easy way.

When I followed your link, the box said this:

Your Player Version: WIN 10,0,12,36
Debug Player: No

Operating system: Windows XP
Video Capable: Yes
Audio Capable: Yes
Local File I/O Enabled: Yes

And, just for clarification, I retried loading CNN video after deleting the temp files, but the result was the same.

[d33psky]

No problem.

It sounds like your Flash installation is bad. I actually had this happen to one of my users in my organization last week. They had Flash installed and it showed up in the Version Test, but it wasn't being recognized by Internet Explorer.

I uninstalled it from Add/Remove Programs, restarted the computer, and reinstalled it from Adobe's site here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

[jaredk]

Well, that didn't work either. So I went to the Adobe Support Center and they have a few explanations for why flash content might not show up after reinstallation. I am going to try these two:

Pop-up blockers

A common cause of Flash movies failing to display is the presence of pop-up/ad blocker software that specifically targets Flash content. To find out more about this issue, see "Flash movies do not appear after installing the Flash Player" (TechNote tn_19091).

Internet utilities blocking Flash Player

Some Internet utilities, such as Norton Internet Utilities, perform functions similar to a firewall and may restrict viewing of ActiveX controls, and in some cases specifically blocking Flash content. You need to ensure that your firewall or utility settings are set to allow ActiveX controls and Flash (SWF) content.

I won't be able to get to it until later this afternoon, but I'll let you know what I find out.

[jaredk]

Well, I finally fixed it, though I'm still not sure what was causing the problem. Just in case anyone else searches the forum with a similar problem in the future, the solution was to reset Internet Explorer.

The procedure is very simple, but it's a PITA because it resets all your settings like homepage, toolbars, add-ons, etc. You can find instructions here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737/ln/

Thanks, d33psky, for your help. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere on my own.