[deptag]

About 3 weeks ago IE8 started displaying the error "this tab has been recovered" when I attempt to run a flash video (like in youtube) or if I just go to a web page that automatically starts a flash video.

I tried rolling back the registry, scanning for viruses and malware in safe mode, reinstalling IE8, upgrading from XP sp2 to sp3, ran sfc (the system file checker), uninstalling and reinstalling flash 10 - all to no avail.

I bought this system around 2004, and have always been careful to keep it "clean" (with anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc.). It is rather fast (with a raid array) and, naturally, the system recovery disc is nowhere to be seen. I can always re-install XP, find all the drivers on-line, and go through all the work to customize my system, but I would like to do everything I can to avoid all that work. (I'm sure I could never get the system back to its current, customized state (after all these years). I do have a recovery partition, but have not found any way to activate it without the system recovery disc.

Any assistance you could provide would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

Tech Support Guy System Info Utility version 1.0.0.1
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz, x86 Family 15 Model 6 Stepping 2
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 1021 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX, 256 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 299924 MB, Free - 33807 MB; D: Total - 5307 MB, Free - 1443 MB;
Motherboard: Intel Corporation, OEMD975XWT2G1, AAD33246-105, BQW254800756
Antivirus: VirusScan Enterprise + AntiSpyware Enterprise, Updated: Yes, On-Demand Scanner: Enabled

[deptag]

Finally, after pulling my hair out, I thought to check the video drivers. I went to the device manager, opened the video driver page, and told Windows to search for updated drivers. Naturally, Windows said I had the latest (and best) driver already installed for my video hardware. Somehow I didn't believe it, so I went to the Nvidia web site and downloaded a diagnostic update utility. It checked out my video hardware and said that there WAS an updated driver. The diagnostic downloaded and installed the driver, I rebooted, and POOF! - IE was now working and I could watch Flash videos without IE repeatedly "recovering" my tabs (and eventually crashing.)

I hope no one else encounters a Flash problem like this, but if they do, I would strongly recommend checking your video driver. Don't let Windows check for you - go to the video card manufacturer's site and check for yourself.

Thanks.