[VGoudreault]

Here is a rather strange one.

This morning, Internet Explorer started acting like it was a pop-up meant for termination. Just as I start it, I see the page loading blue bar fill up, and then *pop*, it is gone.

I have no problem accessing my email with outlook, the connection is perfectly OK (I am now using my other conmputer to access the internet, both of them go though a router), I can access internet using Firefox on the machine with the oddly behaving Internet Explorer without problem. However, if I click on a link in an email, IE loads up and pops out immediately.
I deactivated the pop up blocker programs, firewall and did complete virus scan on the computer, rebooted twice, but this problem is still there. IE was working fine yesterday night when I went to bed.

If I disconnect the internet cable from the computer, IE remains on. If I reconnect the cable and request to connect to the internet, the window will then pop off.

I have Windows XP (I upgraded from originally installed ME 3 years ago), SP2 (downloaded), and am quite perplexed.

Anyone has any idea what is causing this, and how to solve this?

CBVG

[happyrck]

first try system restore...go back a week or so...did you add any hardware or software recently

[VGoudreault]

Can't do that, I disabled the automatic restore because it was taking too much CPU and memory. But I did not add or remove anything since last week, except for the pop up blocker (free surfer) which I thought was getting crazy and though could be responsible for shutting IE.

Since IE is stable and working as long as I do not go out on the web, I suspect there may be some weird interaction around a port or something, hence I ran anti-virus galore. Still no cure.

[Emtronics]

That is a strange problem indeed. Have you tried to repair IE? I believe it's in the add/remove programs icon in the Control Panel. Click the Remove button and you should get the option to "Repair" IE.

[happyrck]

Originally Posted by VGoudreault

Can't do that, I disabled the automatic restore because it was taking too much CPU and memory.

restore does not use the cpu or memory until you use it...it is the first thing people should try to "fix" their computer...it won't get rid of malware but it does fix small things

[VGoudreault]

Well, IE is not anywhere in the list of components that can be installed or removed in the control panel, and there is no "repair" option that I can see when clicking on the "add/remove Windows components".

Moreover, doing a search for "repair" on the "help and support center" refers to a complicated function that must be entered in the command window, where the Windows Installer package must be named (and what is it called?) along with a product code (what is the product code for IE???) and that is assuming that there is something wrong with the package itself, as opposed to some configuration file.

[kmet]

I'm having the exact same problem - happened today, last night everything was fine!

[VGoudreault]

Do you have "restore" enabled, so that we can rule out some band aids that may not work?

[Emtronics]

The Repair IE function may be located at; Start/All Programs/Accessiores/System Tools/System Information. Then when that opens, look under the TOOLS menu for repair IE. I have been using IE7 and I can't recall where the Repair Function is for IE6. Also, you may download IE6 again and install it over your current version. Also, read this: http://www.theeldergeek.com/repair_ie6.htm

[emoric]

Well in my opinion, and I know this is not the answer you are looking for but 3 years is somewhat of a long time. I myself reformat and reinstall XP every couple of months.

[Emtronics]

Yes or do a re-install of just XP without losing anything.

[VGoudreault]

There are only 5 entries under "tools" in system information:
- Net diagnostic
- System restore
- File signature verification utility
- DirectX diagnostic Tool
- Dr Watson

no "repair IE" anywhere.

I checked for the time of the various dll that are associated with IE, the most recent ones are May of this year, nothing was seemingly changed in the last few days.

As for re-installing the OS, I would like to wonder why. When I was under ME, which was a disgrace even for Microsoft standard, re-installing the OS was something that happened way too often, with the helpfull Dell people recommending that I reformatted the hard disk (and why not wipe out everything that I had on the disk while we were at it, given that I did not have a back-up system?). In my case, re-installing the OS would require me to install old ME first, and then upgrade to XP -- unless I can install XP on top of the existing OS, I am not sure the CD ROM allows that -- and then install SP2 from the internet. While I was first installing XP back then and downloading the virus patches, before the system even had a chance to start the firwall, it was infected by virus!

Irrespective of that, and even assuming that the file got somehow corrupted -- and I fail to see how this could have happened, unless Microsoft automatic update messed up the code -- that would still not explain how a software stopped working, for very specific conditions.

[VGoudreault]

I just did an experiment. I accessed a page that is notoriously slow to load (complex and from a slow server). I pull the network cable and start IE, of course it comes with "page not found" for my default page. Then I paste the slow page URL in there, reconnect the cable, and click "refresh". Then it loads (slowly) and I get my page. But if I click on anything (another bookmark, the home button, the refresh button, an active area of the page that loads another page) then IE vanishes.

[VGoudreault]

Well, ain't that rich. Under Mozilla Firefox, the "download ActiveX" window does nto even appear, so I had to do the unhook cable trick to get IE to start so I could see the the download option. But then, as soon as I do it, Avast jumps in and says there is a Trojan horse virus. Can you vouch for it's inocuity?

[VGoudreault]

Even more funny, the tool runs under a IE window, and since we all know IE crashes, I am stuck. Got any tool that is compatible with Mozilla Firefox?