"Pete Zahut" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Trying to help a friend but never seen anything like this before so I'm
> hoping you knowledgeable folks here can help.
>
> When my friend opens Internet Explorer (think it's version 7 but can't
> contact her at the moment to confirm - and I couln't see an IE7 specific
> group anyway) it opens full-screen and is just a blank white page
> (background?) for something like 30 seconds - no icons, no toolbars,
> nothing visible at all except the WinXP taskbar at the very bottom of the
> screen.
>
> After about 30 to 40 seconds, her home page http://uk.msn.com/ comes up. I
> don't think this is a browser hijack because she does actually use that
> MSN page as her home page, but again, there are no toolbars and no icons
> visible at all, nothing to click on to go back or forward, no address bar
> to enter other URL's, no words such as "File", "Edit", "View" etc., etc.,
> just the MSN page, full screen.
>
> How do we get things back to normal?
>
> TIA

Try starting IE with 'no addons'
Start > All Programs > accessories > System tools > Internet explorer (no
addons)

Then reset IE
Tools > internet options > Advanced > reset > apply > ok

Then you could start in normal mode .. but why not download superantispyare
and run it in safe mode .. (when installing superantispyware the utility
called Safeboot is also installed, which makes it very easy to boot into
safe mode.)

Hopefully that will sort out the problems.

but for dog sake! upgrade to the latest IE version at the very least.

On 11/19/2010 03:41 PM, Pete Zahut wrote:
> 123Jim wrote:
>> "Pete Zahut"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Trying to help a friend but never seen anything like this before so
>>> I'm hoping you knowledgeable folks here can help.
>>>
>>> When my friend opens Internet Explorer (think it's version 7 but
>>> can't contact her at the moment to confirm - and I couln't see an
>>> IE7 specific group anyway) it opens full-screen and is just a blank
>>> white page (background?) for something like 30 seconds - no icons,
>>> no toolbars, nothing visible at all except the WinXP taskbar at the
>>> very bottom of the screen.
>>>
>>> After about 30 to 40 seconds, her home page http://uk.msn.com/ comes
>>> up. I don't think this is a browser hijack because she does actually
>>> use that MSN page as her home page, but again, there are no toolbars
>>> and no icons visible at all, nothing to click on to go back or
>>> forward, no address bar to enter other URL's, no words such as
>>> "File", "Edit", "View" etc., etc., just the MSN page, full screen.
>>>
>>> How do we get things back to normal?
>>>
>>> TIA
>>
>> Try starting IE with 'no addons'
>> Start> All Programs> accessories> System tools> Internet explorer
>> (no addons)
>>
>> Then reset IE
>> Tools> internet options> Advanced> reset> apply> ok
>>
>> Then you could start in normal mode .. but why not download
>> superantispyare and run it in safe mode .. (when installing
>> superantispyware the utility called Safeboot is also installed, which
>> makes it very easy to boot into safe mode.)
>>
>> Hopefully that will sort out the problems.
>>
>> but for dog sake! upgrade to the latest IE version at the very least.
>>
>
> Thanks 123Jim, I'll pass that information on to her. Comment noted about
> upgrading IE but I don't know if she will. I don't like IE8 myself and am
> quite happy with 7 or even prefer Firefox :-)
>
>

Update to IE8 as it's a part of the system. Use Firefox, Opera or
Chrome. Better yet, don't use Windows to surf. I recommend Linux Mint as
the learning curve is very easy for Windows users. Get it free at
http://www.linuxmint.com/. It comes with thousands of free programs.

--
Alias

"Pete Zahut" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> 123Jim wrote:
>> "Pete Zahut" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Trying to help a friend but never seen anything like this before so
>>> I'm hoping you knowledgeable folks here can help.
>>>
>>> When my friend opens Internet Explorer (think it's version 7 but
>>> can't contact her at the moment to confirm - and I couln't see an
>>> IE7 specific group anyway) it opens full-screen and is just a blank
>>> white page (background?) for something like 30 seconds - no icons,
>>> no toolbars, nothing visible at all except the WinXP taskbar at the
>>> very bottom of the screen.
>>>
>>> After about 30 to 40 seconds, her home page http://uk.msn.com/ comes
>>> up. I don't think this is a browser hijack because she does actually
>>> use that MSN page as her home page, but again, there are no toolbars
>>> and no icons visible at all, nothing to click on to go back or
>>> forward, no address bar to enter other URL's, no words such as
>>> "File", "Edit", "View" etc., etc., just the MSN page, full screen.
>>>
>>> How do we get things back to normal?
>>>
>>> TIA
>>
>> Try starting IE with 'no addons'
>> Start > All Programs > accessories > System tools > Internet explorer
>> (no addons)
>>
>> Then reset IE
>> Tools > internet options > Advanced > reset > apply > ok
>>
>> Then you could start in normal mode .. but why not download
>> superantispyare and run it in safe mode .. (when installing
>> superantispyware the utility called Safeboot is also installed, which
>> makes it very easy to boot into safe mode.)
>>
>> Hopefully that will sort out the problems.
>>
>> but for dog sake! upgrade to the latest IE version at the very least.
>>
>
> Thanks 123Jim, I'll pass that information on to her. Comment noted
> about upgrading IE but I don't know if she will. I don't like IE8
> myself and am quite happy with 7 or even prefer Firefox :-)

Do NOT use the advice you were given to "Reset IE settings" unless all
other avenues are exhausted. It will remove all saved passwords and
other settings.

After IE opens to the home page, press the F11 key on the keyboard to
toggle it from Full Screen mode to normal mode. When in Full Screen
mode, all the toolbars and the menu bar will be hidden.

If the F11 key does not respond for some reason, move the mouse cursor
up to the top of the screen, and a toolbar will pop down. Find the
"Full Screen" icon on the toolbar and click it to return to normal
screen mode.
--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+
http://dts-l.net/

Pete Zahut wrote:

> glee wrote:
>
>> Pete Zahut wrote ...
>>
>>> When my friend opens Internet Explorer... it opens full-screen and is just a blank
>>> white page (background?) for something like 30 seconds - no icons,
>>> no toolbars, nothing visible at all except the WinXP taskbar at the
>>> very bottom of the screen.
>>
>> Do NOT use the advice you were given to "Reset IE settings" unless all
>> other avenues are exhausted. It will remove all saved passwords and
>> other settings.
>>
>> After IE opens to the home page, press the F11 key on the keyboard to
>> toggle it from Full Screen mode to normal mode. When in Full Screen
>> mode, all the toolbars and the menu bar will be hidden.
>>
>> If the F11 key does not respond for some reason, move the mouse cursor
>> up to the top of the screen, and a toolbar will pop down. Find the
>> "Full Screen" icon on the toolbar and click it to return to normal
>> screen mode.
>
> Thanks very much for that Glen, much appreciated. My friend hasn't had time
> to try anything yet so I'll be sure to tell her to use your advice first and
> keep Jim's for later use if necessary.

glee is trying to steal thunder from Elmo's same suggestion offered the
previous day. Fullscreen mode doesn't explain away the 30 to 40 second
delay before anything begins painting inside the web browser's window.
Fullscreen mode also doesn't explain away why you don't see any toolbars
when you start IE. The toolbars appear for a couple seconds and then
roll up or disappear after a couple seconds.

Regarding resetting of IE, when you click the Reset button, a warning
dialog is presented that tells you all what will happen. You don't need
glee's warning to know the effects of a reset. Something not mentioned
by glee regarding the reset of IE (and mentioned in the warning prompt)
is that all add-ons will get disabled. While it is easier to test IE in
its no add-ons mode to get them out of the way as possible causes of the
problem, disabling the add-ons is another route for removing them as a
possible problem cause. Typically you can first disable all the
non-Microsoft add-ons to see if any of those are the culprit. If none
are found to be the culprit then disable the Microsoft add-ons. Using
the no add-ons mode makes a faster and quicker check against all of them
at once to see if any might be the culprit. If the no add-ons mode
works to eliminate the delay then disable them all and start reenabling
one at a time to see which one causes the delay problem.

"VanguardLH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ic95qi$nh1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Pete Zahut wrote:
>
>> glee wrote:
>>
>>> Pete Zahut wrote ...
>>>
>>>> When my friend opens Internet Explorer... it opens full-screen and
>>>> is just a blank
>>>> white page (background?) for something like 30 seconds - no icons,
>>>> no toolbars, nothing visible at all except the WinXP taskbar at the
>>>> very bottom of the screen.
>>>
>>> Do NOT use the advice you were given to "Reset IE settings" unless
>>> all
>>> other avenues are exhausted. It will remove all saved passwords and
>>> other settings.
>>>
>>> After IE opens to the home page, press the F11 key on the keyboard
>>> to
>>> toggle it from Full Screen mode to normal mode. When in Full Screen
>>> mode, all the toolbars and the menu bar will be hidden.
>>>
>>> If the F11 key does not respond for some reason, move the mouse
>>> cursor
>>> up to the top of the screen, and a toolbar will pop down. Find the
>>> "Full Screen" icon on the toolbar and click it to return to normal
>>> screen mode.
>>
>> Thanks very much for that Glen, much appreciated. My friend hasn't
>> had time
>> to try anything yet so I'll be sure to tell her to use your advice
>> first and
>> keep Jim's for later use if necessary.
>
> glee is trying to steal thunder from Elmo's same suggestion offered
> the
> previous day. Fullscreen mode doesn't explain away the 30 to 40
> second
> delay before anything begins painting inside the web browser's window.
> Fullscreen mode also doesn't explain away why you don't see any
> toolbars
> when you start IE. The toolbars appear for a couple seconds and then
> roll up or disappear after a couple seconds.
> snip

What a moron! I'm not trying to "steal thunder" from Elmo. I even
mentioned in another post in this thread that Elmo was the only person
who made what is likely the correct suggestion. You're a real piece
of....work.

As for the delay painting the screen, I have seen exactly that in full
screen mode on older systems with older integrated graphics chipsets.
Switching to window mode removes much of the delay. It occurs on older
systems where I work.
--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+
http://dts-l.net/