IE6 Won't Work After Removing IE7

[Tallman]

I put IE7 on a computer running Windows XP Pro SP3 to give it a try but after
using it for several days I decided to remove it and go back to IE6. My major
problem with IE7 was that every time I tried to minimize it with the Keyboard
shortcut it would freeze and I would have to restart it. Anyway after
removing IE7 IE6 worked fine for a day but now I am having problems. It will
open up to my home page (Google) and I can go to different links from a
Google search. However I cannot go to any links in my Favorites nor can I go
to a URL I type into the address bar. If I try to go to a URL typed into the
address bar the window becomes blank then everything disappears except for
the blue title bar accross the top then the toolbar and status reappear with
a blank window and then disapear again leaving only the title bar. It just
keep cycling like that. If I try to close the window altogether I get the
dialogue box asking if I want to end a nonresponding progam. If I end it then
the original Google window comes up.

I have run sfc /scannow and reinstalled IE6 by right clicking on the ie.inf
file and selecting install both to no avail. I have also reset all the
Internet Options settings to theie default settings. That didn't change
anything. So I tried changing all the Internet Options setting to match
another computer that is workingt fine. No help there either. I have also
tried turning off my firewall (Kaspersky IS 2009). No change.

Anyone have any suggestions. And by the way I can go to the Microsft Update
site from the link in All Programs.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Was KAV running in the background and was the Kaspersky firewall enabled
when you installed and/or uninstalled IE7?

The only way to truly & effectively reinstall IE6 is to reinstall WinXP SP3.
Speaking of which, is there any chance you'd done a clean install of WinXP
and then installed SP3 prior to installing IE7?

 

[Tallman]

To answer your first question I do not know whether KAV was running in the
background IE7 was uninstalled because I did not do the unistallation. KAV
and the firewall were most likely on when IE7 was installed because it was
installed from the Windows Update website.

The machine recently had a clean install of WinXP using an installation CD
that I had slipstreamed with SP3 and then IE7 was installed at later date.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

The machine recently had a clean install of WinXP using an installation CD

that I had slipstreamed with SP3 and then IE7 was installed at later date.

Is Automatic Updates enabled? Were you able to and did you successfully
install any/all critical security updates offered at
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com after doing the clean install (i.e.,
before your current problems started)?

If, as I suspect, the problems are not being caused by a "horked" install &
uninstall of IE7 (due to the Kaspersky applications running in the
background), a hijackware infection might be involved. I'll include some
suggestions below but you'd need a fully-functional IE to accomplish
everything...so it might be best to format & reinstall Windows. (If you
decide to go that route, I'll have some additional recommendations for you
so you don't end up in the same boat again.)
===

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting your hijackthis log
to an appropriate forum.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.exe) is the preferred tool to use (in
conjunction with some other utilities). HijackThis will NOT fix anything on
its own, but it will help you to both identify and remove any
hijackware/spyware with assistance from an expert. **Post your log to
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30, or another appropriate forum for review
by an expert in such matters, not here.**

 

[Tallman]

Thanks PA Bear, Yes al critical updates were installed. Automatic Updates
is set to notify me of udpates. Someone else had suggested I submit a
HijackThis log so I Will try that before reinstalling. I will try to keep
your posted.