Internet Explorer Problems with links in emails

[Dick Nelson]

OK - I have Windows XP Home Version. Computer is about 5+ years old, and in
November I lost the ability to click on links in my e-mails using Internet
Explorer. I have worked with support people and some tell me I have IE 6 and
others say I have IE 7, so I really don't know at this point. At any rate,
Explorer was already installed on my computer when purchased. I can access
any e-mail links using IE on my wife's laptop, and I can access any e-mail
links using Mozilla Firefox (now installed on my computer). I just can't
access e-mail links through IE on this computer. When I click on a link, it
opens up a blank box, and that's all I get. At first Norton Symantec said
that I must have a Trojan virus, and they guaranteed to remove the virus, do
a tune up and re-install my Norton Anti-Virus for a fee which I agreed to.
After many, many, many hours that they spent on my system, they were unable
to correct my Internet Explorer problem, and I needed to contact Microsoft to
clear up my problem. Contacted Microsoft Windows Tecnical Support today, and
spent 3 1/2 hours on the phone with them. They now tell me that I need
Windows XP operating system CD to do a repair installation, as my IE settings
are corrupt. They think I should go back to the manufacturer (Compaq) after
all these years for them to fix it. Is there anyone that will not "pass the
buck" unto someone else? No one seems to be able to come up with a solution,
yet when I read from others, I see that I am not the only one having problems
with this. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kelly]

Open IE - go to Help/About IE
The version # is listed there.

As for fixing the links issue - which email program do you use?

For OE: In IE, OE won't respond to a hyperlink:

Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/File Types. Highlight URL:MailTo
Protocol/Advanced/Edit. Under Application used to perform action it should
read:
"C:\PROGRAM FILES\OUTLOOK EXPRESS\MSIMN.EXE" /mailurl:%1

--

All the Best and Happy New Year,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Dick Nelson]

Thanks Kelly - I have IE6. I use Yahoo as my email program. As I said in
my original post. I can open links in IE on my wife's laptop. I can open
the same links on my computer using my firefox browser - I just can not open
them on my computer using my IE6 browser.

 

[Dick Nelson]

Also Kelly - When I click on Tools in my IE browser, I do not have the
choices you give. I am using Windows XP Home Edition. You may be thinking
about Windows Vista maybe? My options when I go to Tools are: (1) Mail and
News, (2) Pop-Up blocker, (3) Manage add-ons, (4) Synchronize, (5) Windows
Update and finally (6) Internet Options.

 

[Gary Brandenburg]

Dick-
Kelly pointed you to *Windows Explorer*-not Internet Explorer.
(can be accessed in Control Panel/Folder Options too)

Also,do you have Internet Explorer set as your "Default Browser"?
If not,then Firefox is probably handling any links.(even in IE)
I had a client who had 2 machines that once used FF, which had been removed or
uninstalled. Since then, they could not open any links in Outlook Express(in their
case) because they were still trying to open with a removed browser.
I had to reinstall FF & make it the "Default Browser". Uninstall FF & make IE the
"Default Browser", before they could open links from their email client.

I see that you're using web mail, instead, but just thought that I would offer that
bit of info to see if that might be what's happening in your case.
It may be as simple as making IE your default browser.I know that you are presently
using FF & I'm not suggesting that you uninstall it or change to IE.

First,I would try what Kelly suggested, as she knows a lot more on the subject than I
do. Just letting you know how I fixed it in these 2 computers,but they no longer used
FF & preferred Internet Explorer.

~Gary

 

[Tonnie]

Also Kelly - When I click on Tools in my IE browser, I do not have the
choices you give. I am using Windows XP Home Edition. You may be thinking
about Windows Vista maybe? My options when I go to Tools are: (1) Mail and
News, (2) Pop-Up blocker, (3) Manage add-ons, (4) Synchronize, (5) Windows
Update and finally (6) Internet Options.

she said Explorer, not Internet Explorer. You can go to "Run" - type
Explorer and there you go. All the options are there.


-- "Philosophy is a study that lets us be unhappy more
intelligently."

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3 when posting to this
newsgroup.

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

2. Run this online scan (in safe mode w/networking, if need be):
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

3. Run additional checks 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
conjuction 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.**

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this
isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA) computer repair shop.

 

[Peter Foldes]

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Sorry about that. Finger was quicker then the brain.

Anyway about your issue
The registry key found at
HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command
is either damaged or corrupt.
To fix it, try resetting Web settings in Internet Explorer. If this does not
resolve the issue, you'll need to import the registry key from another computer.

 

[Dick Nelson]

Kelly - I'm sorry that I was confused. Happens easy these days. I was
going to do what you suggested and type in what you suggested, but I thought
I had better let you know what is in that box now that you want me to change.
I don't know if it makes any difference that I use Yahoo as my email
provider and not Outlook Express. At any rate, this is what is in that box
you want me to change:

rundll32.exe"c:\PROGRA~1\Yahoo!Common\YMMAPI.dll",MailToProtocolHandler%1

Do you still want me to change it to your suggested:
"C:\PROGRAMFILES\OUTLOOKEXPRESS\MSIMN.EXE"/mailurl:%1 I await your response
or you can write me directly at: (e-mail address removed)

 

[Dick Nelson]

Peter - I am also sorry because what you are telling me is "Greek" to me. I
know nothing about registry keys or where to find them. Please be elementary
with me, with step by step instructions. So sorry for my ignorance.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

@dick: See my reply to your thread =>
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/7ad6f3426322ec89

 

[Patrick Moloney]

I had the same problem last week. All of a sudden I noticed I got no
response from clicking on a URL in an email message.

I also noticed that in Windows Explorer, there was no program associated
with HTML files. I don't think that fixing it there fixed it, but it has
something to do with the program association.

I think the way I fixed it was in Control Panel - Internet Options. I
don't exactly remember and I'm not on that machine now. As I look at
this one MS Word is set as the HTML browser. That's probably not an
issue on this machine, but I think that was the problem on the email
machine. The change fixed it right away and did not require a reboot.
Good luck.