There seem to be a rash of major IE6 problems lately.

[jim]

A search in this newsgroup for the words "crash"
and "shutdown" reveal multiple pages of people who are
suddenly experiencing similar problems of browser and even
system crashes. Is there a common cause to these problems?

I know spyware is causing some of them, but problems exist
even for those who claim to be vigilant about spyware.

Is it possible that the problems have been caused by the
recent security updates? That seems to be a common
reference point in some of the posts. Does anyone know
anything about this, and has Microsoft chimed in?


Here's my particular problem again, which was posted 3
days ago but didn't receive a response. Any help would be
appreciated. I'm sensing from the lack of responses that
it might be more serious than a simple IE6 problem and
thus beyond my tech level (ex., a registry problem or OS
problem):

My entire system (not just my IE6 browser) has been
crashing constantly over the past two or three months
whenever I access heavy graphics pages while using IE6.

I think the problem may be with sites that feature a lot
of scripting or ActiveX. For example, CNET.com subpages
such as
http://reviews.cnet.com/4521-6531_7-5021436-4.html?tag=txt
almost always cause the system to crash. Other "problem"
sites include searches performed on Travelocity, Orbitz,
etc.

The trouble seems to be related to IE6 since I have no
problems using Mozilla Firebird or Opera on those same
sites. I also never had problems with IE6 until recently.

When using IE6 on the problem sites, I get one of three
main types of crashes:

1) An exception OE error message on a blue screen such as:

"An exception OE has occurred at 0028:C2A58B7F in VxD tcpip
(01) + 00020C9F. This was called from 0028:C0010324 in
VxD NDIS(01) + 00005AA0. It may be possible to continue
normally."

- other messages have referred to "0028:80000000 in VxD
__", and "0028:C001DFE8".

When I get the above error messages, I can sometimes get
back to my desktop but the internet doesn't work anymore
(pages time out and I get a "The page cannot be displayed"
message). I have to reboot to use the internet again.

2) A green horizontal bar at the top of my screen.

When I get the green horizontal line, the whole system
is frozen and the only thing I can do is turn off the
computer and reboot.

3) Or, the whole system immediately crashes and the
computer restarts itself. There is a faint popping or
clicking sound, followed by a black screen and then the
rebooting process begins automatically.


I never have a problem with other applications or when I'm
using IE6 on light-duty web pages.

I run Windows ME on a fairly robust Dell system which
presumably has plenty of memory, etc. (256 MB RAM) I have
Norton Firewall and Internet Security, but the problem
exists even when I disable those programs. I ran several
full system scans with Norton and McAfee and don't seem to
have a virus. I ran all three major spyware programs and
don't seem to have any spyware that is causing the
problem. I ran cwshredder and disabled third party
extensions to no avail. I have scandisked and defragged.
I use Window Washer daily so my temporary internet files,
etc. should be cleared.

I installed a cable modem (Optimum Online) about three
months ago. The problem started about a month after that
but again does not occur with other browsers. The problem
seemed to coincide somewhat with updating my IE6 with the
recent security patches.

I uninstalled IE6 back down to IE 5.5 and then reinstalled
IE6 but that didn't help (either in 5.5 or 6).

I tried System Restore back to before I installed the
cable modem but that didn't solve the problem.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. I have
started using Opera and Mozilla when I plan on visiting
heavy duty web sites, but I still would prefer to use IE6
if someone could help me solve the crashing problem.

Thanks.

 

[Bob]

Not sure if I'm experiencing the same problems, my my IE6
is constantly closing and sometimes the whole system
closes and restarts. When I report it to Microsoft, they
always say that it is a device driver that is causing the
problem...whatever that means!

 

[jim]

I didn't realize there even was a device driver for a
program like IE (as opposed to external equipment like a
printer).

Did Microsoft suggest any ways to fix the "device driver"?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Rob Parsons]

There has been a malicious email circulating lately that pretends to be a
security patch from Microsoft.

All Windows and Internet Explorer Updates should be done via the Windows
Update menu options....only

Do not even open or preview any email that you receive as the virus/worm
will be activated.

If you have received and viewed these emails or emails with subject lines
"Returned Mail", "Delivery Failure" or containing the string "<iframe cid:"
then this may indeed be the cause of your problems.

The only remedy that I can suggest is to use the Internet Explorer repair
utility.

On the Add-Remove Programs control panel, Find "Microsoft Internet Explorer"
and press the Add-Remove button, then choose the Repair option.

Here is a snippet of news that I have found

Beware! New Epidemic - "I-Worm.Swen"

The network worm named, I-Worm.Swen is causing an epidemic. The malicious
program spreads using email, the Kazaa file-sharing network and via IRC
channels.

Infected messages appear to have been sent from various Microsoft services,
including for example MS Technical Assistance, Microsoft Internet Security
Section, etc. Message text advises users to install a "special patch" from
Microsoft. The "patch" is included as an attachment.

Kaspersky Labs experts currently attribute over 30,000 computer infections
worldwide to I-Worm.Swen. The number of infections continues to rise.

The defence against I-Worm.Swen has already been added to the Kaspersky®
Labs anti-virus database.

Click here to view the I-Worm.Swen description in the Kaspersky Virus
Encyclopedia.

Reference: http://www.viruslist.com/eng/index.html?tnews=1001&id=88142

PS: I am not a Microsoft employee. This is a public forum and the views or
remedies offered are in the public domain.

 

[esscat]

IE relies on dozens of system-provided function-modules to
handle specific protocols, security schemes, picture-
formats, file-types, fonts, etc. (Run MSINFO32.EXE to
see) These special-purpose service modules are sort of
like drivers for non-physical data-converter devices. (eg.
a TCP/IP or font driver). They CAN break (get corrupted,
confused, mis/dis-connected, or deleted), producing
official errors, and/or problems with other modules. But
more likely here, those techs do mean a physical-device
(hardware) driver --- not for a printer (which usually
sits idle), but rather for mouse, keyboard, sound card,
net/comm/usb ports, etc, and especially video card (high
data-rate, lots of different models) --- in other words,
one of many hidden tasks always busy running in the system
background. They can break also (similar causes, effects,
errors), but being for physical devices, usually something
physical happens as well, or ceases to happen: color
bands, no sound, no mouse/keyboard, even a restart.

If the problem happens regardless of what programs are
running, it would seem a hardware driver issue. Learn how
to disable and disconnect as many things as possible, like
network, sound card, video acceleration, startup programs,
etc, until system is stable. Then slowly add things back
til the problem returns. (search kb for msconfig, device
manager)

If the problem only happens running IE, for certain large
pictures, it would seem a video-card driver issue, or
possibly a video system-service problem.

The normal i/o data paths are diverse and very complex,
relying on countless cryptic registry entries to tie all
the processing modules together, so (for eg.) internet
bytes >become> TCP/IP (network protocol) >> HTML,GIF,JPEG
files (webpage,picture files) >> Win objects
(windows,pics) >> bitmaps (graphic card data) >> webpage
with pictures (on screen). Many steps with many linkages
which can be damaged by accidents, viri, spy-ware, bad
updates, etc. (search kb for restore registry)

Final advice:
Study posts with similar problems. Most responders give
links to standard fixes, which are often easy to try, but
tedious, and may not work for your situation, though you
will hopefully learn more each time. (Either that, or pay
MS, which is better than throwing PC out window... or is
it??

gl!