Has anyone ever had this problem?

M

Michael Morgan

I know this message is long, but PLEEEEEEEEZZZZZ read it. I very badly need help with this very disruptive and frustrating problem.

A while back, I was using IE6 to surf the web, looking for some reference articles a college research paper. All of a sudden, my computer froze up completely, and would not accept any kind of input from any device. My hard drive continued to spin. I tried using my computer's emergency shutdown feature, but there was still no response. I decided the only way I could continue working was to completely disconnect the power cord from my computer. I did so, and waited about 15 minutes for my computer to cool off. When I plugged it back in and re-booted, my Windows XP Home Ed. loaded and came up just fine and established a normal connection with my DSL. However, ever since then, whenever I try to use IE to surf the web, a larger error message box comes up immediately upon double-clicking the icon on my desktop. The error message reads, "Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close," and says it can send an error report to Microsoft. It gives me three button boxes: DEBUG, Send Error Report, and Don't Send. Disregarding the DEBUG option for the moment, I can say that no matter whether I send a the error report to MS or not. As soon as the box closes, it immediately re-appears giving me the same options. It always displays this error message box twice in succession, immediately followed by a smaller error message box with only a 'CLOSE' option, with a message that read, "An Error has occurred in Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer will now close. If you continue to experience this problem, please restart your computer." My only option then is to close that box. After that, my computer seems normal.

Turning off the computer, and even disconnecting the power cord changes nothing. Whenever I try to use IE, I only get the two large error message boxes with the three buttons, the second appearing immediately after I close the first one, then the small error message box. Then nothing. Also, ever since that first time, IE appears, at random times, to attempt to load itself, as if something is attempting to trigger IE to load and run. This usually happens when I am using one of my other browsers, Netscape, Yahoo!, or Real, all of which seem to operate without any problem whatsoever. These random attempts to get IE to start while I am surfing lead me to believe there is a cookie somewhere attempting to trigger a pop-up, as this only seems to happen when I am surfing with one of the other browsers. I also have tried several times to uninstall IE from my computer, then re-install it. Uninstall always brings up an error message box that say it has encountered an error and cannot continue. Again, my only option on this box is to close it. When I try to re-install IE, the install wizard always detects that the latest available version of IE is already installed, and my only option at that point is to close the wizard. IE still continues to give me those two message boxes followed by the small one every time I attempt to use it, and also still attempts to pop up at random times whenever I am surfing the net. No other software or data on my hard drive appears to be affected.

I use Norton AntiVirus, which was active at the time of the first incident, and SpyWare Killer from Cosmi, which I only loaded a few days ago. Neither of these utilities can detect any mischievous code on my system. I run them both at least once a day, and always make sure I have the most current definitions loaded into them.

My internet use is critical to my schoolwork. Almost all web sites are configured for IE, but occasionally are incompatible with my other three browsers. Of those three, Yahoo! appears to be compatible with most web sites, so it is currently my primary browser, although I must still, on occasion, use one of the other two to read certain web pages. I also use MS Outlook Express as my e-mail client, Yahoo! Instant Messenger, and mIRC as my IRC client. These all function normally, as does any other software that accesses the net as part of it's functionality. I have been able to slog my way through the net with these other three browsers, but it's a real pain in the butt. None of them have IE's functionality or web computability. I need my Internet Explorer browser.

I know that somewhere on my computer there is a data file, critical to IE's operation, that was corrupted by whatever caused my computer to freeze up, but I'm stumped as to what it is or where it is or how I can find out. Windows Scandisk can find no damaged areas on my hard drive's data surfaces, although Defrag always gives me a message before it finishes, telling me that it cannot continue and will close. This usually happens when it is about eighty percent finished.

Can anyone tell me what is going on here or tell me where I can get some answers? I am unemployed and both my parents are dead, so my resources are EXTREMELY limited, which means that I cannot afford to put my computer in the shop or pay for Microsoft support any more.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...
 
H

H Leboeuf

If the cause is a bad Browsing Object, this temp measure will do.
Next clean your computer...

Try this: Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Browsing
Uncheck the Enable 3rd party browser extensions

If this clears your problem then find out who the culprit(s) is/are with
these tools.

Let AD-Aware Scan your system for advertising Spyware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com

If you use a HOSTS file, beware of this new issue.
Ad-Aware has decided to include a new detection when scanning the HOSTS
file. This now creates a "Bad hosts file entry" in the log file generated at
the end of a scan. The best thing to do is to place a check in each entry,
right-click and select: "Add selection to ignorelist". Otherwise if you let
AWW "fix" these items it will trash the HOSTS file! Even if you have it
"locked" by [example] SpywareBlaster or Winpatrol. It does not return the
attributes and renames the HOSTS file incorrectly to hosts.

and:

SpyBot-S&D
http://security.kolla.de/

p.s Reset the 3rd party browser setting.

More: This may be caused by a third-party program (adware, spyware,
parasite).
Get AdAware and SpyBot and run them both. Keep them up to date.
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Additional link:
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm

You may need this removal tool.
More: Complete list by variant with up-to-date information.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html
More: Removal tool: http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/CWShredder.exe

CWShredder - Tutorial
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=47

IMPORTANT:
Before trying to remove spyware, download a copy of LSPFIX from
the URL below - some malware may kill your internet connection when it is
removed, this program will enable you to regain your connection.
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html (if your OS is Win2k or
XP)

Important: "So how did I get infected in the first place?"
http://forums.net-integration.net/index.php?showtopic=3051

--

Henri Leboeuf
Web page: http://www.colba.net/~hlebo49/index.htm
===
I know this message is long, but PLEEEEEEEEZZZZZ read it. I very badly need
help with this very disruptive and frustrating problem.

A while back, I was using IE6 to surf the web, looking for some reference
articles a college research paper. All of a sudden, my computer froze up
completely, and would not accept any kind of input from any device. My hard
drive continued to spin. I tried using my computer's emergency shutdown
feature, but there was still no response. I decided the only way I could
continue working was to completely disconnect the power cord from my
computer. I did so, and waited about 15 minutes for my computer to cool
off. When I plugged it back in and re-booted, my Windows XP Home Ed. loaded
and came up just fine and established a normal connection with my DSL.
However, ever since then, whenever I try to use IE to surf the web, a larger
error message box comes up immediately upon double-clicking the icon on my
desktop. The error message reads, "Internet Explorer has encountered a
problem and needs to close," and says it can send an error report to
Microsoft. It gives me three button boxes: DEBUG, Send Error Report, and
Don't Send. Disregarding the DEBUG option for the moment, I can say that no
matter whether I send a the error report to MS or not. As soon as the box
closes, it immediately re-appears giving me the same options. It always
displays this error message box twice in succession, immediately followed by
a smaller error message box with only a 'CLOSE' option, with a message that
read, "An Error has occurred in Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer will
now close. If you continue to experience this problem, please restart your
computer." My only option then is to close that box. After that, my
computer seems normal.

Turning off the computer, and even disconnecting the power cord changes
nothing. Whenever I try to use IE, I only get the two large error message
boxes with the three buttons, the second appearing immediately after I close
the first one, then the small error message box. Then nothing. Also, ever
since that first time, IE appears, at random times, to attempt to load
itself, as if something is attempting to trigger IE to load and run. This
usually happens when I am using one of my other browsers, Netscape, Yahoo!,
or Real, all of which seem to operate without any problem whatsoever. These
random attempts to get IE to start while I am surfing lead me to believe
there is a cookie somewhere attempting to trigger a pop-up, as this only
seems to happen when I am surfing with one of the other browsers. I also
have tried several times to uninstall IE from my computer, then re-install
it. Uninstall always brings up an error message box that say it has
encountered an error and cannot continue. Again, my only option on this box
is to close it. When I try to re-install IE, the install wizard always
detects that the latest available version of IE is already installed, and my
only option at that point is to close the wizard. IE still continues to
give me those two message boxes followed by the small one every time I
attempt to use it, and also still attempts to pop up at random times
whenever I am surfing the net. No other software or data on my hard drive
appears to be affected.

I use Norton AntiVirus, which was active at the time of the first incident,
and SpyWare Killer from Cosmi, which I only loaded a few days ago. Neither
of these utilities can detect any mischievous code on my system. I run them
both at least once a day, and always make sure I have the most current
definitions loaded into them.

My internet use is critical to my schoolwork. Almost all web sites are
configured for IE, but occasionally are incompatible with my other three
browsers. Of those three, Yahoo! appears to be compatible with most web
sites, so it is currently my primary browser, although I must still, on
occasion, use one of the other two to read certain web pages. I also use MS
Outlook Express as my e-mail client, Yahoo! Instant Messenger, and mIRC as
my IRC client. These all function normally, as does any other software that
accesses the net as part of it's functionality. I have been able to slog my
way through the net with these other three browsers, but it's a real pain in
the butt. None of them have IE's functionality or web computability. I
need my Internet Explorer browser.

I know that somewhere on my computer there is a data file, critical to IE's
operation, that was corrupted by whatever caused my computer to freeze up,
but I'm stumped as to what it is or where it is or how I can find out.
Windows Scandisk can find no damaged areas on my hard drive's data surfaces,
although Defrag always gives me a message before it finishes, telling me
that it cannot continue and will close. This usually happens when it is
about eighty percent finished.

Can anyone tell me what is going on here or tell me where I can get some
answers? I am unemployed and both my parents are dead, so my resources are
EXTREMELY limited, which means that I cannot afford to put my computer in
the shop or pay for Microsoft support any more.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...
 

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