IE 6.0 unable to load / possible bad sector on HD

[RoninFL]

WinXP, SP2 installed
IE : Version 6.0.2900.xpsp_sp2qfe070227-2300

My wife's laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1505; new in July-2006.

Last week she could access the internet & download e-mail….then she lost the
ability to connect and download e-mail.

I have a software program called SystemSuite7 installed and did some
troubleshooting….
- the software has a firewall, virus, malware, etc.
- I did a sweep for malware/virus/bad things…nothing was found. (note -
without the ability to access the internet, I am unable to run any outside
computer "sweep" websites)
- I ran a part of SystemSuite7 called "disk fixer" and it reported one bad
sector on the disk.
- I ran another part of SysSuite7 called SmartDiskCheck which tests the
disk…also reported a bad sector on the disk.

I ran disk defrag…after which I was able to use Outlook to send/receive
e-mail….so she has internet access sort of. Still unable to get IE to load.

She is a contract worker at home (her own computer), and cannot upgrade to
Internet Explorer 7 due to compatibility issues with a major client.

No other software appears to be affected…only IE-6.0

A) Should I / can I download a copy of IE-6.0…and reload to (hopefully)
regain internet access?
or
B) Replace the hard drive and start over ?

Comments and suggestions appreciated.

Thanks - Ron

 

[Don Varnau]

Hi,
"Still unable to get IE to load."

Is IE6 not loading/shutting down, or not connecting to the internet?

Does the problem persist if you disable all browser add-ons from IE> Tools>
Manage add-ons?
Does the problem persist if you Turn on the Windows Firewall from Control
Panel> Windows Firewall and disable the third-party firewall?
Do updates from Microsoft download and install automatically?

Don
[MS MVP- IE]

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

...she lost the ability to connect and download e-mail.

IE can't connect to any website or it can't connect to her webmail page?

Have you purchased System Suite 7?

Are any other anti-virus applications installed and loading at boot?

Is the machine fully patched at Windows Update (other than SP3)?

 

[RoninFL]

Don...
A) Is IE6 not loading/shutting down, or not connecting to the internet?
REPLY - IE will not fully load not complete a connection to internet.
B) Does the problem persist if you disable all browser add-ons from IE>
Tools>

Manage add-ons? REPLY - Problem still persists after disabling all browser add-ons.

C) Does the problem persist if you Turn on the Windows Firewall from Control

Panel> Windows Firewall and disable the third-party firewall? REPLY - Problem persists after disabling third party firewall and enabling Windows firewall.

D) Do updates from Microsoft download and install automatically? REPLY -
I update her computer whenever the "new updates available" icon appears in
the toolbar along the bottom. Last Windows update and double check
verification was approx. Jul 3-5 timeframe. WinXP/SP3 has not been loaded.

ADD'L Info, 7/16/08…
- IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the "red X" in upper right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL and
use MS Task Manager to end the (not responding) program.
- Her laptop & my laptop both operate via wi-fi. I did connect her laptop
via direct connection to the router…still not able to connect to internet.

Other suggestions appreciated. Thanks - Ron

Hi,
"Still unable to get IE to load."
Does the problem persist if you disable all browser add-ons from IE> Tools>
Manage add-ons?
Does the problem persist if you Turn on the Windows Firewall from Control
Panel> Windows Firewall and disable the third-party firewall?
Do updates from Microsoft download and install automatically?

Don
[MS MVP- IE]

WinXP, SP2 installed
IE : Version 6.0.2900.xpsp_sp2qfe070227-2300

My wife's laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1505; new in July-2006.

Last week she could access the internet & download e-mail….then she lost the
ability to connect and download e-mail.

I have a software program called SystemSuite7 installed and did some
troubleshooting….
- the software has a firewall, virus, malware, etc.
- I did a sweep for malware/virus/bad things…nothing was found. (note -
without the ability to access the internet, I am unable to run any outside
computer "sweep" websites)
- I ran a part of SystemSuite7 called "disk fixer" and it reported one bad
sector on the disk.
- I ran another part of SysSuite7 called SmartDiskCheck which tests the
disk…also reported a bad sector on the disk.

I ran disk defrag…after which I was able to use Outlook to send/receive
e-mail….so she has internet access sort of. Still unable to get IE to load.

She is a contract worker at home (her own computer), and cannot upgrade to
Internet Explorer 7 due to compatibility issues with a major client.

No other software appears to be affected…only IE-6.0

A) Should I / can I download a copy of IE-6.0…and reload to (hopefully)
regain internet access?
or
B) Replace the hard drive and start over ?

Comments and suggestions appreciated.

Thanks - Ron

 

[RoninFL]

PA Bear...
A) IE can't connect to any website or it can't connect to her webmail page?
REPLY - Unable to connect to any website (e.g. MSN.con, google.com,
yahoo.com). Her Outlook (not Outlook Express) e-mail is able to send &
receive e-mail… just unable to access the internet. The internet provider
is Verizon FiOS. I could go the START / RUN / cmd and "ping" websites OK.
B) Have you purchased System Suite 7? REPLY - SystemSuite was purchased
(valid for 3 computers) and was installed on her laptop & my laptop in
Feb-2008; been using SystemSuite5/6/7 for at least 5 years without complaint.
I ran all diagnostic tools contained in SystemSuite7 (I just gave the short
status in original post)
C) Are any other anti-virus applications installed and loading at boot?
REPLY - The only anti-virus apps that load are the one in SystemSuit7; we
also use Spybot Serach & Destroy plus AdAware plus SpywareBlaster….all
current versions and updated & swept every 2 or 3 weeks.
D) Is the machine fully patched at Windows Update (other than SP3)? REPLY-
All Windows updates were current as of Jul 5-2008, except for SP3; this
problem began around July 7-8, 2008. We have not loaded any software in the
past 6-8 weeks (minimum).

ADD'L Info, 7/16/08…
- Note IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the red X in upper right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL and
use MS task manager to end the not responding program.
- Her laptop & my laptop both operate via wi-fi. I did connect her laptop
via direct connection to the router…still not able to connect to internet.

Other suggestions appreciated. Thanks/Ron

 

[Don Varnau]

Hi,
The "Unable to close IE" problem is nearly always caused by a browser add-on
or a malware infection.
See if Toolbar Cop finds an add-on you've overlooked.
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Does IE close properly if you go to Internet Options> Advanced and uncheck
"Enable third-party browser extensions?"

The no connection problem may be this:
942818- Error message after you install a Windows IE7 update:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942818
Summary: Key IE files have been modified so that the third-party firewall
prevents IE from connecting to the internet.

Make sure that IE is not being blocked. Uninstalling/reinstalling the
firewall/security suite may be necessary.

If you haven't already done so, clear the Temporary Internet Files. This may
help and can't hurt.

Also, you might try Winsock XP Fix from:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html
http://majorgeeks.com/download4372.html
http://www.download3k.com/Install-WinSock-XP-Fix.html

Don
[MS MVP- IE]

Don...
A) Is IE6 not loading/shutting down, or not connecting to the internet?
REPLY - IE will not fully load not complete a connection to internet.
B) Does the problem persist if you disable all browser add-ons from IE>
Tools> browser add-ons.
C) Does the problem persist if you Turn on the Windows Firewall from Control

Problem persists after disabling third party firewall and enabling Windows
firewall.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

If Spybot Tea Timer is enabled, please disable it until you get this problem
sorted. See http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=32409

NB: If you don't fully understand what Tea Timer does and how it does it,
leave it permanently disabled.

- Note IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the red X in upper
right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL
and
use MS task manager to end the not responding program

Until I saw the above (thank you!), I was going to suggest seeing if
uninstalling KB951748 via Add/Remove Programs might resolve the behavior.
But now I'm going to post:

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://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
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://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html, or other appropriate forums 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.

Good luck!


RoninFL wrote:
[reformatted for legibility]

 

[RoninFL]

By: Don Varnau In: microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser

Don,
We appreciate your continued effort on our behalf.

I noticed on "shutdown" that her computer yields a popup with a message that
"DSAgent.exe is unable to shut down" and I have to click "end now" to close
that program. DSAgent.exe is some sort of Dell Computer software. Before I do
any of the other steps, I will contact Dell and try to determine if their
software (if corrupted) could be causing the problem. I did disable all
add-ons including a Dell browser add-on in IE-6, but disabling had no effect
on the problem.

I have included additional info below.

My proposed course of action….
- contact Dell Support re: DSAgent.exe. (somehow my gut says, maybe, that
Dell will respond that their software could not possibly be causing the
problem).
- then try Toolbar Cop.
- finally, try WinSockXP fix.
- then move onto suggestions from PA Bear about the issues.

Would you agree with that approach?

Any more comments/suggestions are welcome and valued.
Thanks for your help - Ron

Hi,
The "Unable to close IE" problem is nearly always caused by a browser add-on
or a malware infection.
See if Toolbar Cop finds an add-on you've overlooked.
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Does IE close properly if you go to Internet Options> Advanced and uncheck
"Enable third-party browser extensions?"

The no connection problem may be this:
942818- Error message after you install a Windows IE7 update:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942818
Summary: Key IE files have been modified so that the third-party firewall
prevents IE from connecting to the internet.

Make sure that IE is not being blocked. Uninstalling/reinstalling the
firewall/security suite may be necessary.

If you haven't already done so, clear the Temporary Internet Files. This may
help and can't hurt.

Also, you might try Winsock XP Fix from:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html
http://majorgeeks.com/download4372.html
http://www.download3k.com/Install-WinSock-XP-Fix.html

Don
[MS MVP- IE]

Don...
A) Is IE6 not loading/shutting down, or not connecting to the internet?
REPLY - IE will not fully load not complete a connection to internet.
B) Does the problem persist if you disable all browser add-ons from IE>
Tools> browser add-ons.
C) Does the problem persist if you Turn on the Windows Firewall from Control

Problem persists after disabling third party firewall and enabling Windows
firewall.

D) Do updates from Microsoft download and install automatically? REPLY -
I update her computer whenever the "new updates available" icon appears in
the toolbar along the bottom. Last Windows update and double check
verification was approx. Jul 3-5 timeframe. WinXP/SP3 has not been loaded.

ADD'L Info, 7/16/08…
- IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the "red X" in upper right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL and
use MS Task Manager to end the (not responding) program.
- Her laptop & my laptop both operate via wi-fi. I did connect her laptop
via direct connection to the router…still not able to connect to internet.

Other suggestions appreciated. Thanks - Ron

 

[RoninFL]

PA Bear,
Thanks for your continued support on this issue. Please refer to my reply
to Don Varnau. After I try Dell Support, and then Don's suggestions, I will
work with your suggestions, unless any of yours are precluded by something
Don has suggested.

As far as being too complex…naw…I've been down this road with similar issues
previously (but never unable to access the internet). I may not be the
brightest bulb on the tree, but have always been successful thanks to
valuable help from individuals like you.

If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, they are always appreciated.

Eventually it will work out, I hope, I hope, I hope…

Thanks - Ron

If Spybot Tea Timer is enabled, please disable it until you get this problem
sorted. See http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=32409

NB: If you don't fully understand what Tea Timer does and how it does it,
leave it permanently disabled.

- Note IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the red X in upper
right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL
and
use MS task manager to end the not responding program

Until I saw the above (thank you!), I was going to suggest seeing if
uninstalling KB951748 via Add/Remove Programs might resolve the behavior.
But now I'm going to post:

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://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
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://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html, or other appropriate forums 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.

Good luck!


RoninFL wrote:
[reformatted for legibility]

A) IE can't connect to any website or it can't connect to her webmail
page?

REPLY - Unable to connect to any website (e.g. MSN.con, google.com,
yahoo.com). Her Outlook (not Outlook Express) e-mail is able to send &
receive e-mail… just unable to access the internet. The internet
provider
is Verizon FiOS. I could go the START / RUN / cmd and "ping" websites OK.

B) Have you purchased System Suite 7?

REPLY - SystemSuite was purchased
(valid for 3 computers) and was installed on her laptop & my laptop in
Feb-2008; been using SystemSuite5/6/7 for at least 5 years without
complaint. I ran all diagnostic tools contained in SystemSuite7 (I just
gave the short status in original post)

C) Are any other anti-virus applications installed and loading at boot?

REPLY - The only anti-virus apps that load are the one in SystemSuit7; we
also use Spybot Serach & Destroy plus AdAware plus SpywareBlaster….all
current versions and updated & swept every 2 or 3 weeks.

D) Is the machine fully patched at Windows Update (other than SP3)?

REPLY- All Windows updates were current as of Jul 5-2008, except for SP3;
this
problem began around July 7-8, 2008. We have not loaded any software in
the
past 6-8 weeks (minimum).

ADD'L Info, 7/16/08…
- Note IE, after not loading, will not "close" when the red X in upper
right
corner is clicked. The only way to totally close IE is to CNTRL/ALT/DEL
and
use MS task manager to end the not responding program.
- Her laptop & my laptop both operate via wi-fi. I did connect her laptop
via direct connection to the router…still not able to connect to internet.

Other suggestions appreciated. Thanks/Ron

 

[Kaja]

Well I think I have a solution for You using Windows built in maintance
tools. But first off most of those third party programs can screw with the
Microsoft settings and cause something to go wrong. I learned the hard way
on this. If you did anything to the registry like try to clean it up or fix
it as most of these performance enhancing softwares do claiming it speeds up
your computer the problem probably lies there. In that case I woul.d call MS
tech support and shell out $60 to have your computer restored to factory
settings. Although try this first. go to start, my computer, rt. click the C
drive and select Properties, select Toos, select error checking and select
and check both boxes. You will have to restart and then the computer will do
a check disc checking all the sectors and fixing problem sectors. Let me
know if this works.
Best Regards,
Kaja

 

[RoninFL]

Kaja,

YESSSSSSSSSS ! The issue is resolved. I have been out of town, for two days,
without the laptop.
The suggestion by Kaja (run Microsoft CHECK DISK) located and corrected two
corrupted sectors.

Then I downloaded and ran AdAdare, Spybot Search + Destroy, and Panda online
scan… no "bad boys" found.

All programs are working properly. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and
suggestions (especially Kaja).

Regards - RoninFL