Internet Explorer STILL not working HELP PLEASE!

[Paul Watkins]

This is my third attempt to recitfy an internet explorer problem:

1st symptom: when clicking on a link which should take me to where i
requested, i end up with a totally different website, but with the requested
URL in the URL bar.

2nd symptom: after around about 10 mins of browsing, i start getting 404
error-page not found errors, eventually this is all i can get. even clicking
the back button gets me a 404 error.

The only way to get IE6 to work (temporarily) again, is to re-boot windows
xp.

Before anyone points me in the direction of Spyware etc, this is what i have
installed & tried so far:-

SpyBot Search & Destroy (no spyware found)
Adaware 6 (no spyware found)
HostFiles Reader (no rogue hosts)
HijackThis (nothing found)
PCCillin (no virus found)
I have also run online virus/trojan & security checkers (nothing found)
using symantec website among others.
I use 'Tracks Eraser' to flush the internet cache, cookies and index.dat
file.

I have also followed Microsofts guide lines and re-installed IE6 by changing
the registry value (installed) from 1 to 0 and installing from Microsofts
Website.

I also have the MSN browser installed on my PC which is working perfectly!!
I'd rather use IE6 though.

by reading this newgroup, it seems that there are major concerns with IE6
after the last few updates.

Can Anyone HELP?????? Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am using Windows XP (with Service pack1)
IE 6.0.2800.1106
All windows updated have been dowloaded
Firewall=Zone Alarm
Tracks Eraser (to clear the index.dat file)

 

[H Leboeuf]

"HTTP 404 - File Not Found" Error Message When You Try to Visit Web Pages
That Are Opened by JavaScript Functions in Frames or in Windows
HTTP 404 - File not found. After you apply the cumulative security patch for
Internet Explorer that is included in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-032.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=827667 (i. e. 6. W98/se/ME/W2000/XP
9/12/2003)
--

Also you did not mentioned anything about a HOSTS file. Check it out.
It may be a HOSTS file problem.
Look also for a file named HOSTS (no extension, could be hidden) rename it
OLDHOSTS.


Henri Leboeuf
Web page: http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/index.htm

 

[Paul Watkins]

Thanks for the reply

I have re-named the 3 hosts files that i have found in my windows directory
to old_hosts. the problem is still there
(I had 1 entry in each of the 3 hosts files, which was 'localhost'.)

I'd rather not patch IE6 now, it may make things worse! (if that's possible)
How long will it be before they issue and service pack update to cure this
problem?

Is there anything else i could try?

Thanks


Paul

 

[H Leboeuf]

If it's not working how much worse can it get?

 

[Paul Watkins]

It just got worse!!

I changed the hosts files to Old_Hosts and re-booted my PC,
I went to open Outlook Express and i'd lost all my accounts, including this
newsgroup.
I'd also lost all my Outlook accounts and e-mails aswell.
After a system restore (thank god this works) all is restored.

Paul
(stressed after this afternoon) and still unable to use IE6 after about 5
minutes of browsing.

 

[H Leboeuf]

Are you checking your system for parasites on occasion?

Dealing with Unwanted Spyware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

If you had a hosts file and did not create it then it may be the cause.
Some web accelerator program will also create that file and play havoc with
the IP addresses.

 

[Paul Watkins]

Thanks for the reply
Yes, i am checking twice a day at the moment. Using Spybot & adaware
today i cleaned the index.dat files which i assume hold all the pages i have
visited, but within 2 minutes of browsing i got pages that i visited
yesterday instead of the requested URL.
I have been trying many other programs that claim to clean history/index
files and cookies
I have also changed various settings of the IE6 browser using Spybot.For the
last couple of hours the browser has been Ok, however i seem to have lost a
few plug-in's along the way. In particular when i click on a streaming
windows media player file, i don't get any video anymore, it seems that the
xp plug in has been replaced by an older version. (I have the latest version
of Windows Media Player installed on my PC).
How can i get Windows Media Player (streaming) to work again?


I do have a question for Microsoft though.(if you are monitoring this
newsgroup) Why do Microsoft allow 'hijacking' of their software? surely this
is illegal ? or can anyone write code to alter a microsoft product.
If it is illegal, why don't Microsoft sue the companies?

 

[Jone Doe]

I would guess that some of MVP have access to MS and forward certain items
to them. I don't know that for absolutely sure, but it is an educated
guess.

"Why does MS allow hijacking of their software?" is like asking why business
owners allow holdups at their business.

 

[Paul Watkins]

If the 'Hijackers' were anonymous i would agree, however most of these
'hijackers' are registered business's and should be put out of business for
wasting a lot of people's time.

 

[H Leboeuf]

Here are two things to check for your Refresh problem.

Unable to Refresh Web Page That Uses Cookies if Set to Prompt for Cookies
When you click the Refresh button on the Internet Explorer tool bar, and
then click Refresh on the View menu (or press F5) to refresh a Web page that
uses cookies, the Web page may not be successfully refreshed after you click
Allow Cookie or Block Cookie in the Privacy Alert dialog box.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=306027 (i. e. 6. W98/se/NT4/ME/XP/2000
6/5/2003)


From: Günter Tomczyk in a News Group
I just made an upgrade from IE5.5 to IE6.0. Now I have a problem, that I. E.
is not working with any HTML tag:
e.g.<META http-equiv="Refresh" content="0;URL=/....">
Answer: I found it.
In the IE-Options->security, I had to allow "META REFRESH".
--

As for your Windows media player it's an other problem. I would post in an
appropriate group with just that problem.

Henri Leboeuf
Web page: http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/index.htm