internet explorer tabs missing

[katieh]

I am missing some tabs when I right click on my internet explorer
window under properties. I am missing the general tab, privacy tab,
and content tab. I have already gone to those sites and tried
updating the registry, but that has not worked. This all began when I
tried to open internet explorer, and it would flicker and then shut
down. I can't get it to open at all. Any time I try and open a
website from start-run, it just errors out very quickly and tries to
download a file that it says I don't have. I hope this makes some
sort of sense....any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so
much!

-katieh

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

I am missing some tabs when I right click on my internet explorer
window under properties. I am missing the general tab, privacy tab,
and content tab. I have already gone to those sites and tried
updating the registry, but that has not worked. This all began when I
tried to open internet explorer, and it would flicker and then shut
down. I can't get it to open at all. Any time I try and open a
website from start-run, it just errors out very quickly and tries to
download a file that it says I don't have. I hope this makes some
sort of sense....any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so
much!

-katieh

First eliminate any scumware.
See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/cwshredder.zip
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/ for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.
If trying everything at that site does not fix the problem please post back
in the same thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[oops!!]

You need to fix your registry:

http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/RepairTabs.reg
1) Restores the missing Tabs in IE (usually spyware related)
2) Unlocks the grayed-out Home Page section
3) Removes the Administrator message in Internet Options

After that, download Ad-Aware from here:
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
Install, UPDATE and run.
You may need to reboot and run again to clean all the nasties that cannot be
deleted at once ("in use").

Also excellent is SpyBot Search & Destroy available here:
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Install, UPDATE and run.
You may need to reboot and run again to clean all the nasties that cannot be
deleted at once ("in use").

Even if Ad-Aware and SpyBot S&D are similar, they do clean different things.
You should have both of them and use REGULARLY.

You can also install "preventive" software that will help you control these
nasties:

SpywareBlaster:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Avoids malicious Active X installs.
Advantage: no system resources used!!!
Just download, install and UPDATE.

SpywareGuard:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Monitors for attempts to install malicious software.

All of them extremely useful but you must keep them UPDATED.

Zee