You can disable the debug notification via IE Tools>Internet
Options>Advanced>Browsing>Disable script debugging (check) & Display a
notification about every script error (uncheck).
But as you must close IE to recover, try, in order:
1. (Re-)Installing 5.6 Scripting Engine from
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/webdev.asp
2a. As the machines are WinXP-SP1a, look into the Java vs. Java VM
situation:
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers_9.htm
Then try:
Start>Run>Regsvr32 vbscript.dll
Start>Run>Regsvr32 jscript.dll
3. Re-register all DLLs listed in
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281679
4a. IE Tools>Internet Options>Advanced>Browsing>Enable third-party browser
extensions (uncheck & reboot).
4b. Find the hijacker that caused 4a to be checked:
Dealing with Hijackware
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#tshoot
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
Some other users of New Hotmail, using both desktops and laptops, IE and OE,
have been having these problems since the new format was introduced on 01
Dec-03.
Hotmail is a secure site, requiring that your computer be able to negotiate
SSL protocols when logging in, so any of these third-party applications may
be interfering (as well as hijackware): anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam
tools, "system" tools (NSW, NIS, anything by McAfee). The best approach
would be to disable all of them and, assuming Hotmail then works properly,
re-enable each application in turn, by itself with no others running, to see
which one or which combination is causing the problem. If the machines are
on a network, that's another area to consider when troubleshooting.
Some resources:
Troubleshooting Secure Sites
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813444
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers2.htm#secure_sites
--
HTH...Please post back to this thread
~Robear Dyer (aka PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE), AH-VSOP
Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/