Windows Explorer lots of trouble please help!

[Jason]

When I try searching using explorer, the search toolbar
never appears. Also, I cannot open Windows Updates
homepage anymore. Everything was working fine before I
installed Norton Antivirus 2004. After a short while it
said NAV was corrupt and the support for NAV said explorer
was corrupt. I tried updating to I.E. 6 but installation
said I have the latest version and will not continue to
install. When I goto Windows Updates, Explorer opens but
no page loads, even after refresh. When I open the 'about
internet explorer' under help, it does not tell me version,
cipher strength, or product ID (the OK button doesn't
dismiss the window either, I'm forced to close it with the
'X'). When I try searching in a folder, the left changes
into a gray box instead of the white searchbar that it use
to be.
If anyone knows how to fix this problem, PLEASE email me at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks

 

[Rich Barry]

Jason, did you uninstall NAV 04? You can reinstall IE and OE. Take a
look here
http://www.theeldergeek.com/repair_reinstall_ie_and_oe_6.htm

 

[DE]

When I try searching using explorer, the search toolbar
never appears. Also, I cannot open Windows Updates
homepage anymore. Everything was working fine before I
installed Norton Antivirus 2004. After a short while it
said NAV was corrupt and the support for NAV said explorer
was corrupt. I tried updating to I.E. 6 but installation
said I have the latest version and will not continue to
install. When I goto Windows Updates, Explorer opens but
no page loads, even after refresh. When I open the 'about
internet explorer' under help, it does not tell me version,
cipher strength, or product ID (the OK button doesn't
dismiss the window either, I'm forced to close it with the
'X'). When I try searching in a folder, the left changes
into a gray box instead of the white searchbar that it use
to be.
If anyone knows how to fix this problem, PLEASE email me at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks

Please keep all discussion on the peer-support newsgroup; there is no
private email support, as the newsgroup would die and nobody would learn
answers if it were done by email. (Now if you want to pay for private
consulting help, that's another matter!)

This actually sounds to me like the way a certain virus behaves; however,
I'd start with disconnecting from the internet, run SFC/SCANNOW with the
XP CD in the drive, and if that doesn't find wrong-version system files
(DLLs) then remove Norton 2004 completely and re-install it.

Note: I said to disconnect from the internet first.

Also examine the startup items using MSCONFIG, and see if there is
anything loading on startup that looks "suspicious". Unfortunately, some
viruses now load as services and you wouldn't even see them this way, but
most still are visible in MSCONFIG and can be removed from re-loading
there, first, after which you'll have to repair your system & may still
have lost some data files.