Topic: Can't launch web browser

[guest702]

I am having difficulty launching my Internet Explorer from my desktop. I double-click the icon but only get an egg-timer which disappears after a few seconds. However, if I right-click and select Explore a web page launches. However, I still have difficulty when connecting to other web pages. I am running out of ideas on how to fix this. Can anyone help???

[Clive]

Hi Alan and    None of our techies are around at the moment so I'm afraid that you will have to be patient until one turns up.  You didn't say if you are using 56K or BB.  Is the page which comes up your usual home page?  Are you using IE6?  Have you downloaded all the patches which have been released in recent months?

[Simon]

Hi Alan,

Has this only just started happening?  First, if you right click the IE icon, can you get into Properties?  If so, select 'Use Blank' as your start page, and see if it will open then.  You may have contracted some sort of spyware or your browser may have been 'Hijacked', so try running a spyware cleaner, such as  Ad Aware.  The next thing I would consider is trying to repair or reinstall IE, depending which version of IE, and which version of Windows you have.

Hopefully, if none of that works, one of our techies will help you further.

[ketamininja]

IE is basically the same as EXPLORER, the viewer you use to look at directories and files.

Just for information!

Ok, I would suggest that there is perhaps a virus, or some spyware on your system that has "hijacked" the IE process.

Do a full virusscan update, and scan in SAFE MODE.

Also, download some spyware checkers (eg SPYBOT - www.safer-networking.org I think) and check for issues.

[soulboy]

I'm having the same problem with my PC,
with the following error msg. being generated :-

EXPLORER caused an invalid page fault in
module MSHTML.DLL at 0167:635eb4f5.
Registers:
EAX=00000000 CS=0167 EIP=635eb4f5 EFLGS=00010283
EBX=00000000 SS=016f ESP=01edd7ec EBP=01edd83c
ECX=00000009 DS=016f ESI=00b26510 FS=57df
EDX=8192c558 ES=016f EDI=0045f41c GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
39 98 30 01 00 00 74 13 6a 02 57 e8 0b 65 f9 ff
Stack dump:
00b26510 80040100 0045f41c 01edd8d0 01eddae4 0072a0bc 0e000078 00000000
00b26510 0045f41c 0045f47c 01eddb60 6358480f 00b26544 6358492c 00b26510

Any suggestions as to how I can fix this would be most welcome!!    >

Many thanks,

- Soulboy (first post here)

[Simon]

All sorts of stuff here, which might be of interest.

It mentions something about Gator at the top of that page - have you done a spyware scan?  You may need to turn off System Restore (ME/XP) and run Ad Aware and / or Spybot in Safe Mode to be certain of getting rid of persistent spyware.

Ad Aware
Spybot
Spyware Blaster

[soulboy]

Thanks for the pointer, but a further week down the line, I'm still struggling - should have mentioned that I'm running Win98 at present, so how do I do the 'safe mode' thingy you mention?

Also, would I gain anything by taking Win98 off my machine, and loading up XP (Pro- version)?

Thanks again,

- Soulboy

P.S. Hey, I've worked in IT for a long time, but that doesn't mean that I know what I'm doing with a home-PC!!  

[Sandra]

As you restart your pc just keep pressing F8 repeatedly after the post beep.
It will then start up in safe mode  

[Simon]

Also, would I gain anything by taking Win98 off my machine, and loading up XP (Pro- version)?

Well, if you're going to format your hard drive, you should certainly lose the spyware!  Might be a bit drastic, when the above method could rectify things.

Something else you could do is run Hijack This (which I think we said earlier in the thread), and post the results here.

Alternatively, if there's no spyware present, but IE still refuses to co-operate, as you have Win98, you could re-install it (IE) from either the MS website, or from a CD.

[soulboy]

Again, thanks for all the info., but after running SpywareNuker last night, it would appear that I have over 300 spy/ad-ware files on my PC -
are you guys familiar with this piece of s/w?
If so, can I zap the offending files directly after running the report which id's them?  Or, do
I have to do something else?

Tried to re-load IE6 too, but I kept getting msgs. back saying that the most up-to-date version was already installed!!  Going 'round in circles, or what - can't get on to the web pages I need to go and get the fixes (or some of them) .. aaargh!!  

Oh, and what about the Security Update disk I rec'd from MS just last week - where does this fit in with what I'm trying to do?!?

Frustrated, moi?!?   :-[

- Soulboy

[Sandra]

I havent used that particular spyware removal program but most of them seem to quarantine the removed items so that if you have a problem you can recover them later.
I would be tempted to get rid of them anyway as any programs that you have that depend on them being there probably arent worth having.
That may clear your problem up by itself without trying to reinstall or repair IE.
I didnt realise that MS had done an update disc for 98, I thought it was only XP that they had started sending out  

Zap the ad/spyware stuff for now and see how it is after that  

[Simon]

Yes, as Sandra said, it can't be doing your system any good, and if you are running programs which depend on spyware / adware, it would be more advisable to seek alternatives.  I haven't used Spyware Nuker either, but if you want to be certain of being 'safe' by using a spyware remover which quarrantines, and that we are more familiar with, try downloading and running either Ad Aware and / or Spybot (preferably both), followed by, when your system is clean, installing Spyware Blaster, which will prevent future spyware from getting into your machine.  Links below.

Ad Aware
Spybot S&D
Spyware Blaster

[soulboy]

Simon/Sandra,

Thanks for the further tips - never got to give 'em a try last night, but hope to do so tonight/over the weekend.

Not sure how I'm going to be able to download this, download that when I can't get freakin' IE to play wi' me!!  

Someone here at work has suggested that I dump IE altogether, and go with something like Opera or Mozilla - any comments on use of these browsers vs. IE?!?  

Cheers!!

- Soulboy

[Sandra]

Oh no, you've gone and done it now  

Simon, the high priest of mozilla, wil be along shortly to give you all the gen and a link to it  

[Simon]

 

You can click the above link, Soulboy, or the one in the corner of my sig below.  Mozilla is an excellent web browser, and once you've started using it, you may well not want to go back to IE.  It has it's own built in pop up stopper, cookie manager, e-mail client, and a host of other useful features, not found in IE.  It's also not prone to the catalogue of security flaws and bugs which keep being found in IE, on an almost daily basis.

You can also add plug-ins to customise Mozilla to your hearts content.  One of the most useful ones is IE View, which puts a link in the right click menu of Mozilla, to open web pages or links in IE, if you come across the occasional one which won't open in Mozilla.  We can also offer a good source of help and support, as many of our members have seen the light, and gone over to Mozilla.