Internet Explorer problem NB

[jimbouy]

I'm usually ok with windows problems but this has got me stumped.

Set up my sons new PC and we have an odd problem with IE6.
Clicking on a link which opens within the existing window and the page loads. However, if the link opens a new window for the page to load nothing happens. Just a blank window. But if you click stop and reload the page will load ok.

It's as if the second instance of IE does not know where it's looking.

We connect to the net via a ADSL router connected to a small network. i.e his desktop and my laptop. My laptop is not suffering from this strange prob. So it must be a setup prob on his desktop.

He's running XP and we've installed all the current updates using windows update. (including SP2)

Any ideas chaps

 

[mainbrace]

I don't know what the specific issue is (probably something to do with the SP2 fix for popups) but you should download firefox and use that instead. IE is one of the most cantankerous pieces of software ever devised and firefox is really quite a big improvement.

 

[jimbouy]

Whilst I kind of take your point I've had no problems with IE and would really like to get to the bottom of the issue.

The pop up point may be a good starter though

 

[Ships_Cat]

Is your router's IP address entered in the trusted zone of any firewall on the computer.

We had never had any issues with this before but associated with some of all of the recent SP2, ZoneAlarm (which we use), etc updates something changed and started having occasional problems such as you describe (plus IE would always just die or not run after a couple of hours if not run and the PC needed rebooting to fix that).

Putting the router into the trusted zone was an instant cure. Am not sure what this does to inward security but we use a hardware firewalled NAT router.

{Edit: following Mainbraces comment I can add it is not likely a problem with IE - we run both Firefox and IE and the same problem occurred with both. Like you we prefer IE and never have a problem with it}.

John

 

[jimbouy]

John,

Another good point. As soon as I can prize him away from Half Life I'll dig into various settings.

I have to say that XP, although fairly stable, upsets me in the way it takes control of everything with out asking me first!!


Jim

 

[Ships_Cat]

Let us know how you get on Jim.

Clarifying my "IE dying" comment, I did not mean to say (but see that it could be read that way) that IE wouldn't run. What happened was that IE ran but one just got the blank screen and the "Done" message, as you describe, even for the first window opened.

John

 

[Guest]

I still have a pc that refuses to download any file via IE ..... but with Netscape etc. - absolutely no problem.

My new pc - with XP - is fine but as with Jimbuoy - I do not like xp's habit of interfering .... and the lack of serial ports !!

 

[jasu74]

I had too many problems with IE so I desided to download free Opera from http://www.opera.com/. The free version has a little add ticker but it does not bother me.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Hi Nigel

I just turn XP's automatic update and its firewall off, as well as anything else that it may be inclined to schedule such as disk cleanup, etc.

John

 

[jimbouy]

I've tried disabling the firewall and pop up stopper and still get the same problem.

Next step is a play in the TCP/IP settings.

 

[VicS]

If none of the suggestions here help try the forums at www.webuser.co.uk . Also run by IPC

 

[Mike21]

First thing it might be worth checking is under tools, internet options and check all settings are same as laptop ie security, privacy, and advanced settings. Might be also worth checking firewall settings, as sp2 enables windows firewall you may have a conflict, run ie on all computers thru an adsl and don't have any problems, but use either McAfee or Norton, tried Zonealarm previously but had problems with it

 

[Ships_Cat]

I also found that if I turned the firewall off (ZoneAlarm in our case) the problem remained. However, when I put the router's IP in the firewall's trusted zone and turned it on again the problem instantly disappeared.

Seemed very strange to me and how the problem could apparantly turn out to be firewall related, regardless of whether the firewall was off or on, I do not know (but suspect might be something in the system background related to XP's and Zonealarm's checks as to what virus checkers, firewalls, etc are running).

I have had a quick look on the internet and it seems the problem is not a rare one.

John

 

[JimMcMillan]

The problem almost certainly lies within SP2 and they affected my PC for sometime. Since you are connecting to the internet it is almost certain connections are OK so the most likely area is firewall/virus prog conflicts and I would install and run often a spy and adaware prog (available from the net like Spybot).They remove programmes that virus progs dont

 

[jimbouy]

I assumed turning off the firewall would totally disable it but I'll try adding the routers IP to the trusted zone.


Thanks to all.


Jim