Cannot display the webpage

Hey folks. I have a Dell laptop running Vista Home Premium with a weird problem. It works fine with all different sorts of websites, except for facebook. Now here's what crazier: It will go to the facebook homepage just fine, but when you try to login with it, it gives the 'ol 'Internet Explorer Cannot Display This Webpage'. Also, it will work fine in safe mode. I uninstalled IE8 and it worked fine, but when reinstalled the problem came back. I've run full virus/spyware/malware checks and nothing has come up. I know it could just be left with IE 7, but the computer doesn't belong to me and eventually the owner is going to run Windows Update, and IE 8 will be back on. So I'd like to get to the root of the problem. Anyone ever seen this before?

 

IE8 comes loaded with extra add-ons, accelerators and various security measures.

I have had, so far, had total success with IE8 by choosing the custom install option. This is a screen that will pop-up the first time you run it, choose "custom installation", then just decline or say no to ALL of the choices given, and I mean all.

I've done so on dozens of machines and have yet to see a problem with any websites or any speed issues.

And, by the way, I've seen a lot of problems when the standard installation was selected.

 

I'll give that a go. I have tried running it without add-ons though, same thing?

 

Not entirely, there are other features that a standard install utilizes. I don't know specifically which ones give the interference, I only know the first time I tried this, the guy couldn't get to his banking, it worked. I haven't put in the time to figure out what feature(s) causes the problem, but this has worked for me.

 

Tried uninstalling and running windows update again. It never gave me the option for a custom install of IE 8. The only thing I was asked to do was accept the licensing agreement terms.

 

Got the custom install done. Had to go into internet options and reset IE to default settings. When I restarted it gave me the option for a custom install. Set it up with absoultely no extras. Bad news is, it didn't end up making facebook work. Gave up and installed Firefox, which solved the problem. I'm still curious as to why IE 8 wouldn't load it though.