Uber frustration with IE6 - fresh WinXP install

I have had this issue in the past and was never able to get it resolved, so hopefully someone can shed some new light.

I just got done doing a fresh install of Windows XP SP2 on my laptop. I used the disc that came with the laptop. I did a full format after deleting the old partition.

After installation (including drivers), I installed Adaware and Zonealarm. At this point, everything works just like it should. I can change my homepage in IE to whatever I want. I go to Windows Update and install the 50 updates that are deemed critical. I now cannot change my homepage. I have tried everything I know how to do to change it. Under Tools/Internet Options/Programs, there is a button to reset all including the homepage. I get a popup saying that "unable to reset web settings." All I have done is install the two programs above and updated either their tables or updated to the current version and installed the Windows XP updates. I have only visited the Adobe website and a hobby website (I couldn't make any changes to IE BEFORE I went to these sites).

The problem has to be with one of the updates. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do other than redoing my Windows install and not doing the updates? I know this seems rather trivial, but what seems to happen is this is only the first problem in a string of problems that will crop up over time. I have had this issue on 6 subsequent fresh installs of Windows XP. (which I have done since February of '06)

 

Switch to Firefox?

Wondered if this thread is the same issue as the following thread:

http://forum.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=96727

abri

 

That's not helping anything!

Steve

 

Check the settings in ZoneAlarm. There is a homepage setting somewhere, it might be checked. I can't remember where it is though.

Disable Zonealarm and see if you can change it.

Steve

 

There isn't a Zonealarm setting, I went through every tab. Also, I had ZA installed before I had updated via Windows Update. Before updating, I could make changes. After updating, no changes.

I don't think I could be infected with malware/virus etc. I have not gone anywhere to get them. Unless Microsoft is including them in their updates...

 

It seems like it's under one of the tabs, in a Advanced setting. Just can't remember which one.

Just so we know we tried, disable it and try to set your homepage.

Steve

 

Checked all the tabs again, it isn't there. I did totally turn off ZA and it still behaves the same way. I still cannot make any changes. I went into the registry to see if I can make the change there (or even delete the key), no dice there as well. It is almost like its a read-only file that you can view but not change.

 

I've read a number of posts indicating problems with IE started after doing Windows Updates.
abri

 

I have only read a few, did any of the ones you that you have read have a solution?

 

One of the solutions, the one I picked, was to change to Firefox. However, if it is indeed being caused by Windows Updates, it might be possible to simply deinstall that update, if you could figure out which one it was. I didn't know enough to do this and so have been happily using Firefox for around a week now.

abri

 

Keep in mind many Windows Updates are for operating system & other program-related (Office, etc) problems, not just browser-related problems. Switching to another browser is fine and dandy when IE is chugging away into uselessness, but an upatched OS is a problem no matter what browser you run. And uninstalling any update is usually going to cause more problems than installing it and finding out you have issues did.

Also keep in mind Firefox has issues of its own and is not the heaven-sent browser answer everyone seems to like to think it is. Although a considerable upgrade from IE in safer browsing, it has its own share of security considerations, granted not as many as IE, but it's not as widely utilized (yet) as IE. Granted the fixes are quicker, but it's easier to patch 25% of the market versus 65%.

 

I have used Firefox in the past, but I have more than a few sites that I have to go to that Firefox cannot properly view.

If I feel up to the challenge, I will do another fresh install and do the updates one at a time to find out which one is causing the issue. Nice to know that MS is on the ball with their updates. Shoulda bought a Mac...lol!

 

i have seen mentioned there is a plugin for Firefox that uses the IE engine to display these troublesome pages but wait for someone elses conformation as i am not too familiar with this

hope it helps

 

I will look into that VoiD, but I would rather find a solution that will allow me to stick with IE and solve my other issues.

 

See this thread, post number 13 by Mada Milty where that tool is shown:

http://forum.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=811052#post811052

abri

 

Update: I have spent about 3 hours reading through Zone Alarm's support page. It seems that v6.5 and above cause a multitude of problems with XP including locking the homepage. I will keep readers in the loop if I come across anything new or pertinent.

 

Maybe you could take off ZA and put in Sygate and see if that causes the same problems. It seems like when I was running Sygate, IE was still working fine. I went back to ZA-free, and maybe that's when my browser kept throwing up blank pages.
My reason for leaving Sygate, was because it conflicted with Kaspersky, but I ended up leaving Kaspersky anyway, so I will go back to Sygate when I get around to it.
abri

 

Trickster,
Try a look at this. Maybe it would help. It's a patch that reverts the Active X to April for people who've experienced compatibility problems. Abri

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...1b-4fb5-492e-903e-3400abf1d731&DisplayLang=en

 

Hmm, I tried the patch, but it doesn't work for me. Maybe something to do with Firefox being my main browser now, but I'm not sure. It said it wasn't compatible with the original patch. (a little irony there, since it's supposed to fix compatibility problems LOL! )
abri