All MS Internet apps don't work!

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  • simsim
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2005
    • 1625
    • 3.6.x

    All MS Internet apps don't work!

    Hi,

    As stated in the title, IE6, OE6 & MSN messenger 7.5 all don't seem to work. Internet connection is fine, & I'm now posting this using FireFox & I can access MSN messenger thorugh webmessenger.msn.com!

    When I type a web address in IE, the first time it gives me 'This page cannot be displayed' error message. Then it gives me nothing & when I try to close the browser by hitting the 'X' button it hangs & I got 'The program is not responding' error! Also, I've noticed a weried thing, when going to Tools/Internet Options all the tabs works OK except the 'Connections' tab which causes the browser to hang too!

    I ran a full system check up for viruses; the result is: 0 virus detected. I'm using WinXP SP2, Norton Aintivirus, SpyBot S&D & Sygate Personal Firewall. Not all updated with up-to-date versions & patches, though.

    I tried resetting winsock2 & did ipconfig/flushdns but that doesn't work too! I noticed that few applications are affected by this too like Acrobat Reader. It works if I opened it after a restart directly, but after few minutes it also stops responding.

    Could this be a worm or something? Can I do anything to get MS apps to work, before going the hard way & do a complete reinstall of Windows?

    Thanks in advance.
    You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!
  • DirectPixel
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2002
    • 4703
    • 3.5.x

    #2
    Checked your hosts file?
    :)

    Comment

    • simsim
      Senior Member
      • Nov 2005
      • 1625
      • 3.6.x

      #3
      Originally posted by DirectPixel
      Checked your hosts file?
      Yes. Here's the content:
      Code:
      # Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
      #
      # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
      #
      # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
      # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
      # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
      # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
      # space.
      #
      # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
      # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
      #
      # For example:
      #
      #      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
      #       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host
      
      127.0.0.1       localhost
      You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

      Comment

      • Wayne Luke
        vBulletin Technical Support Lead
        • Aug 2000
        • 73978

        #4
        All of those use Internet Explorer components so its probably the glitch mentioned in another thread:
        One of Microsoft's security updates from the regularly scheduled security patch release last week can break Microsoft Office (http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/50017/windowspaulthurrott_50017.html#) applications, causing them to crash whenever they try to display standard Open or Save dialog
        Translations provided by Google.

        Wayne Luke
        The Rabid Badger - a vBulletin Cloud demonstration site.
        vBulletin 5 API

        Comment

        • simsim
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2005
          • 1625
          • 3.6.x

          #5
          I didn't find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached' in the registery! There is 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved' instead!

          Any clue?
          You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

          Comment

          • Joe Gronlund
            Senior Member
            • Nov 2001
            • 5789
            • 3.8.x

            #6
            Originally posted by simsim
            I didn't find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached' in the registery! There is 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved' instead!

            Any clue?
            Are you running XP Pro with SP2??
            MCSE, MVP, CCIE
            Microsoft Beta Team

            Comment

            • simsim
              Senior Member
              • Nov 2005
              • 1625
              • 3.6.x

              #7
              Yes, XP Pro with SP2. From System Information utility:

              OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
              Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
              OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

              Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
              System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
              Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume4

              Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
              You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

              Comment

              • Joe Gronlund
                Senior Member
                • Nov 2001
                • 5789
                • 3.8.x

                #8
                Then the registry key must be there, are you sure you didnt miss it??

                regedit

                HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached
                MCSE, MVP, CCIE
                Microsoft Beta Team

                Comment

                • simsim
                  Senior Member
                  • Nov 2005
                  • 1625
                  • 3.6.x

                  #9
                  It isn't there! Attached the reg file of that branch.
                  Last edited by simsim; Sun 24 Dec '06, 6:44pm.
                  You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

                  Comment

                  • Joe Gronlund
                    Senior Member
                    • Nov 2001
                    • 5789
                    • 3.8.x

                    #10
                    Originally posted by simsim
                    It isn't there! Attached the reg file of that branch.
                    Right Click on shell extensions, choose new key, and name it Cached, and go from there with the fix.
                    I am not positive it will fix it, but it sure cant hurt..

                    Edit, thats Cached not cached
                    Last edited by Joe Gronlund; Wed 19 Apr '06, 6:26pm.
                    MCSE, MVP, CCIE
                    Microsoft Beta Team

                    Comment

                    • simsim
                      Senior Member
                      • Nov 2005
                      • 1625
                      • 3.6.x

                      #11
                      I did so. Nothing happened so far! Still using FireFox, cannot check mail through Outlook Express & cannot log in to MSN messenger!

                      I'm very suspicous it's some kind of worm or malicous software.
                      You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

                      Comment

                      • Mike Sullivan
                        Former vBulletin Developer
                        • Apr 2000
                        • 13327
                        • 3.6.x

                        #12
                        My parents had a similar thing happen after the latest security patch, though I don't know if it worked in Firefox (I wasn't there). I tried to walk my Mom through the registry change over the phone, which was fun to say the least, but that didn't help.

                        In the end, she called someone (I assume the 866 number mentioned in the blog about this) and it looked like uninstalling ZoneAlarm fixed it. You could try disabling/uninstalling your firewall to see if that helps at all.

                        Comment

                        • Zachery
                          Former vBulletin Support
                          • Jul 2002
                          • 59097

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Mike Sullivan
                          My parents had a similar thing happen after the latest security patch, though I don't know if it worked in Firefox (I wasn't there). I tried to walk my Mom through the registry change over the phone, which was fun to say the least, but that didn't help.

                          In the end, she called someone (I assume the 866 number mentioned in the blog about this) and it looked like uninstalling ZoneAlarm fixed it. You could try disabling/uninstalling your firewall to see if that helps at all.
                          Software firewalls tend to be the root of all evil

                          Comment

                          • simsim
                            Senior Member
                            • Nov 2005
                            • 1625
                            • 3.6.x

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Mike Sullivan
                            In the end, she called someone (I assume the 866 number mentioned in the blog about this) and it looked like uninstalling ZoneAlarm fixed it. You could try disabling/uninstalling your firewall to see if that helps at all.
                            Uninstalling Syagate Personal Firewall Pro did exactly fix it! I think Joe should report this as a common issue with that security patch.

                            Thanks a vBillion, Mike.
                            You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

                            Comment

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