internet explorer melt-down

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

I have a PIII 733 running NT4 sp6 at work. The HD was imaged with Netscape 4.7 (works as well as can be expected). I down-loaded IE 5.5 with sp2 but have never been able to get it to work properly. It loads pages fine. If I type text into a text box and hit return, though, it crashes irretrievably and has to be shut down from the Task Manager.

I figured IE 6 might fix the problem but NOOOO!

Help?

Daniel

[wbierman]

You have a corrupt install.

[Stilgar]

By any chance did you look at un-installing it in control panel? It will give you the option to "restore" (Can't remember the wording on it) if you have not removed the temp install files. It may or may not help, but worth a try. Did not work on my son-in-laws. He had some kind of corruption which did not go away until a complete removal and re-install. I need to take away the keys to his computer. For some reason he seems to like to install programs directly at c:\

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

It certainly does seem to be a corrupt installation, doesn't it? I'll give a shot at using the restore feature, thanks. I'm pretty sure back in the mists of time I uninstalled and reinstalled that sucker more than once. On the other hand, I may have just installed over the old. More later.... Thanks,

D

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Ok, I tried the repair trick. Once I saw the screen I recalled doing that in the past. As before, the computer rebooted and all the set-up appeared to go smoothly...but the problem persists.

I'll try uninstalling it entirely. More later....

Daniel

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Oh dang, I forgot. You CAN'T uninstall IE. The only options are to add more components, repair, or return to the previous version. Since the previous version was FUBAR, I think I might be hosed here.

wbierman, I saw you leave Jodie sagging on the ropes with a wicked combo during your linux/win rumble (that was just before she sent you to lala land with a stiff uppercut--of course, you wouldn't remember). Surely there is an easy fix...?

Daniel

[Bruce]

Originally posted by Daniel, Laura, and Nora
Oh dang, I forgot. You CAN'T uninstall IE. The only options are to add more components, repair, or return to the previous version. Since the previous version was FUBAR, I think I might be hosed here.


How about downloading the same version again -- right over the top. It has a chance of helping. I had a bad install once that was fixed that way.

The problem isn't that you're trying to use plug-ins or java, is it? Those don't work in SP2 and in IE6. (I'm staying with SP1) If it is, you have to get new versions of things like Adobe acrobat.

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Thanks Bruce. I actually reinstalled 5.5 a couple times (once via download, once via cd) before I installed 6 over it. None of them have ever worked.

It isn't a disaster but I'm just sick of Netscape. I hoped IE6 would do some magic. I like Opera in principle but find that it hangs up as much as Netscape does.

Daniel

[wbierman]

Where abouts in New York?

My Aunt lives over on West 43rd

[wbierman]

Easy fix.... nothing is ever easy with stupid computers.....

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

West 107, near Amsterdam. Computers stink. I'm going to do genome by hand.

D

[Jodie]

"carry the one..." "How many digits of precision did you want in this? ---FAINT---":p

[Chris Wolfe]

Originally posted by Daniel, Laura, and Nora
Thanks Bruce. I actually reinstalled 5.5 a couple times (once via download, once via cd) before I installed 6 over it. None of them have ever worked.

It isn't a disaster but I'm just sick of Netscape. I hoped IE6 would do some magic. I like Opera in principle but find that it hangs up as much as Netscape does.

Daniel
If I were going to guess........It sounds like the "Autocomplete" dat file is corrupt. When you enter text in a box, IE is trying to save it to said dat file for later use, and crashing. All the re-installs and updates in the world won't fix that because its information that is carried over from one version to the next. You might try turning "Autocomplete" off completely and see if it helps. If it does then we'll have to figure out where that dat file is and delete it. If it doesn't help it may be that it still writes to the dat file even with the 'feature' turned off. Which would mean we've got to figure out the name of that file and it's location and delete it regardless.

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Chris, that sounds so clever I'll be forever impressed even if it doesn't work. I wish I had read this at work. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow.

D

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Chris, you are a genius. I am writing this from IE6. I can live without autocomplete. Frankly, its probably a security disaster anyway.

I would be doing backflips if I were capable of it. Instead I'm just bouncing up and down in my chair.

Wooohooo!

Daniel

[Jodie]

Chris! What a score! I'm *impressed*!!!

[Rick_Deadly]

Brain surgeon of the week award goes to Chris... I'd have never thought of that myself, well done :cool:

[Bruce]

Chris is a very, very observant person. Way to go.

[siggy]

<<<HUGS FOR CHRIS>>>

Great team player.

[Chris Wolfe]

I'm glad it worked. It was just a theory, but now its a fact. So thanks for listening, and giving it a try. Now, if I could just get my wife to listen to me.........:D