Cannot open new IE windows

[alexwood]

When clicking on a link in IE that is supposed to open in a new window, or right clicking on a link and choosing Open In New Window or holding the Shift key down when clicking on a link, nothing is happening.
I've looked on the net and found a couple of MS Knowledge Base articles - this one:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281679/EN-US/

seemed closest to the problem. Tried the resolution, except when trying to register shell32.dll, got the following error message:
"shell32.dll was loaded, but the dllRegisterServer entry point was not found.
dllRegisterServer may not be exported, or a corrupt version of Shell32.dll may be in memory. Consider using PView to detect and remove it."
I read elsewhere that shell32.dll was not a Win9x file and that I need to register the shdoc401.dll. Tried that and still no resolution.
When trying to run Windows Update on the PC, it locked up IE.

Can anyone help me with this?

 

[htmlman]

I would run scans for spy ware. Then do an update. If this fails you might run Sfc /scannow, from the run line. Be sure to have your installation CD handy.

 

[alexwood]

Downgraded IE 6 to IE5. Still failed to resolve the issue. Upgraded to IE6 again, still no resolution.
Ran the fix from this website:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm

Again, this did not resolve the issue.
Spyware scans have been run, but I re-ran them (Ad-Aware, Pest Patrol). Fully updated, full scans. Found one piece of Adware (Alexa). Removed it. Still no resolution.
Ran SFC (would not run from the Command Line, had to run it from Windows. Setupx.dll was found as corrupt and replaced.

None of this resolved the problem. And when trying to run Windows Update, IE freezes and has to be End Task'ed.

 

[sscf]

I too am having the same problem; however, when i uninstalled back to IE 5.0, I was able to open new windows. I then "upgraded" to IE 5.5 SP2 -- unfortunately, the problem returned.

We use 98 2nd edition. No adware (not even Alexa), spyware nor viruses can be detected...

 

[jimp56]

you can try running a repair install. install win98 over itself. it will retain progs and settings but will refresh system files, registrations, and registry entries, etc.

before trying that, run hijack this! and see if there are any rogue BHO's or any unknown LSPs in the winsock. remove them and try again.

 

[jimp56]

hold the phone- found this link- dont know if this would work?

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/r1047224148

 

[dsimoes]

I have exactly the same problem reported by alexwood in Aug 17: right clicking on a link and choosing Open in New Window give a blank window, and Windows Update freezes when trying to download any update.
I have ran Spyware scans (Ad-Aware, Spybot), and followed the steps suggested in the MS Knowledge Base article at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281679/EN-US/,

just to have the same reported results: when trying to register shell32.dll, got the error message "shell32.dll was loaded, but the dllRegisterServer entry point was not found.
dllRegisterServer may not be exported, or a corrupt version of Shell32.dll may be in memory. Consider using PView to detect and remove it." The same error was still there after re-extracting shell32.dll.
I would like to know how did alexwood finally solved the problem.

 

[alexwood]

Unfortunately, we never did resolve this issue.

The PC was one of four PC's in an office in the factory where I work. One of the girls in the office was due to leave and wasn't replaced.
So, her working PC was used to replace the one with the problem and the PC with the problem was taken back to IT, formatted and re-built ready for re-issue to another member of staff.