IE 6; unable to open emails 2

[kasparov]

I find myself unable to open any emails using Internet Explorer (ver 6.0.2900.2180).

I can do anything else on the web; can login to my mail accounts but when I click on the mail item it won't open. I've put Opera on my PC & this works fine.

I've looked elsewhere for answers but can't find anything. I've tried downloading IE6 SP1 & installing but it won't let me because the version I have is more recent. & I don't know how to uninstall IE!

Can anyone help please?

TIA

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Try disabling the popup blocker that comes with IE. If your mails open in new windows, that may well be the cause.

Hope this helps,
Dan


The answers you get are only as good as the information you give!

 

[bcastner]

Download and run IEFix:

http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/IEFIX.htm

 

[gsn]

I have the same problem identified by CHoggarth. I am running XP-home SP2. I have removed SP2 and re-installed it, but no luck. I have used Sophos anti-virus and several anti-spyware programs and the computer appears free of virus and spyware. I have tried both suggestions (by bcastner and by BillyRayPreachersSon) and the problem persists.

Any other ideas? Thanks.

 

[gsn]

Just to clarify the issue i have run into. IE can read the emails but does not open any attachments. When it attempts to open an attachment it freezes (does not respond..), and most of the time I end-up closing the process. Thanks.

 

[bcastner]

gsn,

What is the file extension of the attachment? (.txt, .doc, .pdf etc.) or is this true no matter what the extension might be?

And if you could, please post the information from IE in the Help, About Internet Explorer display.

 

[gsn]

bcastner,

It happens with .doc, .xls and .pdf attachments. I am assuming it happens for all (but can confirm above 3). The "About Internet Explorer" info is:

Version: 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158
Cipher Strength: 128-bit
Update versions: ;sp2;

Thanks

 

[bcastner]

I honestly think you have a bum install of SP2 for XP. This is exactly the kind of weird issues you can experience. I have a non-technical bias against using Windows Update to do the SP2 upgrade. I strongly recomend re-doing Service Pack 2 with a CD ROM version:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

(By the way, Microsoft has been quite quick about this. Three busines days from order to your hands is not unusual).

Redo SP2, and report back if this works or does not.

 

[gsn]

I ordered the CD, I will wait for it. I wonder if you have any reason (or experience, such as other instances of "bum install of SP2") for this suggestion. Microsoft says: "This CD includes the same Service Pack 2 software that is available for download from Windows Update". The web update performs a verification routine at the end of the update, but I guess that corruption of some file(s) may be possible.

Thanks.

 

[bcastner]

It is the same stuff.

But we are also talking almost 300 megabytes, that under an XP SP1 base system has to depend on the Windows Update feature for automatic restoring a background dowload process, and BITS background processing of the results.

My personal experience:

Issues with SP2 from CD ROM: 0
Issues with SP2 from Automatic Update: 245
. Issue reported by SUS clients: 1
. Issue reported from Windows Update: 244

This is from a test base of 143 workstations. My largest domain site:
.No Errors were reported from a CD ROM install or a SUS install.
. 11,623 errors were reported from MBSA
There are almost 15,000 workstations in this Domain.

Best,
Bill Catner

 

[gsn]

Bcastner you are a life-saver!

Firstly, thanks for the statistics on the CD vs Windows Update, they are rather scary! I will still wait for the CD and will re-do the SP2 thing when that arrives.

In the meantime, something you wrote in response to another post (on ActiveX and Windows Update,27/Mar/05), to quote:

"Make sure your firewall is not blocking the Update site and check any pop up stopper programs. Now check in IE tools\manage add-ons (Win XP SP2 only) making sure that WuWebControlClass is enabled...."

triggered the idea to try to see if any of my IE add-ons might be related to the problem. I found 3 without any known publisher so I disabled all 3. I re-booted and the problem is gone. Magic, but it worked!!!

For reference, the 3 I found are:

req.dat (browser helper object)
research (browser extension); and the infamous
FB5F1910-F110-11D2-BB9E-XXXXXXXXXXXX (last 12 chs withheld)

They must be some sort of pests that sneaked in at some unsuspecting time. Good Riddance! I can now open and read all attachments again. I just hope I have not created some unknown new problem.

Thanks, Bill, once again for all you do at this site.

 

[bcastner]

gsn,
Thank you for your kind words.

But from the looks of it your really solved the issue by yourself.

Best wishes,
Bill Castner