In article <telecom24.364.14@telecom-digest.org>, Robert Bonomi
<bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com> wrote:
> In article <telecom0.0.1@telecom-digest.org>,
> TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:
>> This is an appeal to any Windows Internet Explorer person in our
>> readership who can help me:
>> Wednesday night/Thursday morning someone stuck me with a virus and the
>> end result was my Internet Explorer browser is gone. I cannot get the
>> browser to come up at all; clicking on the icon makes it sit for a few
>> seconds, then the screen flashes ONCE as though it was getting ready
>> to deliver the browser, but no such luck. I have cleared out the virus
>> but apparently a driver or two or a file is gone as well.
>> Not only that but I cannot even get any pages which would come via
>> that browser. Now my copy of Mozilla works just fine, its only that
>> Internet Explorer 6.0 wont come up (or anything that depends on it,
>> such as a link in email, etc.)
>> Using Mozilla I went to a download site (supposedly 'free downloads')
>> and paid for a password to download an entirely new copy of Internet
>> Explorer 6.0 and Outlook Express. Downloaded it, but still nothing ...
>> I am wondering if it is because my index page (I was using 'my yahoo'
>> as my home or starting page) somehow got wiped out.
>> The newly loaded thing produces the very same results: click on the
>> icon, it goes away for a couple seconds, comes back flashing once then
>> goes away.
>> Can you tell me WHERE to install a new 'index' page ('Documents and
>> Settings/Administrator/something? so I can try that method to clear
>> this up? Or got any other ideas? And where would I go to make mail
>> and all the other links default to mozilla rather than IE?
>> Microsoft tech support cannot help me because I have an OEM serial
>> number. So I am seeking tech support from the readership here. If
>> someone will send me email who can help, I will supply that person
>> with an 800 number to reach me at by phone so it will not cost them
>> anything to call me, and I will be right at the affected computer to
>> follow their instructions. Thanks very much!
> The Microsoft-standard troubleshooting and repair script for all
> problems:
> 1) Exit the program and re-start it.
> Did that fix the problem? (If yes, you're done.)
> 2) Re-install the software, and re-start it.
> Did that fix the problem? (If yes, you're done.)
> 3) Re-install the operating system, re-start it. Re-install the
> application and start it. Did that fix the problem? (If yes,
> you're done.)
> 4) Sorry. Must be a hardware problem.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know you meant to tell a funny story
> but sorry, it was not all that funny.
It *wasn't* intended as a 'funny'.
It is, *UNFORTUNATELY*, _entirely_ serious.
That _is_ the list of steps _Microsoft_technical_support_ recommends
for all issues, where something "isn't working". (including the exact
wording of item #4.)
What =that= says about MS 'support', and/or the lack of ability to
identify _what_ is wrong that causes the aberrant behavior, is left to
the reader.
> I have done numbers 1 and 2 above; am not inclined to do number 3,
Microsoft tech support then closes the call. "Customer unwilling to
take recommended actions."
(I've been down that road with them.)
> and it is _not_ number 4 since the hardware, which is in common to
> both the Linux stuff inside the computer and the Windows 2000 stuff
> is working fine.
Microsoft tech support "knows more about things than you do" -- they
are *always* right about such matters. Ask _them_ -- they *will*
assure you of that fact. <wry grin>
> The problem still exists and I am still struggling with it, however
> there is one more piece of news in this process of elimination:
> Although Internet Explorer will not start up when the
> 'administrator' user is on line, I also created a user known as
> 'ptownson' and IE works fine on that 'user' account; just not on the
> administrator's account which is what I usually use.
> The problem (for those of you who missed my special mailing on it,
> is that (in the admin account) when I click on the icon for IE 6.0
> it stalls a few seconds, then _very briefly_ flashes up the browser
> program with a blank 'home page' then after a second or less zaps it
> away. If I wish to use the IE browser, I can go in through a 'back
> door' such as any page which presents a bunch of files, for example
> 'search' or 'desktop', move my mouse up to the address line and then
> manually edit the destination line and get to my 'home page' or any
> URL desired. But the clicker on my desktop will not work, nor will
> any link to click on which relies on IE getting open. Mozilla, which
> is another desktop icon works just fine, click on it, get my 'home
> page' and go to wherever. Now, if I could set the various program
> defaults so that Outlook Express for example and other programs
> currently relying on IE to operate instead went to Mozilla to
> operate, I suppose I could just write off IE entirely when using the
> administrator account_ on my Windows 2000. By the way, when I use
> >the 'ptownson' account on the same machine, everything works fine.
> What am I overlooking in the admin account?
%DIETY% only knows. MS-ware works by 'magic'. According to the
Redmond Mantra, users never have any need to know what goes on
'beneath the covers', so there aren't any records (you know, 'log
files' of what various things do, or 'what changed what', let alone
what it was 'changed from' and 'changed to'.
If everything is the way Microsoft 'intended it to be', the magic
works; if something _isn't_ the way Microsoft requires, There is no
provision for tracking down _what_ that 'something' is. The
"official" fix is to "put everything back to the Microsoft intended
it" -- which you accomplish by doing a 're-install'.
It is 'something' related to that user profile. Data for which is
scattered in several places. A bunch is in the registry. some may be
under: C:\Documents and Settings/{userid}/Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft or C:\Documents and Settings/{userid}/Application
Data\Microsoft and possibly several layers below either of those
points.
> What about read/write permissions on the 'home page'? It goes to
> look for the home page, sees the permissions won't allow it to be
> read, so it closes down and goes away?
I would expect a 4.0.3 error 'access denied'.
> What is the exact directory location in DOS where I can find that
> file?
The URL for the home page is, I *think*, in the registry.
"somewhere". (if so, it will be there twice -- once under
H_KEY_CURRENT_USER, and once in the administrator 'permanent' registry
items.
> Something like C:\documents and settings\administrator\something
> else? Clues are welcome. Look at the special request message in the
> special mailing Friday afternoon and see if you can help me. PAT]
Robert Bonomi (bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com)