IE10 stopped working.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robin Bignall
  • Start date Start date
R

Robin Bignall

Just to see if anyone has the same problem. I don't want to start a
futile discussion of which browser is best.
Tonight, IE10 in all its forms stopped working -- even the one with no
add-ons. I just get an error box telling me it's stopped working and
has encountered an error. Nothing more. Further attempts to run it
produce nothing. Funny thing is that it's not listed in Ad/Del
Programs, so I can't uninstall it and try again.
I have Revo uninstall Pro and can force it to uninstall all mention of
iexplore, but that would clear IE -- all versions -- from the system.
I also have backups that I can install tomorrow, so no crisis, but was
wondering if this has happened elsewhere.
 
Robin said:
Just to see if anyone has the same problem. I don't want to start a
futile discussion of which browser is best.
Tonight, IE10 in all its forms stopped working -- even the one with no
add-ons. I just get an error box telling me it's stopped working and
has encountered an error. Nothing more. Further attempts to run it
produce nothing. Funny thing is that it's not listed in Ad/Del
Programs, so I can't uninstall it and try again.
I have Revo uninstall Pro and can force it to uninstall all mention of
iexplore, but that would clear IE -- all versions -- from the system.
I also have backups that I can install tomorrow, so no crisis, but was
wondering if this has happened elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Well, I wouldn't be too "quick on the draw" with Revo Uninstall.

The thing is, Microsoft makes the browser do two things. First, it's
a browser (duh). But, behind the scenes, it is also used as an
"HTML engine". Take for example, certain help files, which are
internally coded in HTML or similar - the operating system calls
the HTML engine, to process those files. So, if you "hammer" IE,
then suddenly, auxiliary functions on your system end up broken.
That's why Microsoft would have claimed in the past, you cannot
uninstall the browser - because of the side effects.

The same would happen with Metro on Windows 8. On the one hand, a
user might say "I hate those tiles, be gone". Sure, you remove
the software that renders them, and the tiles disappear. But
plenty of other little gadgets and icons on the desktop, also
use an "engine" provided by the software. So removal is not
"side-effect free".

The reason I would try the reset option first, is to try
to clear out any registry settings for later (like, if you
have to reinstall IE10).

*******

"Reset Internet Explorer Settings for me"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737

"Note: The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature does not
clear the favorites or clear the feeds.

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature disables all
toolbars, browser extensions, and customizations that you install.
[that could include invisible things...]

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature deletes
temporary Internet files and cookies. It also clears the
browsing history, saved form data, saved passwords, and
auto-complete data.
"
"Repair or reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

In your case, you cannot find the entry to do anything with
it. I would search in the installation folder, for an uninstaller
file.

*******

OK, found an example here. In the second link, somebody uses wusa.exe,
which I've never heard of.

"Description of the Windows Update Standalone Installer in Windows [wusa.exe]"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934307

http://forums.manageengine.com/topic/uninstall-ie-10

wusa.exe /uninstall /quiet /norestart /KB:2718695

So that suggests IE10, rather than appearing as a "Program",
may be hiding in amongst the KB security updates, as KB2718695.

You might verify that you've got the correct KB, before doing that :-)

"Internet Explorer 10 is now available for Windows 8 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2718695

So rather than there being an "uninstall.exe", there is another
mechanism. Where would we be, without a multitude of
installer options ?

You could go back to Programs and Features, and try uninstalling
the KB2718695 the "normal way", rather than using wusa.exe. It
probably uses wusa.exe in the background anyway.

HTH,
Paul
 
Robin said:
Just to see if anyone has the same problem. I don't want to start a
futile discussion of which browser is best.
Tonight, IE10 in all its forms stopped working -- even the one with no
add-ons. I just get an error box telling me it's stopped working and
has encountered an error. Nothing more. Further attempts to run it
produce nothing. Funny thing is that it's not listed in Ad/Del
Programs, so I can't uninstall it and try again.
I have Revo uninstall Pro and can force it to uninstall all mention of
iexplore, but that would clear IE -- all versions -- from the system.
I also have backups that I can install tomorrow, so no crisis, but was
wondering if this has happened elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Well, I wouldn't be too "quick on the draw" with Revo Uninstall.

The thing is, Microsoft makes the browser do two things. First, it's
a browser (duh). But, behind the scenes, it is also used as an
"HTML engine". Take for example, certain help files, which are
internally coded in HTML or similar - the operating system calls
the HTML engine, to process those files. So, if you "hammer" IE,
then suddenly, auxiliary functions on your system end up broken.
That's why Microsoft would have claimed in the past, you cannot
uninstall the browser - because of the side effects.

The same would happen with Metro on Windows 8. On the one hand, a
user might say "I hate those tiles, be gone". Sure, you remove
the software that renders them, and the tiles disappear. But
plenty of other little gadgets and icons on the desktop, also
use an "engine" provided by the software. So removal is not
"side-effect free".

The reason I would try the reset option first, is to try
to clear out any registry settings for later (like, if you
have to reinstall IE10).

*******

"Reset Internet Explorer Settings for me"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737

"Note: The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature does not
clear the favorites or clear the feeds.

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature disables all
toolbars, browser extensions, and customizations that you install.
[that could include invisible things...]

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature deletes
temporary Internet files and cookies. It also clears the
browsing history, saved form data, saved passwords, and
auto-complete data.
"
"Repair or reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

In your case, you cannot find the entry to do anything with
it. I would search in the installation folder, for an uninstaller
file.

*******

OK, found an example here. In the second link, somebody uses wusa.exe,
which I've never heard of.

"Description of the Windows Update Standalone Installer in Windows [wusa.exe]"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934307

http://forums.manageengine.com/topic/uninstall-ie-10

wusa.exe /uninstall /quiet /norestart /KB:2718695

So that suggests IE10, rather than appearing as a "Program",
may be hiding in amongst the KB security updates, as KB2718695.

You might verify that you've got the correct KB, before doing that :-)

"Internet Explorer 10 is now available for Windows 8 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2718695

So rather than there being an "uninstall.exe", there is another
mechanism. Where would we be, without a multitude of
installer options ?

You could go back to Programs and Features, and try uninstalling
the KB2718695 the "normal way", rather than using wusa.exe. It
probably uses wusa.exe in the background anyway.
Click to expand...
I am much obliged, Paul, with the work you put into replies on this
group. It is invaluable.
What I did on Tuesday night, apart from reading groups and emails, was
to notice from a security bulletin that M$ has issued a new release of
EMET. (I'm not going into what EMET does to supplement other means to
detect and stop rogue behaviour: it can be read about at
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39273
and expand the first item 'Details'.)

I already had EMET 3.5, so this was by nature an update. Emet4 requires
..NET4, so I downloaded Net4 first, then went to Windows Updates to get
the latest updates, then installed EMET4, which worked fine.

But clicking on IE10 effectively did nothing. The first time I got "IE
has encountered an error", with the green thing that says it's looking
for a solution, then it gave up. Subsequent clicks did nothing.
Now I know that this isn't the first time that an update has caused
Windows to misbehave. But Windows 7 is supposed to be more resilient
and recoverable than XP, and IE10 is a major component. To have it die
without even a murmur or any suggestions for repair was quite a shock.

Anyway, this morning I ran up an image backup from late Monday night,
which ran perfectly. Then I installed .NET4 again, checked that IE was
running, then installed EMET4, again successfully. So all is OK.

Your post is definitely a keeper. Thanks again for that.
 
Robin said:
Robin said:
Just to see if anyone has the same problem. I don't want to start a
futile discussion of which browser is best.
Tonight, IE10 in all its forms stopped working -- even the one with no
add-ons. I just get an error box telling me it's stopped working and
has encountered an error. Nothing more. Further attempts to run it
produce nothing. Funny thing is that it's not listed in Ad/Del
Programs, so I can't uninstall it and try again.
I have Revo uninstall Pro and can force it to uninstall all mention of
iexplore, but that would clear IE -- all versions -- from the system.
I also have backups that I can install tomorrow, so no crisis, but was
wondering if this has happened elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Well, I wouldn't be too "quick on the draw" with Revo Uninstall.

The thing is, Microsoft makes the browser do two things. First, it's
a browser (duh). But, behind the scenes, it is also used as an
"HTML engine". Take for example, certain help files, which are
internally coded in HTML or similar - the operating system calls
the HTML engine, to process those files. So, if you "hammer" IE,
then suddenly, auxiliary functions on your system end up broken.
That's why Microsoft would have claimed in the past, you cannot
uninstall the browser - because of the side effects.

The same would happen with Metro on Windows 8. On the one hand, a
user might say "I hate those tiles, be gone". Sure, you remove
the software that renders them, and the tiles disappear. But
plenty of other little gadgets and icons on the desktop, also
use an "engine" provided by the software. So removal is not
"side-effect free".

The reason I would try the reset option first, is to try
to clear out any registry settings for later (like, if you
have to reinstall IE10).

*******

"Reset Internet Explorer Settings for me"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737

"Note: The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature does not
clear the favorites or clear the feeds.

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature disables all
toolbars, browser extensions, and customizations that you install.
[that could include invisible things...]

The Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature deletes
temporary Internet files and cookies. It also clears the
browsing history, saved form data, saved passwords, and
auto-complete data.
"
"Repair or reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

In your case, you cannot find the entry to do anything with
it. I would search in the installation folder, for an uninstaller
file.

*******

OK, found an example here. In the second link, somebody uses wusa.exe,
which I've never heard of.

"Description of the Windows Update Standalone Installer in Windows [wusa.exe]"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934307

http://forums.manageengine.com/topic/uninstall-ie-10

wusa.exe /uninstall /quiet /norestart /KB:2718695

So that suggests IE10, rather than appearing as a "Program",
may be hiding in amongst the KB security updates, as KB2718695.

You might verify that you've got the correct KB, before doing that :-)

"Internet Explorer 10 is now available for Windows 8 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2718695

So rather than there being an "uninstall.exe", there is another
mechanism. Where would we be, without a multitude of
installer options ?

You could go back to Programs and Features, and try uninstalling
the KB2718695 the "normal way", rather than using wusa.exe. It
probably uses wusa.exe in the background anyway.
Click to expand...
I am much obliged, Paul, with the work you put into replies on this
group. It is invaluable.
What I did on Tuesday night, apart from reading groups and emails, was
to notice from a security bulletin that M$ has issued a new release of
EMET. (I'm not going into what EMET does to supplement other means to
detect and stop rogue behaviour: it can be read about at
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39273
and expand the first item 'Details'.)

I already had EMET 3.5, so this was by nature an update. Emet4 requires
.NET4, so I downloaded Net4 first, then went to Windows Updates to get
the latest updates, then installed EMET4, which worked fine.

But clicking on IE10 effectively did nothing. The first time I got "IE
has encountered an error", with the green thing that says it's looking
for a solution, then it gave up. Subsequent clicks did nothing.
Now I know that this isn't the first time that an update has caused
Windows to misbehave. But Windows 7 is supposed to be more resilient
and recoverable than XP, and IE10 is a major component. To have it die
without even a murmur or any suggestions for repair was quite a shock.

Anyway, this morning I ran up an image backup from late Monday night,
which ran perfectly. Then I installed .NET4 again, checked that IE was
running, then installed EMET4, again successfully. So all is OK.

Your post is definitely a keeper. Thanks again for that.
Click to expand...

OK, note that when you install a .NET update, the .NET "compiler"
scans the machine for .NET executables, and recompiles them. The
idea is, it reduces the time for .NET executables to start. At
one time, a .NET executable would be compiled somehow at runtime
(maybe converted from a bytecode to actual executable code).
(There may be a cache folder somewhere, holding the executable
representation or something.)

If you're doing .NET, you can reboot, watch for disk activity,
and take a break until it is finished.

From memory, there is a program called "NGEN" that runs and
does the preparation of the .NET junk.

The reason for mentioning this, is perhaps there was some
disturbance from the NGEN at work at the time. It was my
understanding, that a .NET program launched, would not
be dependent on whether the .NET was compiled or not,
and that it could still be runtime compiled. (If the cache
is empty, something .NET should still be able to runtime
compile.)

I'm only mentioning this as a possible complication.

Since the presence of .NET 4.0 "gates" the installation
of some software, it is also possible that the installation
of .NET 4.0, allowed some other piece of crap to start running.
I had something funny like that happen on my computer here,
Java related. An installer had been installed on the machine,
but could not run (because I don't like to keep Java loaded).
I installed Java for some experiment I was doing, and
that installer started running and scared the crap out of me.
I thought at first I was infected. It was just the Java based
installer, finally getting a chance to run, for a piece of
hardware that wasn't even in the machine any more. Maybe
..NET 4.0 could have the same side effect.

Paul
 
[detail removed for brevity]
Sure is possible.
What still concerns me is that a major piece of Win7 stopped working and
M$ had nothing to say about it. Normally, if there's an error, Windows7
brings up the sliding green bar telling you it's looking for a solution.
If it doesn't find anything but the problem is known, it must phone
home, because when you exit, quite often a M$ web page appears that
gives some advice.
None of this happened. I don't know much about .NET; I just install the
one that whatever I'm trying to install asks for. I think you're right,
and something didn't get installed properly. Thank goodness for
frequent backups!
 
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