Hi,
That's a good test to run. A program which doesn't load in Safe Mode is
obviously causing the problem. To narrow it down a little more, disable
add-ons from IE> Tools> Manage add-ons. See if one of them is the culprit.
Otherwise, disable third-party programs which might be interacting with IE
(security, privacy, etc.) from MSCONFIG> Startup or from within the program
itself. Note: Norton Internet Security can cause this problem. Visit
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/index.html if NIS appears to be the guilty
party.
If you disable a third-party firewall as a test, be sure to enable the
Windows Firewall from from Control Panel or Security Center.
Your problem may be malware (hijacker, trojan, spyware, etc)
See these sites for help:
The Parasite Fight
http://www.aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
Malware Removal and Prevention Overview - CastleCopsWiki:
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Overview
Bugs, Glitches & Stuffups:
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.html
Removing Malware:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
What you can do about spyware and other unwanted software:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/spywarewhat.mspx
Hope this helps,
Don
[MS MVP- IE]