IE6 (SP2) refuses connections while downloading

N

newsrider3

I have found that IE6 (SP2) on my Windows XP Home is very reluctant to
connect to another website while a download is in progress. [This problem
did not happen with SP1.] Occasionally it will connect if I click the
Refresh button several times, but usually it returns the infamous 'site not
found' white screen.

Apparently this problem is caused by improper process priorities, because it
can be corrected by opening Windows Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete),
rightclick the iexplore.exe process which is doing the downloading, and set
its priority to "BelowNormal". After doing so, another instance of IE can be
opened and it will connect to websites normally, albeit slowly. I can accept
slowness, but not a complete refusal to connect, which I consider a bug in
IE6 (SP2).

This seems somewhat more effective than raising the priority of the new
iexplore.exe process, but it's a little "tricky" because... after one
connection had been made, it tends to continue to connect OK regardless of
process priorities. It's like IE needs to get over an initial "hump"
(connect once), then it works sorta normally again.

With that premise in mind, now my question...

Is there any way to make this automatic, so the download process is
automatically at a reduced priority? Or is there any other way to fix this
bug in IE6 (SP2)?
 
P

PA Bear

This is not known or default behaviour in IE6/SP2.

How do you connect? Is a router involved? What third-party security tools
or suites are running in the background (e.g., anything by Norton or McAfee,
pop-up stoppers, etc.)?

Was your anti-virus application running and/or were other Internet Explorer
windows open when you installed SP2 or post-SP2 updates?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Posting and You
http://www.trials-shack.co.uk/posting.html
 
N

newsrider3

Thanks for your reply....

I connect via a 56K dialup winmodem. This is a 1-person, non-networked,
stand-alone PC (no router).

I just put in a new hard drive about a week ago and reinstalled everything
clean. My procedure was to install the Compaq XP Home op system first from
their set of recovery CDs, then all of the op system/driver updates
published at the Compaq/HP website for my model (some are required before
installing SP2), then SP2 from the CD which I received in the mail from MS.
I was still working offline at that point and hadn't installed an antivirus,
firewall, nor any other software yet. There were no IE windows (nor any
other extraneous windows) open during this part of the process. So SP2 got
as close to a clean install as is possible!!

Of course I then installed an anti-virus and firewall before going online to
get the post-SP2 updates from Windows Update. And yes, of course, they were
running when those updates were downloaded & installed. I don't remember for
sure if/what other windows were open during that part of the process. I was
using the AVG anti-virus at that time.

This clean (hopefully) reinstall of my op system on a new hard drive has
produced exactly the same problem as with my old hard drive/installation - a
strong reluctance for IE to connect to another website while a download is
in progress. This was never a problem with SP1. I distinctly remember that
this problem started right after I installed SP2 (on top of SP1) when it was
first released in Aug'04.

I've now installed all of my other software including Spybot-S&D, and have
activated their resident "SDHelper", which is an IE bad download blocker
that blocks download of spyware, malware, etc. I didn't think of this as a
possibility and need to test it. My computer is currently busy with other
tasks, but I should be able to find enough free time to run that test later
today.
--
newsrider3


PA Bear said:
This is not known or default behaviour in IE6/SP2.

How do you connect? Is a router involved? What third-party security
tools or suites are running in the background (e.g., anything by Norton or
McAfee, pop-up stoppers, etc.)?

Was your anti-virus application running and/or were other Internet
Explorer windows open when you installed SP2 or post-SP2 updates?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Posting and You
http://www.trials-shack.co.uk/posting.html
I have found that IE6 (SP2) on my Windows XP Home is very reluctant to
connect to another website while a download is in progress. [This problem
did not happen with SP1.] Occasionally it will connect if I click the
Refresh button several times, but usually it returns the infamous 'site
not
found' white screen.

Apparently this problem is caused by improper process priorities, because
it
can be corrected by opening Windows Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete),
rightclick the iexplore.exe process which is doing the downloading, and
set
its priority to "BelowNormal". After doing so, another instance of IE can
be
opened and it will connect to websites normally, albeit slowly. I can
accept
slowness, but not a complete refusal to connect, which I consider a bug
in
IE6 (SP2).

This seems somewhat more effective than raising the priority of the new
iexplore.exe process, but it's a little "tricky" because... after one
connection had been made, it tends to continue to connect OK regardless
of
process priorities. It's like IE needs to get over an initial "hump"
(connect once), then it works sorta normally again.

With that premise in mind, now my question...

Is there any way to make this automatic, so the download process is
automatically at a reduced priority? Or is there any other way to fix
this
bug in IE6 (SP2)?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
F

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP IE/OE

If you installed another firewall did you turn off the Windows firewall that
is automatically installed and turned on by SP2?

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx

newsrider3 said:
Thanks for your reply....

I connect via a 56K dialup winmodem. This is a 1-person,
non-networked, stand-alone PC (no router).

I just put in a new hard drive about a week ago and reinstalled
everything clean. My procedure was to install the Compaq XP Home op
system first from their set of recovery CDs, then all of the op
system/driver updates published at the Compaq/HP website for my model
(some are required before installing SP2), then SP2 from the CD which
I received in the mail from MS. I was still working offline at that
point and hadn't installed an antivirus, firewall, nor any other
software yet. There were no IE windows (nor any other extraneous
windows) open during this part of the process. So SP2 got as close to
a clean install as is possible!!
Of course I then installed an anti-virus and firewall before going
online to get the post-SP2 updates from Windows Update. And yes, of
course, they were running when those updates were downloaded &
installed. I don't remember for sure if/what other windows were open
during that part of the process. I was using the AVG anti-virus at
that time.
This clean (hopefully) reinstall of my op system on a new hard drive
has produced exactly the same problem as with my old hard
drive/installation - a strong reluctance for IE to connect to another
website while a download is in progress. This was never a problem
with SP1. I distinctly remember that this problem started right after
I installed SP2 (on top of SP1) when it was first released in Aug'04.

I've now installed all of my other software including Spybot-S&D, and
have activated their resident "SDHelper", which is an IE bad download
blocker that blocks download of spyware, malware, etc. I didn't
think of this as a possibility and need to test it. My computer is
currently busy with other tasks, but I should be able to find enough
free time to run that test later today.

PA Bear said:
This is not known or default behaviour in IE6/SP2.

How do you connect? Is a router involved? What third-party security
tools or suites are running in the background (e.g., anything by
Norton or McAfee, pop-up stoppers, etc.)?

Was your anti-virus application running and/or were other Internet
Explorer windows open when you installed SP2 or post-SP2 updates?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Posting and You
http://www.trials-shack.co.uk/posting.html
I have found that IE6 (SP2) on my Windows XP Home is very reluctant
to connect to another website while a download is in progress.
[This problem did not happen with SP1.] Occasionally it will
connect if I click the Refresh button several times, but usually it
returns the infamous 'site not
found' white screen.

Apparently this problem is caused by improper process priorities,
because it
can be corrected by opening Windows Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete),
rightclick the iexplore.exe process which is doing the downloading,
and set
its priority to "BelowNormal". After doing so, another instance of
IE can be
opened and it will connect to websites normally, albeit slowly. I
can accept
slowness, but not a complete refusal to connect, which I consider a
bug in
IE6 (SP2).

This seems somewhat more effective than raising the priority of the
new iexplore.exe process, but it's a little "tricky" because...
after one connection had been made, it tends to continue to connect
OK regardless of
process priorities. It's like IE needs to get over an initial "hump"
(connect once), then it works sorta normally again.

With that premise in mind, now my question...

Is there any way to make this automatic, so the download process is
automatically at a reduced priority? Or is there any other way to
fix this
bug in IE6 (SP2)?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
N

newsrider3

Yes, windows firewall is turned OFF. I've doublechecked it several times,
and it remains OFF.

But that train of thought brings to mind another test that should be run...
Turn off my ZoneAlarm firewall temporarily, turn on the windows firewall,
and see if the problem persists.
--
newsrider3


Frank Saunders said:
If you installed another firewall did you turn off the Windows firewall
that is automatically installed and turned on by SP2?

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx

newsrider3 said:
Thanks for your reply....

I connect via a 56K dialup winmodem. This is a 1-person,
non-networked, stand-alone PC (no router).

I just put in a new hard drive about a week ago and reinstalled
everything clean. My procedure was to install the Compaq XP Home op
system first from their set of recovery CDs, then all of the op
system/driver updates published at the Compaq/HP website for my model
(some are required before installing SP2), then SP2 from the CD which
I received in the mail from MS. I was still working offline at that
point and hadn't installed an antivirus, firewall, nor any other
software yet. There were no IE windows (nor any other extraneous
windows) open during this part of the process. So SP2 got as close to
a clean install as is possible!!
Of course I then installed an anti-virus and firewall before going
online to get the post-SP2 updates from Windows Update. And yes, of
course, they were running when those updates were downloaded &
installed. I don't remember for sure if/what other windows were open
during that part of the process. I was using the AVG anti-virus at
that time.
This clean (hopefully) reinstall of my op system on a new hard drive
has produced exactly the same problem as with my old hard
drive/installation - a strong reluctance for IE to connect to another
website while a download is in progress. This was never a problem
with SP1. I distinctly remember that this problem started right after
I installed SP2 (on top of SP1) when it was first released in Aug'04.

I've now installed all of my other software including Spybot-S&D, and
have activated their resident "SDHelper", which is an IE bad download
blocker that blocks download of spyware, malware, etc. I didn't
think of this as a possibility and need to test it. My computer is
currently busy with other tasks, but I should be able to find enough
free time to run that test later today.

PA Bear said:
This is not known or default behaviour in IE6/SP2.

How do you connect? Is a router involved? What third-party security
tools or suites are running in the background (e.g., anything by
Norton or McAfee, pop-up stoppers, etc.)?

Was your anti-virus application running and/or were other Internet
Explorer windows open when you installed SP2 or post-SP2 updates?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Posting and You
http://www.trials-shack.co.uk/posting.html

newsrider3 wrote:
I have found that IE6 (SP2) on my Windows XP Home is very reluctant
to connect to another website while a download is in progress.
[This problem did not happen with SP1.] Occasionally it will
connect if I click the Refresh button several times, but usually it
returns the infamous 'site not
found' white screen.

Apparently this problem is caused by improper process priorities,
because it
can be corrected by opening Windows Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete),
rightclick the iexplore.exe process which is doing the downloading,
and set
its priority to "BelowNormal". After doing so, another instance of
IE can be
opened and it will connect to websites normally, albeit slowly. I
can accept
slowness, but not a complete refusal to connect, which I consider a
bug in
IE6 (SP2).

This seems somewhat more effective than raising the priority of the
new iexplore.exe process, but it's a little "tricky" because...
after one connection had been made, it tends to continue to connect
OK regardless of
process priorities. It's like IE needs to get over an initial "hump"
(connect once), then it works sorta normally again.

With that premise in mind, now my question...

Is there any way to make this automatic, so the download process is
automatically at a reduced priority? Or is there any other way to
fix this
bug in IE6 (SP2)?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
N

newsrider3

I've tried to run various tests but can't get any cooperation from IE...
Regardless of what I try, my IE is currently connecting to other websites OK
while a download is in progress! So this is an on-again, off-again kind of
problem, unpredictable, cause unknown.

Just a hunch, but I wonder if it could be an ISP-imposed limitation on my
dialup modem connection, or somehow relate to the bandwidth they afford to
my connection. I don't know enough about TCP/IP to say if that's a
possibility.
 
N

newsrider3

That might be it. Thanks. I had my TIF cache set to 10MB for awhile. Why?
Because I read somewhere it was a good idea, but perhaps not! Then, I've
increased it to 100MB very recently, which might account for the apparently
unreproducible behaviour of my system during IE downloads.

Your MVP article suggests to delete the history, temporary internet files,
and cookies folders directly from Windows Explorer in Windows XP. I used to
have a batch file to do that chore with W98se, but have never run across one
for XP. The XP folder nests are complicated, and I'm uncertain about it.
Would the correct paths be(?):

c:\documents and settings\owner\local settings\cookies
c:\documents and settings\owner\local settings\history
c:\documents and settings\owner\local settings\temporary internet files

Obviously I'm the "owner", and I seem to have 'administrator rights' for
almost everything I've tried. But to complicate things there are parallel
folder nests under 'documents and settings' for administrator, all users,
and default user. So I wonder if just deleting those folders for "owner"
will be sufficient? I know that sometimes I must access the entries under
'all users' too if I want to modify the start menu.
 
N

newsrider3

That didn't work. Those folders won't delete. I got the message that they're
windows system folders and cannot be deleted.

I wonder if they'll delete from safe mode?

Or do I have to try to figure out how to use the Recovery Console? I would
need some help with the latter, which I've never tried. I know how to get
there, but then I'm lost. Looks like it's all DOS stuff, which leaves me
feeling very unconfident, and I wouldn't risk it without some specific &
expert directions.
 
N

newsrider3

I've never heard the term "Default Administrator" account.
I have XP Home (SP2).
Safe mode offers me the option to login as either Administrator or Owner.
Fortunately I have never been offered a logon option when I boot into
regular windows mode, and I won't take any risks whatsoever that might
change that. That's exactly like I want it! I've only had headaches in the
past where logons are involved.
 

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