Internet/Windows Explorer disappearing, hanging, or not starting

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roger Redford
  • Start date Start date
R

Roger Redford

Hello,

I have some very strange symptoms lately.

I am running a Dell 4550 with XP Pro.
Internet Explorer is: 6.0.2800.


For a number of weeks, when using the machine,
suddenly on the screen, the toolbar, and all the apps
would disappear. I would only see the wallpaper.
Then, after a while, I would get the applications back.

I can't remember if Windows Explorer could come back
or not. If it did, they would be on the extreme right
hand side. But they were not there before.



Lately, I'm getting really STRANGE symptoms.
Sometimes, I can't start either Windows Explorer, or
Internet explorer. I click, or double click as usual,
but nothing happens. If that isn't enough, I also
cannot bring up the dial up properties box to
disconnect the phone line. And even worse, I can't
shut down the machine in the usual manner. I've had
to hit the power bar, which I don't like to do.

Things seem to lock. Sometimes, I've been able to
close one explorer, and the others that I've tried
to start, will suddenly appear.

Sometimes, in Task Manager, I will see that some IE
are "not responding", so I will end them. Then, the
others will pop up.


Has anyone had these symptoms? Any ideas?

Thanks
 
Well, here is what I did:

Did a system restore to about a month previous.

It works pretty normally. But occassionally, I still get Windows
Explorer crashing. Although, that had been there before.

I've since added two Windows updates:
KB828028 - Security Update for Windows XP
KB832894 - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 6 Service
Pack 1

Note: some Installations that I had done, and restored to previous:

- Installed networking. Tried to get 4550 and 4600 to talk to each
other.
- Installed new Intel drivers for the network.
- Because of the network, I started getting blue screens.

- Installed new ATI drivers.
- Installed some Windows critical updates. A number were concerning
Internet Explorer.


Good luck to anyone with the same mysterious symptoms.

What I would recommend is one Windows update per day, and a few
reboots to make sure it is working normally.
 
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