IE7 opens a blank IE6 page when clicking URL

[Thierry D]

Hi, I have an issue with 2 users at my office. They both run Windows XP SP3
with IE7. The issue is the following: when no website is opened, they open
one either through hyperlink or desktop icon, it then opens a blank IE6 page
which freezes for a minute or so, then the requested page opens. The blank
IE6 page stays there and can't be used to navigate at all.
I tried applying this fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945385/fr
but no success...any ideas?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Please define "IE6 page"? Also answer the following questions by number in
your reply:

1. Which was installed first, IE7 or SP3?

2. Are both computers fully-patched at Windows Update?

4. Has a Repair Install of WinXP ever been done on these two computers for
some reason?

5. Does the behavior persist if you Reset IE Advanced settings (RIES) &
reboot?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737

6. What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these applications running
in the background when you installed IE7 and/or SP3?

7. Has a(nother) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on these
machines (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


Thierry D wrote:
> Hi, I have an issue with 2 users at my office. They both run Windows XP
> SP3
> with IE7. The issue is the following: when no website is opened, they
> open
> one either through hyperlink or desktop icon, it then opens a blank IE6
> page
> which freezes for a minute or so, then the requested page opens. The blank
> IE6 page stays there and can't be used to navigate at all.
> I tried applying this fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945385/fr
> but no success...any ideas?

 

[Thierry D]

The blank page that opens has the IE6 icon at the top right corner and the
related process is explorer.exe in the task manager (instead of iexplorer.exe
for IE7)
Also:
1. IE7 was installed first, we just upgraded to SP3.
2. We do not use Windows update to patch our computers, we use a third-party
application but yes both laptops are fully patched.
3. (You skipped question number 3?)
4. The repair Install wasn’t performed on any of those computers. One of the
2 is brand new HP 6930p, just imaged and configured.
5. Just applied the fix and the behavior remains after reboot. (21-05-2010)
6. McAfee suite is what we use and it is fully registered. No anti-spyware
and no third-party firewall. Odds are that the suite was running when we
upgraded to SP3 but not IE7.
7. No


"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Please define "IE6 page"? Also answer the following questions by number in
> your reply:
>
> 1. Which was installed first, IE7 or SP3?
>
> 2. Are both computers fully-patched at Windows Update?
>
> 4. Has a Repair Install of WinXP ever been done on these two computers for
> some reason?
>
> 5. Does the behavior persist if you Reset IE Advanced settings (RIES) &
> reboot?
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737
>
> 6. What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
> What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these applications running
> in the background when you installed IE7 and/or SP3?
>
> 7. Has a(nother) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on these
> machines (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
> it)?
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>
>
> Thierry D wrote:
> > Hi, I have an issue with 2 users at my office. They both run Windows XP
> > SP3
> > with IE7. The issue is the following: when no website is opened, they
> > open
> > one either through hyperlink or desktop icon, it then opens a blank IE6
> > page
> > which freezes for a minute or so, then the requested page opens. The blank
> > IE6 page stays there and can't be used to navigate at all.
> > I tried applying this fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945385/fr
> > but no success...any ideas?
>
> .
>

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

> We do not use Windows update to patch our computers, we use a third-party
> application but yes both laptops are fully patched.

Does http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com say they're fully-patched?

> McAfee suite is what we use and it is fully registered.

Would that be McAfee Internet Security, McAfee Total Protection, (God
forbid) McAfee Security Center (freebie or paid version), or...?

> IE7 was installed first, we just upgraded to SP3.

Why wasn't SP3 installed two years ago when it was released?

If you disable all McAfee processes (i.e., anti-virus; anti-spyware;
firewall), enable the Windows Firewall, uninstall SP3, reboot twice and do
NOT reinstall SP3 yet, does the behavior persist?

References:

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950249

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation [and
uninstall]
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
--
~PA Bear


Thierry D wrote:
> The blank page that opens has the IE6 icon at the top right corner and the
> related process is explorer.exe in the task manager (instead of
> iexplorer.exe for IE7)
> Also:
> 1. IE7 was installed first, we just upgraded to SP3.
> 2. We do not use Windows update to patch our computers, we use a
> third-party
> application but yes both laptops are fully patched.
> 3. (You skipped question number 3?)
> 4. The repair Install wasn’t performed on any of those computers. One of
> the
> 2 is brand new HP 6930p, just imaged and configured.
> 5. Just applied the fix and the behavior remains after reboot.
> (21-05-2010)
> 6. McAfee suite is what we use and it is fully registered. No anti-spyware
> and no third-party firewall. Odds are that the suite was running when we
> upgraded to SP3 but not IE7.
> 7. No
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>> Please define "IE6 page"? Also answer the following questions by number
>> in
>> your reply:
>>
>> 1. Which was installed first, IE7 or SP3?
>>
>> 2. Are both computers fully-patched at Windows Update?
>>
>> 4. Has a Repair Install of WinXP ever been done on these two computers
>> for
>> some reason?
>>
>> 5. Does the behavior persist if you Reset IE Advanced settings (RIES) &
>> reboot?
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737
>>
>> 6. What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these
>> applications running in the background when you installed IE7 and/or SP3?
>>
>> 7. Has a(nother) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on
>> these
>> machines (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
>> bought
>> it)?
>> --
>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>>
>>
>> Thierry D wrote:
>>> Hi, I have an issue with 2 users at my office. They both run Windows XP
>>> SP3
>>> with IE7. The issue is the following: when no website is opened, they
>>> open
>>> one either through hyperlink or desktop icon, it then opens a blank IE6
>>> page
>>> which freezes for a minute or so, then the requested page opens. The
>>> blank
>>> IE6 page stays there and can't be used to navigate at all.
>>> I tried applying this fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945385/fr
>>> but no success...any ideas?
>>
>> .

 

[Dan]

"Thierry D" <Thierry D@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E9795983-2E6C-4524-9B20-7FA9CCAFB178@microsoft.com...
> Hi, I have an issue with 2 users at my office. They both run Windows XP
> SP3
> with IE7. The issue is the following: when no website is opened, they
> open
> one either through hyperlink or desktop icon, it then opens a blank IE6
> page
> which freezes for a minute or so, then the requested page opens. The blank
> IE6 page stays there and can't be used to navigate at all.
> I tried applying this fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945385/fr
> but no success...any ideas?

Check the settings for opening URLs - I'm guessing that they've been set to
default to using the old IE6 Explorer Mode, which is commonly used on Citrix
setups. This has a habit of not working properly once IE7 is installed, but
what a lot of admins seem to do is change the program association to the
cwindows\ie6\iexplore.exe application which is something Citrix has
suggested in the knowledge base - but this can have unexpected problems.

--
Dan