IE7 crashes with link in mail

MickeyDM · 6th December 2008

My friends have a Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop using Avast AV, ZoneAlarm and set for automatic update for IE7 and SP3.

When clicking on a link in Outlook Express, IE7 crashes. The same link can be viewed by clicking on link in Yahoo email, which opens new page but when closing the page, it crashes IE7 and Yahoo mail.

Due to the timing of when this started, I think it is caused by SP3 but don't know what other problems may be caused by uninstalling SP3 to check it out. Anyone have any suggestions?

**Steve R Jones** · 7th December 2008

Please define "crashes."

MickeyDM · 7th December 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

Please define "crashes."

It bombs out, goes away, is no longer there to function. IE has to be loaded again to do anything with it, like surfing or reading yahoo mail.

**PeteC** · 7th December 2008

Try running IE with no add-ons .....

Right click IE desktop icon > Start without add-ons. If this resolves the problem restart IE and go Tools > Internet Options > Manage Add-ons and disable the lot. Re-enable one by one, testing each time until the culprit is found.

MickeyDM · 21st December 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteC

Try running IE with no add-ons .....

Right click IE desktop icon > Start without add-ons. If this resolves the problem restart IE and go Tools > Internet Options > Manage Add-ons and disable the lot. Re-enable one by one, testing each time until the culprit is found.

Thanks for reply but that didn't work; any other suggestions?

**PeteC** · 21st December 2008

Try a Reset of Internet Explorer - Tools > Internet Options > Advanced.

SP3 can be removed without any side effects through Add/Remove Programs - certainly if it was installed from a direct download .....

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...8-1E1555D4F3D4

Installation via Windows Update - did not use that route, but if it is shown in Add/Remove it can be removed.

MickeyDM · 27th January 2009

FWIW UPDATE in that none of the suggestions for IE worked/changed the
IE 7 crash but using Firefox, now their default browser, did not
display the same situation. It could be a bad install of IE7 and
resinstall would cure the problem but I did not have a copy with me and
my friends are in a dialup only area at this time so we did not
download IE7 to reinstall.

[sorry for the lengthy delay but the ailing computer and I are miles
away from each other and it took time to make a trip]

**PeteC** · 27th January 2009

Thanks for the update.

I omitted to mention earlier that if you wish to remove SP3 IE7 must be removed first to retain the ability to subsequently roll back to IE 6. Having removed SP3 reinstall IE7 and the roll back facility is retained.

If IE 7 is not removed prior to uninstalling SP3 the roll back facility is lost as the coding in IE7 is changed by SP3 although SP3 does not include IE7.

MickeyDM · 27th January 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteC

Thanks for the update.

I omitted to mention earlier that if you wish to remove SP3 IE7 must be removed first to retain the ability to subsequently roll back to IE 6. Having removed SP3 reinstall IE7 and the roll back facility is retained.

If IE 7 is not removed prior to uninstalling SP3 the roll back facility is lost as the coding in IE7 is changed by SP3 although SP3 does not include IE7.

Thanks Pete but uninstalling SP3 was not attempted because Firefox was installed and there was no similar crash with it. Wouldn't SP3 affect Firefox the same way if it were the cause?

**PeteC** · 27th January 2009

Quote:

Wouldn't SP3 affect Firefox the same way if it were the cause?

Not necessarily - IE is an integral part of Windows, Firefox is a standalone browser although it clearly integrates with Windows.

MickeyDM · 27th January 2009

Well, I didn't like leaving the computer misfunctioning and may visit them again with a copy of IE7 to see if it can be cleared up. My guess is that the unit was closed down while auto updates were installing.

Thanks for input.

**PeteC** · 27th January 2009

You could always try IE 8 RC1 .....

Internet Explorer 8 RC1 released

MickeyDM · 6th March 2009

I'm visiting my friends again to finish the job. Ie7 could not be uninstalled until SP3 was uninstalled, FWIW. Reinstallation of IE7 gave the same problem, so we didn't gain anything.

I could not find a way to prevent auto updates from reinstalling SP3 so they will have the same situation on the computer with IE but only if they use IE as the problem does not occur with Firefox.

**PeteC** · 6th March 2009

Quote:

Ie7 could not be uninstalled until SP3 was uninstalled, FWIW

As I noted in post #8

and discussed here.

Quote:

I could not find a way to prevent auto updates from reinstalling SP3

Switch from Automatic to Notify and when the shield pops up uncheck SP3 and if it pops up again there is a dialogue to not show the update again. If using Windows/Microsoft Update directly do not use Express - use Custom and uncheck SP3 and then onto Other updates.

On Auto SP3 will be installed automatically come what may

MickeyDM · 6th March 2009

Thanks, that's how my computers are set up but I didn't know that was the only way to stop a download. I thought I read that one could go to Windows Update and use Administration to stop a specific download but found nothing so will change accordingly to what you said temporarily, long enough to stop SP3. Thanks again.