Files won't download in IE6

If I go to download.com (or any other website for that matter) and I click to download any file, the file will never download. I get the "unable to open website" message. This happens on any website, any file. I've gone to windows.com to download DirectX 9 and I get the same message. The rest of the internet works fine. I can browse websites, newsgroups, I can even run windows update and the files are downloaded by the updater just fine. FTP also works. I've reinstalled IE6 and the problems continue. However, no files will download. Does anyone have any tips or advice? Thanks! BTW...my ISP is DirecTV DSL, which is going out of business in a few weeks...could this problem be on their side?

ATHLON XP 2000+
256 RAM
Windows XP

 

Open IE, click on TOOLS and then INTERNET OPTIONS. Click on the Security Tab and then click on CUSTOM LEVEL. When the window opens scroll down to DOWNLOADS - FILE DOWNLOADS and make sure that ENABLE is selected.

Let us know if this corrects the problem.

HTH

 

Files Download was enabled...

I checked the settings and file download was enabled. Files still don't download...I don't think I can even call my ISP since they are going out of business...

 

Delete this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extension\.exe

 

That key is not in the registry...

Under extension, the only keys are:

.pdf
.spop


Is that good or bad?

 

How long have you been experiencing this problem?

Were you ever able to download?

Have you tried using a third party downloader? There are several good free ones available. Personally I use Fresh Download. Here's the link if you want to take a look at it:

Fresh Download

Of course, beings you're unable to download anything maybe a friend could download a copy for you and put it on a floppy.

Rod

 

Found this in another thread while searching for a solution to your problem;

Go to run and type Regedit.

Go to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extension

Delete the Extension key, close Regedit and reboot.

The entire thread can be seen Here

 

Thanks for all the help...but nothing...

I've deleted the "extentions" key and the problem is still there. Can't download from any site although every other internet function is fine. The problem began two days ago. It was working fine in the morning, my step dad used it in the afternoon, and when I used it at night it wasn't working. I asked him if he had downloaded anything...and he didn't. However the following did happen...which might have something to do with it. I decided to use StarOffice 5.2 (the free Office-like software from SUN). Each time you start the program, it wants to make itself the default internet browser. I always clicked on no. My step dad opened the program and without reading, he clicked ok and StarOffice made itself the default browser. The next time I opened internet explorer, it said that it detected it was not the default browser. I made it the default browser and that is when I noticed the problem...maybe it has something to do with that???

 

You said in your first post that

Is that the EXACT error message you get? Are these EXE files from http locations (you said FTP was OK) or do you have the same problem with other file types? What else if anything happens when you try and download these files?

It is possible that the Extensions registry key you deleted came back because the plugin that is causing the problem still exists, and needs to be renamed or deleted. This is from
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q316537

Not sure if the Star Office browser could be to blame or not. If Star Office or another program you have installed uses Netscape-Style plugins then that could be the problem since IE5.5sp2 and above no longer support them.

More information here, under "Problems Downloading "
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers4.htm#downloading

 

omicrx--Hopefully minor point. You said "I've deleted the "extentions" key and the problem is still there. "
In spite of what the MSKB article says, the Registry key to delete is Extension under PlugIn, not Extensions under Internet Explorer.

 

Nothing is working...

Alice (thanks for all the info!) - The "extentions" key under plugins was deleted and has not returned. It is still deleted. The problem still persists. This is the exact message I get:

"Internet Explorere was not able to open this Internet website. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later. "

However, I have tried just about every website I can to download files and not a single one of them work. FTP (through SmartFTP program) works just fine as I have connected to my website and downloaded stuff from it.

Welshjim (thanks for your reply!) - The "extensions" key I deleted was under plugins...not the one outside of it. I don't know much about StarOffice or it's browser, but just to make sure, I uninstalled it and all it's preference and setup files. The problem is still there...


At this point, I might just reinstall Windows XP and see if that fixes it...

 

An update...

I reinstalled Windows XP (not a clean install) and the problem is still there...can't download anything from anywhere! This *****!

 

Netscape 6.2 works fine...but not IE6!

I went to my friends house, downloaded Netscape 6, installed it in in my computer and Netscape 6.2 is working fine! I can download wherever I want from whatever site. If I switch to IE6, I still can't download anything...so I guess it is safe to say that the problem lies somewhere in IE6...any suggestions?

 

My next suggestion would have been to try another browser like Netscape 7.x (Netscape 6.2 is outdated!) since at least that would narrow down the problem to IE, as you already discovered.

I would try a general cleanup of all Windows Temp files, Temporary Internet Files, Cookies and History files. I would also uninstall any 3rd-party download managers or remove the associated plugin/ActiveX control from .../Downloaded Program Files (right-click each control and check Properties to help identify)

Here is some of what I found with a groups.google.com search on parts of your error message (the exact message you gave brought up nothing)

========copy/paste=========
From: Ronnie Vernon MVP (ronv@mvps.org)
Subject: Re: Can't download from Internet Explorer
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help and support
Date: 2002-06-29 21:10:51 PST

Tomasz wrote:
> I defragmented my C drive and for some reason I can't
> download from Internet Explorer. The menu to "open "
> or "save as" does not appear, so I can't download
> anything. I see the window with the download transfer
> rate, current amount downloaded, etc, but all the
> information stays blank. Here is the exact error I get
> after the download times out.
>
> Internet Explorer cannot download (file) from (server)
>
> Internet Explorer was not able to open this Internet
> site. the requested site is either unavailable or cannot
> be found. Please try again later.
>
> It happens with any server, from any website, of any type
> of file. It has been like this for a few days now and I
> am completely clueless as to how I can solve this
> problem, not being able to download is quite the
> annoyance. I also tried right clicking and saving as, but
> I get the exact same error.
>
> Help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Tomasz

It's likely that your cache (Temporary Internet Files) is full or somply
overbloated. When downloading a file, it is first saved in the cache
untik the download is complete and it is then moved to the specified
folder. You can clear the cache in Tools/(nternet Options/General
tab/Delete Files.

========copy/paste==========
From: Michael S. (user@#notme.com)
Subject: Re: Can't download Files
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser
Date: 2002-12-05 15:38:01 PST
(snip)
If the Index.dat file is corrupt, it can make the system think the folder is
corrupt and block access, thereby closing off downloads. Usually, if you
delete the file, it is recreated the next time you boot the system.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP

"Christopher" <clogan@bankofny.com> wrote in message
news:08ad01c29ca7$dc6763f0$89f82ecf@TK2MSFTNGXA01...
> Thanks for your questions, It seems that the file:
> c:\WINNT\Profiles\clogan\Application
> Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\UserData\index.dat
> was corrupt. I deleted it and everything is working fine
> now. I don't know why but this is what fixed the problem.
>
> Christopher
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >What about your security settings in IE, are they set to medium? Are you
> >blocking cookies. IE and Netscape differ in how they manage these functions
> >so what might effect one might not effect the other.
> >
> >What operating system are you using, do you have any security software,
> >Norton Internet Security, Zone Alarm, paid or free, does your antivirus
> >software have additional security features that might be blocking something
> >necessary at that and other sites?
> >
> >Has this always been issue or did it start recently? Can you pinpoint
> >something that might have changed that might have been the cause, a recent
> >security download, other software you might have installed, something you
> >might have removed?
> >
> >--
> >Michael Solomon MS-MVP

 

Thank you Alice and everyone!

I guess that did the trick...I emptied the temp files, deleted all cookies, and deleted the index.dat file and now IE6 is working as usual...downloads and all! Thanks for everyone's help and patience!

 

That's great news!

Thanks also for posting back with the outcome.