Hyperlink dead

Using two different computers I press a button (hyperlink) to go to another page. One computer goes to the linked page but this one does not. I'm sure it is just a setting, but which one?

Both running XP and IE6

 

Follow the instructions in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, You cannot open a new Internet Explorer window or nothing occurs after you click a link, under the subheading, "Resolution. "

 

Tried registry changes...no good

Tried installing MS Java .... didn't fix it

some links are asp files

some pages work just fine but the ones important to me won't work...

 

Click on start, on run, key in

Code:

sfc /scannow

and OK. You will probably be asked for your XP CD.

 

scan showed all good files

 

Do you have KB887797 on both machines? I ask because I have noticed lately that many links on web pages don't work while some do. It just happened recently and I checked my install of HotFixes and KB887797 was my last, dated Saturday, December 18, 2004. I contemplate uninstalling it for a test, especially if you report that it's a factor in your problem.

 

Update, Disregard my previous re: KB887797 since it wasn't the problem. I found the real culprit. It was Spybot Search and Destroy. I installed it on 12/31 and uninstalled it on 1/2 but it left behind a humonguously large HOSTS file that was causing the trouble with some links within Web pages. It created that file since I had the standard empty one prior. I vagely remembered opting to protect the browser or some such option that wasn't a normal default item. Perhaps that caused the problem. Anyway, I renamed the beast as part of troubleshooting this problem and everything worked fine again. So I deleted the renamed one and renamed the old hosts.bak to HOSTS and the story ends there.

Mojo, perhaps try this method for your problem as well.

BTW, I should add, it was also blocking the advertisement on the WindowsBBS here so it wasn't all bad. They just rendered a blank space, no data.

 

Thanks, I'll bet thats it too! I told it to protect the browser too...
Do you know which is the host file?

 

Yep, it's indelibly written on my peanut brain:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\drivers\etc\HOSTS

It has no extension by nature.

BTW, On my system, the HOSTS file that Spybot created was 177KB which would probably make 10's of thousands of line entries!

 

If I rename it will it generate a new one or do I need to make one?

 

I doubt if it will recreate for you - it didn't for me. If you have a hosts.bak rename it to hosts, else, just let it slide. The file isn't absolutely necessary and if the system really needs it, it'll create one later down the line.

It just isn't a protected system file so won't get immediately recreated.

Edit: I just deleted mine for a test. All works fine without it. I've seen that avised when certain problems point to HOSTS file corruption. Just delete it and don't look back.

Check this out:
http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/giz043003.html

That sounds reasonable.

 

Don't know why but the host files had no affect on the pages in question.

This is one page I experience the problem with:

http://www.fedex.com/Dropoff/start?locale=en_US

I can get to the page OK, I just can't use the links on it.

It works OK on my other computer, but not this one.

 

Which links don't work? If just the ones to the right of the search box don't work, they're java script. Do you have java script enabled? To check, click tools>internet options>security. Click on the internet zone, then click custom. In the list, find the section named scripting and make sure active scripting is enabled.

 

active scripting is enabled
I checked that first.

 

How about the links in the drop down menus at the top? The ones that say track, manage my account and international tools. Do they work?

 

Yes they do. It is the links to the right and the button that do not work!

 

Yes, they work fine. It's the links and buttons in the lower section that do not respond..

Sorry, I didn't realize we were on page 2

 

Do the windows open at all when you click on one of the links? If not it would appear that java script somehow got broke and for lack of anything better at this time all I can suggest is to turn off any popup blockers, ad blockers, etc. and give it a try. Either some software is blocking it or else things are broke (obviously).

If none of the above applies the only other thing I can suggest right now is to reinstall your java script and see what that does. You can download it at the link below.

Windows Script 5.6 for Windows 2000 and XP

One more thing you could do to see if java script is working or not is to run through the first set of tests in Fred Langa's BrowserTune 2000 . It doesn't take very long and it includes a test to see if java script is working or not. If you try it, let us know what you find.

 

I passed all level 1 tests...

 

here is an example of the code

Will send a different example


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border= "0 ">
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD colspan= "2 "><img src= "/opt/www/unsecure/images/ascend/shared/spacer.gif;DROPOFFSESSIONID=BhdyOvGfc1p18RIS2pbiehYQ6mJltqxhiZwd6rKKLx9ezegUX5Vh!94981573" height= "15" width= "1 "></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<!-- Submit Button for Locator -->

<TD align= "right" valign= "top "><input class= "buttonpurple" id= "goButton" type= "button" value= "Find Locations" onclick= "determineAction('searchmap', 0) "></TD>
<TD><img src= "/opt/www/unsecure/images/ascend/shared/spacer.gif;DROPOFFSESSIONID=BhdyOvGfc1p18RIS2pbiehYQ6mJltqxhiZwd6rKKLx9ezegUX5Vh!94981573" height= "1" width= "5 "></TD>

</TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan= "2 "><img src= "/opt/www/unsecure/images/ascend/shared/spacer.gif;DROPOFFSESSIONID=BhdyOvGfc1p18RIS2pbiehYQ6mJltqxhiZwd6rKKLx9ezegUX5Vh!94981573" height= "15" width= "1 ">
</TD>
</TR>
</TBODY>
</TABLE>
</TD>
</TR>



</TBODY>
</TABLE>
</TD>
</TR>

<TR>