Images not always displaying in IE 7 and e-mail

I'm using Windows XP, SP2, and IE 7, along with Earthlink Total Access e-mail. Images do not display on some (not all) web sites and e-mail messages. Following solutions recommended in microsoft support, I have 1) learned that pictures are available on some web sites but not others; 2) cleared all temporary Internet files; 3) Verified that the "show pictures" option under Internet options/advanced/multimedia is turned on; and 4) set the security tab under Internet options to the default level. The image types not being displayed are supported by IE but are replaced by a little box with a circle/square/triangle.
I have checked my firewall and Internet security programs and they appear to have no settings that would interfere (using Windows firewall and C A Antivirus). The next step directs me to go to the "Page" menu to check the encoding setting. I don't seem to have a "Page" menu. Where would I find it? The current menus listed at the top of my screen are: File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, and Help. A contributor to another web site mentioned that encoding was the problem that made the difference in his being able to display images.

Any help you can give would be most appreciated.

 

OK, I found the "page" icon (what's it doing way over there?), clicked on "encoding," and then tried both "auto-select" and "Westerm European (Windows) ". Still have the same problem - getting the little box with geometric fixures in place of images some of the time. Using "Internet Options/Properties and right-clicking on one of the images, I find the following:
Protocol: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
Type: HTML Document
Connection: Not Encrypted
URL: hyyp://www.findingloveafter50.com/tom_blake_videos.html

I recall reading something about a work-around if images take too long to load but can't remember the solution - something about closing the page and re-opening.

Any more suggestions?

 

Have you tried resetting IE7? ....

Tools > Internet Options > Advanced - Reset.[/QUOTE]

Tried resetting IE7; closed the program, reopened and had the same problem. Downloaded IE8 and still have the same problem. Is it possible that there is a setting in my Windows program that has gone awry?