paullyboy

Thanks for the reply. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Never got that far. If a Word doc is set to "Open With" IE, it does so. It's not editable, but hyperlinks are accessible and work. With FF, it never opens, just the endless chorus line of 'untitled' tabs dancing across the top of the screen. It's a loop of some kind. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Not quite, but I've had it do this when I hit the 'wrong' hyperlink. It starts the routine again, only at the bottom of the screen. This one is almost impossible to stop. Takes 'task manager' a good 10 minutes to close every opened link and reset. Between the 2 drives mentioned above(one with problem, one without), they list exactly the same extentions. Best, Paul

Thanks for the replies. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Right. The only time I'd 'display' a Word doc by opening it with IE or FF is to use active text links to open a website from a document list. Here's the full listing from About FF: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10. IOW, I'm using FF ver 3.0.10. Not sure what is meant by extentions, other than file type extentions. Fact is, I have exactly the same setup on a 2nd emergency replacement internal main drive, and FF and Word play nice with that drive installed. Short of reinstalling Word and FF, I thought there might be a piece of the puzzle that I'm missing. Best, Paul

When I try to open a Word(2002) document with Firefox, it starts opening new tab after new tab, and never actually opens the document. It might open 2-3 new tabs per second across the top of the page. It looks like those old theater marquees where the lights chase each other. They won't stop till red boxed or a call to Task Manager. Word opens fine with IE and opens/works properly as a word processor. I just ran the latest Firefox update and it didn't help. Somewhere I must have a setting that needs a-fixin'. Thanks in advance. Best, Paul

Thanks DreamSkape. I'll have to think that one over as I almost never use IE, and IE6 works really well with Home (till now). Maybe a quick 'restore' will find a clean IE reset point. If not, screw it . Best, Paul

Using Windows XP Home, I recently started getting error messages when exiting from IE version 6.0.2900.5512 back to the desktop. The Event log says the application iexplore.exe has a problem. I tried using a new homepage (Yahoo) instead of the Google homepage (as per advice elsewhere). Still get the error. No problems with Firefox. This only started today, and never happened before. Anyone have any clues? Thanks. Best, Paul

Thanks for the replys guys . FF is version 3.0.9. I haven't done any addons, just some minor 'tool box' changes (not a whole lot to do there compared to IE). I installed FF about 6 months ago, and it just downloaded an auto-update today. FF has been doing this tab after tab after tab thing for a couple months now. With IE this problem is not present. Update on AOL. Using FF, the problem with the redundant link opening attemptss without connection and blank screens on connection seems to be gone. I have a feelng it was on AOL's end, and a tech call 2 days ago may have drawn their attention to the problem. At this point, FF as the default browser seems to be OK, but it's just a matter of time.. and the right situation. Illl make a note of the cause if it happens again. At least all the links on the AOL main page now seem to be active an able to connect. Best, Paul

When browsing, I'll use a URL or hyperlink to open a site. Firefox normally does this.. well, normally as does IE. Then I'll hit one URL, and Firefox just starts looping the same URL over and over but never connects, reopening a new tab as many as 35-40 time before it stops. Clicking the top red 'X' box won't stop it. Normally I'd just use the Task Manager to get out of a problem connection, but the browser opens another new tab before I can get a handle on the previous tabs. Getting rid of the tabs is a real PITA. Firefox has also done this when opening a simple document that's sitting on my desktop, and set to open with Firefox. I recently switched my default browser from IE to Firefox, and now AOL does the same thing with some of their hyperlinks (including 'Settings' and links to articles on the 'Welcome Screen'). Opening AOL with IE from the desktop still works fine. It's this loop that Firefox seems to generate with certain URLs that's unaccepible. Any clues? Thanks. Best, Paul

To tell you the truth, the ONLY reasons I haven't dumped them are the hassle of changing my E-address (and all the subsequent notifications I'd have to make), and it has one free service, AOL Money and Finance, that I've come to depend on to track the stock market and individual stocks. Otherwise I'd be long gone ! Thanks again. Best, Paul

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks Tripredacus. The messages only last 3-4 seconds, and the Hdive is working while they're onscreen. Both stop at the same time. A lot of times I also get a WAOL error message that it failed to close when shutting down the computer. I can't tell you how many times AOL locks up and forces Task Manager to be used just to get back to the desktop. What a piece of crap AOL's turned into. I gotta get rid of them. Best, Paul

Close and Restore Down. Maybe someone knows what these messages mean. They alternately appear when logging off of AOL to the desktop. They never appear together, it's one or the other. Sometimes nothing appears. The only reason I ask is I've not been able to do system restores recently, even tho the restore points are all listed and it goes thru what seems like the full process before closing and reopening Windows. When ready to re-open the desktop, the message box says 'restore to that date failed'. Wondering if this little message from AOL is related. Thanks. Best, Paul

Thanks Submix. That figures. I defer to my previous thought about 'MS anything' and the word 'free', and include the acronym BS. Best, Paul

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks for that info iamtheky. According to these guys http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21154 , it may now be available as a free download from MS, altho free 'anything' from MS sounds like a contradiction in terms. I'll give 'em a try however. Best, Paul

Hi Tripredacus. Neither, this is a new home computer with a new, virgin hard drive (pulled the Vista drive that came with it and put it in a drawer). It actually works fine other than the restore problem. I couldn't restore from Safe Mode either. Same message. Does the above event pic have any clues? The only system futze that I've done in the past 3 months is to add a new local area connection along with MS Loopback Adapter to allow old DOS LPT1 programs to print to a USB printer via a "net use" command . AVG security was disabled on the new network as it wasn't needed. I'm the only user and don't use it on-line. Outside of malware, the only things I can think of that may cause this 'can't restore' problem are: 1] I set up XP on the hard drive with a single partition, rather than using a seperate, secure partition only for restore files, and 2] I recently started using 'Disk Cleanup' (a Windows utility) again, and the only thing CCleaner doesn't do and this utility does do is something called 'Compress Old Files'. If those old restore files are a target AND are getting compressed, they may be gone forever. I'm also sure that 'Defraging' periodically isn't helping matters with the single partition. BTW, the AOL issue is resolved. Just takes forever for it to embed an image into an email. I thought the OS had frozen. Just AOL taking it's sweet time. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Best, Paul

Thanks for the reply/info. Here's the Event: Best, Paul

I tried to insert a picure into an email. It wouldn't, and AOL froze up. Had to 'task manager' my way back to the desktop. After a few attempts with same results, I remembered getting a popup yesterday, apparently from Adobe for an update. Funny, cause Windows updater is disabled. I didn't open it, but clicked what was supposedly a hyper-link to 'info about the update'. Nothing happened (no connection to 'info') so I said 'no' and rejected/closed the popup. Tonight I tried to do a system restore, and altho the points are all listed and system restore is not turned off, 2 different, recent restore points were rejected. I looked at the 'event log' and found something happened yesterday concerning the restore function, but it's not something I did. After researching the problem, I came upon an application called RegCure. The trial version found a bunch of registry errors that CCleaner missed. Is this a viable(worth $29) approach, or does it sound like something worse. Thanks. Best, Paul

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks for the reply. Last things first. Still with AOL for 2 reasons: Finance is a free software that allows me to track investments quickly in real time. It's about the only worthwhile non-email related thing in AOL. Also, I'm moving over to Gmail, and have to make about a gazillion notifications of change of e-address. No other reasons really. I've been thru the autostart menu with CCleaner, AVG and msconfig(not to mention the registry), and can't find a specific application for the problem. AOL (AOL quickstart) is a single startup entry, and disabling it just for the 'update' problem is not worth the risk of screwing up AOL(yet again). Will Sysinternals Autoruns auto-remove the entire startup menu, or is it basically the same thing as CCleaner (a user list)? Thanks. NEVER MIND. I downloaded/ran the above program. What a great and thorough item!! Unfortunately it looks like that 'update' popup might be part of the AOL source code or cryptically attached somewhere in the Registry where I'll never find it. Oh well... Best, Paul

Annoying AOL 'Critical Update' popup keeps re-appearing/re-generating on the desktop. Automatic Updates is set 'off', so it's apparently coming from the registry at startup. Removing the notice from AOL Notification Update History in taskbar does nothing. It simply re-generates and reappears every 2nd or 3rd logon. I found the anotify.exe application at 2 AOL locations and in the registry. Wondering if it is the culprit, and if it is critical or can be safely deleted? Frustrating. Thanks in advance. Best, Paul

Not a batch file, but CCleaner (freeware) http://www.ccleaner.com/ has a utility tool that allows you to disable items in the startup list. Best, Paul

In an effort to get some old DOS programs to print to a USB connected printer, I installed the MS Loopback Adapter as part of a workaround suggestion from HP tech support. Never got the printer working, and am wondering if there's any way I can screw up XP if I uninstall it. Thanls. Best, Paul

Does it show up in Computer Management > Device Manager > Disk drives? If not, check your wiring. It should raise the 'new hardware found' balloon at some point. Has it done that? I just looked at the screenshot. It shows the internal drive(disk 0) and 2 others( disk 1 and 2). Is the Maxtor not one of them? Are you sure?

Plug the unit into the computer and turn it on. Give it a minute. Then go to Computer Management and click on Disk Management. See if it shows up there. If it does, left click on it and you should find options for the basic setup. Try reassigning the drive letter first, then go to My Computer and see if it shows up there. If it does, do your formatting from there. Best, Paul

Thanks iamtheKy. I tried the Device Mgr. before with no luck. I just went thru it again, and used the 'apply' tab. Works fine now. Thanks again for the input. Best, Paul

Windows XP Home: Every time I put in a CD disk or open an external drive, this miserable, annoying menu comes up that offers options like: Preview pictures View a slide show Copy pictures Play Open folders Download Take no action I just want to click into the disc or drive via desktop icon, and not be bothered with this box everytime. Is there a setting where I can simply turn it off? Thanks. Best, Paul

It's funny, but I ran the Gspot program, and it told me exactly the same thing it told me about 3 weeks ago . Forgot that I had done that. AAR, MMP was missing the DivX 5.0.5 codec. I already had the installer for the latest version of DivX sittng on the desktop, but hadn't yet installed it. All installed now, and working like a charm. MPGs actually run!! Thanks again guys. . Best, Paul

Thanks Nexus. I downloaded the ZIP package and will give it a try. Best, Paul