As soon as I'm logged on to my ISP, Internet Explorer turns into Windows Explorer:

The page icon becomes that from explorer.exe, if I have a few pages open, my taskbar groupig lists them as "<X> windows explorer windows open", downloads appear in a windows folder icon, and task manager

lists explorer.exe, not iexplore.exe.

I've tried reinstalling windows XP Pro. Didn't work. I tried resetting the default "open" value for html-files to ie6 (which it was, anyway). Also didn't work.

I'm also getting "No internet connection available" messages, which is also not so.

Is this a corrupt registry item, corrupt .dll, or screwed-up service or protocol?

Does launching iexplore.exe from Start > Run also change IE back to Windows Explorer?

Reinstalling Windows was probably no good if you used the original CD, but reinstalling Service Pack 1 itself may be of some help, as this would also reinstall the IE6 SP1.

Does launching iexplore.exe from Start > Run also change IE back to Windows Explorer?

Reinstalling Windows was probably no good if you used the original CD, but reinstalling Service Pack 1 itself may be of some help, as this would also reinstall the IE6 SP1.

1. Yes.

2. I did reinstall SP1, plus every post-SP1 hotfix.

That's why I posted. Nothing I could think of works. aaaaaagggghhhh!!!!

(I also posted to an MS newsgroup. Will let you know if I get any results.)

Thanks for trying.

do you remember, what were the changes you made just before you started getting this problem?

do you have a DSL or a dial-up connection? If you have a DSL, then check that under LAN settings you have "automatically detect settings" while if you have a dial-up then check that it "never dials" a connection itself.

usually IE6 changes its view to windows explorer when you visit a FTP site. go to tools-->interent options-->advanced uncheck the "Enable folder view for FTP sites".

Were you configuring user permissions? If so you may have disabled internet access for your logon profile?

asklepios: I have that problem at all sites. i haven't been to any ftp's via IE. Will try it, though.

msnwar: No, I wasn't configuring user permissions. I checked, and afaik, I haven't disabled my permission to log on.

btw: exactly where in the console tree are user permissions? local scurity policy?

Still no word from the newsgroups. p***ants!

Again, thanks for the advice. to all

asklepios: I have that problem at all sites. i haven't been to any ftp's via IE. Will try it, though.

msnwar: No, I wasn't configuring user permissions. I checked, and afaik, I haven't disabled my permission to log on.

btw: exactly where in the console tree are user permissions? local scurity policy?

Still no word from the newsgroups. p***ants!

Again, thanks for the advice.  to all

Click here: http://gamehead.servehttp.com/msfn/windows.../userpermit.jpg

I'm not sure, but I think that's where you go for the user permissions...

Ya, that's what I figured. Best advice from the mvp's so far: reinstall everything.

That sound you hear is the reason I didn't get voice-recognition software: By the time I'm talking out loud to my computer, I'm using language I don't want it to learn.

can you give us a screen shot of what u r facing? it seems you'll have to follow the advice of that MVP, but last minute chances can be taken

u didn't mention what did you do to get such a thing? i mean any hardware-software change?

any updates? there must be some change that you made to your PC.

damned if I know. this all started after a format: c to fix a corrupt pagefile.

format for a pagefile corruption?

anyways what can i say...

screen shots that i requested?

OK. Here' a piccy of my address bar and my taskbar. As you can see from the yellow foder icon and the lower-quality html icon, Windows Explorer is what does my browsing, even if I open IE from its executable, not a shortcut.

Have you tried resetting IE to its defaults?

yes. i tried all the obvious things before posting--resetting to defaults, reinstalling ie, resetting the default open for html files....

i'm trying to avoid having to reinstall xp. again.

i don't understand whats going on.

my last shot...

go to view menu--->explorer bar--->folders.

if it is checked then uncheck it.