# Can't 'view source' in IE6

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 26, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185 "2002-03-26T14:29:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185/1 "2002-03-26T14:29:02Z")

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One minute it was working, the next it wasn’t.

I’ve heard of this bug caused by having “Notepad.exe” shortcut on the desktop, but I don’t. Anyone got any ideas? I’m running it on XP.

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### Author: ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185/2 "2002-03-26T14:34:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*  
> \*\*I’m running it on XP. \*\*

There’s your problem.

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### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2002, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185/3 "2002-03-26T15:26:16Z")

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Is it every page or just one site? There is a way for a site developer to make his/her source un-viewable. You could have hit a site like this and it messed up some settings.

I have IE6 and XP on two computers and I view source every day and never have problems. What specific error are you getting? Maybe you can check out the MS knowledgebase about it.

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### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2002, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185/4 "2002-03-26T15:38:03Z")

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All sites, unfortunately.

There’s no error - it just doesn’t work - i.e. Notepad never launches.

I am using Allaire Homesite, and the ‘view’ function calls IE as an OCX, and that works fine.

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### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-view-source-in-ie6/100185/5 "2002-03-26T18:30:16Z")

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It was the Google toolbar. Uninstalled, no problem.