Can anybody out there help this computer spaz debug the problem?
I purchased a new computer last May. We had Norton Security Package installed on it at the store. For the last couple of weeks, Norton has been telling me to renew my subscription.
So last night, I click the button and go through hoops to purchase the Download version of the software. I loaded it correctly, I thought. Then I finally finish, and go try to read some Dope.
IE won’t open! It’s blocking it. So I go to LiveUpdate (I think - I’m not at home with it) and click on the tab to allow certain programs to go to the Internet. That didn’t work.
So I disabled it, and I’m using Windows Firewall for the moment.
This presents you with two splendid opportunities:
Get rid of that stupid IE, one of the world’s worst browsers and get Mozilla Firefox!
Get rid of Norton, which is always causing problems, and get Trend Micro’s PC-cillin Internet Security. It is cheaper to buy, cheaper to renew and works much better.
Check the security log. Do you see anything else suspicious that they’re blocking?
Call Opal and say hi
Check your “blocked programs” list, and see if IE is there. I know you’ve said that you’ve allowed it, but just check to be sure.
Run a virus scan, perhaps IE is infected with some spyware that causes it to be blocked.
You bought it, you should have technical support. Get someone on the phone and scream at them.
Return the product. (depending on your propensity for masochism, you might want this to be step one)
That’s about as much general help as I can give. I’m not sure if that will solve your problem, but sometimes if it’s not working, it can save a lot of trouble to simply return it.
We had the exact same problem with this computer. After a week or ten days of frustration, tech calls that proved to be no help after staying on hold for an hour and all that, we installed Firefox for a browser and it works fine.
After a couple of months, I.E. still won’t open a web page.
But really, I have the exact same problem, John Carter of Mars. Windows update, the only thing I used it for, stopped working. After having convinced myself that it had nothing to do with a virus, I gave up on it. After all, I have firefox, and could still manually download updates. Now, I have messed around with the registry in the past, but, since I have firefox, I say no reason to do so, in this case. Now, after having carefully checked the compadability issue, I have installed SP2 :shudder:: and ie works fine, except it is now asking to download active x updates in order to go to the MS update page. No thanks, I have to little disk space already. I will continue downloading updates manually.
You can get updates manually? I’ve tried doing that, but recently (well, it mighta been a few months now) Windows Update demands that I turn on auto-update to even let me do manual downloads.
Now, I know it’s probably not any worse than Firefox update-informer-thingeebob, but it’s just the ethics of it. I may use Windows, but GOSH DARNIT I’ll keep Bill’s grimy little fingers outta my computer.
[/hijack]
So, Delores, how’d it go? Do any other browsers work? Any news?
Well, the way I do it is to record what downloads I need, then in FF I go to microsoft.com, and enter in the exact name of the updates into the first page’s seacrh bar. It takes me directly to the page detailing why that update is needed, and allows me to download the update. I then install it directly from my desktop. It takes a lot of time, but at least I am safe from the newest viruses. ::Where’s the ROTFL smiley?::
How weird… I came home last night and when the “hibernate” thing went off, there was this little pop-up from Norton that said "do you want to auto configure this program? " meaning IE. I clicked yes, and everything started working.
When you say you can’t open IE, do you mean you can’t launch the program at all or it doesn’t go anywhere once it’s open? I’m having a similar problem with my mom’s eMachine where IE won’t open at all. It came loaded with it’s own update package from the manufacturer which never worked but wouldn’t let MS’s update work. After much work I got that going and got SP2 but still no IE. Using Macafee antivirus but still using Windows firewall.
