IE7 starting on wrong page and other accessibility issues

[oilmagnet]

Hi,
First time poster here so I hope you can help please.

I've been having a problem with IE6 for some time in that it works fine but just won't access certain sites - Microsoft, First Direct and VCOM (my virus software provider) to name a few specific ones.

I thought I'd try and solve this by updating to XP SP2 (from SP1) and installing IE7 - both seemingly work fine but I still can't access these sites.

Also when starting up IE7 it tries to locate a site:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=74005
(which just doesn't load - same problem as above?) even though I have set my home page to Google - this only appears if I stop the other site loading and click on the Home icon.

I have read through some of the previous IE posts and done the 'Reset' as advised - to no avail.

Hope someone can help

Many thanks

Oilmagnet

[Go The Power]

hello and welcome to TSF

On the runonce screen click Choose your settings and follow them. if that fails do this:


Fix runonce Internet Explore (Option one)

• Click Start
• Run and type the following into the Open box:
• gpedit.msc
• Click OK.

Using the left hand pane, navigate as follows:

• User Configuration
• Administrative Templates
• Windows Components
• Internet Explorer
• In the right-hand side pane double-click on Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings
• Change the setting for Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings to Enabled and use the drop-down box to select Go directly to home page
  
• Click OK and close Group Policy
• Restart Internet Explorer 7

Fix runonce error (regedit)

• Click Start => Run type regedit Click OK.
  
• Using the left-hand pane, navigate to the following registry key:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • Software
  • Microsoft
  • Internet Explorer
  • Main
• In the right-hand pane, right-click on RunOnceHasShown and change the value to 1
• Close Regedit and restart Internet Explorer 7