Please Help! IE6 couldn't load Windows Update Page and other pages require ActiveX

[cwww]

This is the first time I encountered this kind of problem.

Everything used to be running well, until one day that my IE6 at my office couldn't load the Windows Update page and other pages that required AcitveX such as TrendMicro's HouseCall and Symantec's Security Check. They kept saying that I'm using an old version of IE and needed IE5 or later to display their pages.

I've checked all the settings for IE6 and everything seems to be in place, the system is fully patched and an up-to-date antivirus OfficeScan 7.0 is running. No virus or spyware were found by OfficeScan and Ad-Aware SE 1.05. I've run sfc /scannow and re-installed ie.inf, but still couldn't solve the problem.

There're a few strange things that I need to point out. When I clicked Help->About Internet Explorer at IE, it doesn't display the Version, Cipher Strength and Product ID, they are all left blank. And when I clicked OK, it doesn't go away... (see attachment) Everything inside my computer is licensed, so I don't know why it doesn't display the Product ID.

Another thing is that when I tried to open Windows Media Player, it just prompted me an error message saying that "An internal application error has occured.", and the media player won't load.

This problem has been troubling me because it prevents me from updating the Windows myself, so hopefully some Microsoft experts here are able to help me... Thanks a lot...

[cwww]

Hello! Does anyone have any idea what I can do? It's been really bothering me... Please help!!

Thanks!

[CTSNKY]

Try running the System File Checker.

Info link: http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

[cwww]

Thanks for the reply. I've have done that, but nothing happened during or after the scan.

The problem is still there. Any other suggestions?

[oshwyn5]

Cipher strength appears as 0-bit in Internet Explorer

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;261328



I would also try the following steps

Go to tools/internet options/ security/ trusted zone/ sites
Uncheck the box require server verification (https)
Choose add a site
Add
*.microsoft.com
close and try windows update.


Double check your clock. Confirm your time zone by right click and choose adjust on the clock in lower right.
If the time is off significantly it may block windows update.

Firewalls. Make sure you have only one. In fact, you may want to try with all disabled. Having two or more firewalls can cause this behaviour.

[lauritze]

Very strage, the exact same problem is happening here...
ActiveX controls suddenly do not work anymore. All I can think is that SpyBot or AdAware or SpywareBlaster were overly aggressive in protecting the PC. Other than those, I don't think I ran anything lately that would have caused this. Most pages don't show properly anymore, including Google or Yahoo, or Microsoft etc etc... hopefully enough people will have this problem so we can get it sorted out.

[Geekgirl]

Hello lauritze, Welcome to TSF
You are posting in another persons thread, although your symptoms are alike we can only address cwww in this thread. Please start your own or you can follow our instructions but please refrain from posting any comments about your system.


cwww, you may need to do a repair installation. Please follow these instructions.

Set the comp to boot from cd first in the bios
Place the xp cd in cdrom and reboot
Boot from the xp cd and choose install
Ignore the first repair option and continue with install
When windows finds the previous installation and offers to repair
then do the repair
If you have xp sp2 installed it needs to be incorporated into your xp disk or it will not offer the repair option only the clean install


How to perform a Repair Installation of Windows XP