48 replies to this topic

[Safira]

[size=3] Hello,
I am really hoping someone can help me w/this soon! as I am on a dialup connection on aol and have spent many hours trying to fix this and its over my head

Recently, one of my microsoft updates said to download and install the new Internet Explorer 7.0 update so I did.

Not too long after that, i discovered that when using MIcrosoft Word (2002) the eggtimer was on and Microsoft would NOT paste any of the data i was trying to copy/paste of/in Yahoo groups while on IE. The only other change around this same time was I unfortunately downloaded and tried to install Adobe Acrobat so i dont know if the root of the problem is adobe or IE, im thinking its IE.

The error message I got from Microsoft came in a box called End Program. Doc 2 Microsoft Word
“This program is not responding. If you choose to end the program immediately, you’ll lose unsaved data. To end the program now, click end now or cancel.”

“Microsfot Word has encountered a program and needs to close”


I sent an error report to MIcrosoft by using the Office Application Error Reporting tool and did not hear back from them. This year I paid them $160 about for a legit copy of Windows and i dont feel like paying the $35 fee for email support as ive emailed them before w/not good followthrough .

I followed their insturctions to search their knowledge base articles to no avail.

Here is the error siganture address that describes the error that occurred:

AppName: winword.exe AppVer: 10.0.4109.0 ModName: mso.dll
ModVer: 10.0.3501.0 Offset: 0001c371 Error Message


To compound the problem, On Dec 17, 2006 I got a warning message when I clicked on Yahoo Messenger from Panda Titanium 2006 (my AV)
Warning: Intrusion attempt blocked (browser hijacker type attack) An attempt to modify the settings of you
r Internet browser has been detected" !!
but the Panda box didnt say what to do about it.

On December 23, 2006 when panda tried to do an update, a box popped up a few times daying: " Update canceled!
The user id entered in the updates settings is incorrect.
Check the user name and password entered in the updates settings."
But I checked on the panda updates settings page and it said username and password correct/ id details were correct.

Each time I click on something to get help in the Panda box it tries to access the Pada webpate through IE and then a Panda box pops up saying something like an intrustion attempt has been blocked and each time IE could not display the webpage .


I studied Pandas instructions to configure updates as i couldnt get it to update successfully auto and it said: "Check that the Internet Explorer settings do not interfere with the process. :

Click on the Security tab and click on the Custom Level... button under Internet.
In User Authentication, Logon, check that the Automatic logon only in Intranet zone or Prompt for user name and password checkbox is enabled."

So I did the above so "Prompt for username and password checkbox"is checkmarked/ enabled.
Was that safe for me to do? I updated it manually and it said it Titanium 2006 updated correctly.

But I'm worried that something is awfully wrong and my securtiy/settings are threatened w/IE 7.0 and now i regret downloading/installing it!

Is there another way I can access my Yahoo inbox to copy/paste my 400+ posts w/microsoft word and not do that through IE??
I say that becuase MIcrosoft Word is letting me copy/paste when I"m not on IE.



Here is my Hijack this Header:
Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 10:03:55 PM, on 12/23/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.5730.0011)

I'd greatly apprecate any help! thanks, Safira

[hammer51]

Sounds like a botched installation of IE7, You could try uninstalling IE7 by follwong the instructions here at M$ -> http://www.microsoft...rt/default.mspx or you could restore your computer using system restore to a point before the update happened.

[Safira]

Hi Hammer51, thanks for replying ; ) by botched installatin on 7.0 did you mean a corrupted download? a panda support person said maybe it was that and to follow directions in a link but when i tried opening IE it still said something like "web page not avaliable" so i couldnt follow any directions. thanks for the link ; ) I followed the directions to uninstall IE 7.0 in the link and in the Windows IE 7 Removal Wizard box it said: The following programs were installed on your computer after Internet Explorer 7: Security Update for Windows XP (KB923689) , Security update for windows xp (KB923694), Security Update for Windows Media Player 6.4, Security update for windows xp (KB925454), Security update for windows xp (KB926255) IF these programs depend on IE 7, they might not work properly after it is removed. Do you want to continue? " I dont know if these programs depend on IE7 so i cancelled the uninstall. Do you know if they do?? is it safe for me to uninstall 7.0? if it is not, how do i restore my computer using system restore? if im able to uninstall IE how do i get on firefox and do you recommend that as a safer web browser? thanks and hope to hear back ! Safira

[hammer51]

Howdy there - The updates can be downloaded seperately if needed after the uninstalation of IE7

Security Update for Windows XP (KB923689)
Security Update for Outlook Express for Windows XP (KB923694)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB926255)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB926247)
Security Update for Windows Media Player 6.4 for Windows (KB925398)

As for a system restore... poss best option IMHO

Goto the start menu -> select all programs -> accessories -> system tools -> now select system restore.
Once open - select the option to restore your computer to an earlier date and click on next
Now choose a date to prior to the instalation of IE7 and restore your computer to that date
BEWARE - ANYTHING INSTALLED AFTER THAT DATE WILL NEED RE-INSTALATION
This could also affect files that you yourself have created since the chosen date (Make a backup of these before proceeding to CD/DVD or External Drive)

If you wish to install IE7

I would install IE before any windows auto updates kick in. I would disable the windows updates just for a temporary period so it does not filter through and bork up again, or at least set it to download but not install updates, this can be done by going to security centre in control panel and setting the updates to download updates for me but let me choose when to install them. Then, once IE7 has been installed then set your updates back to automatic again

I would recommend that you download IE7 straight from Microsoft's website >> Download Point for IE7 << (please note that the link address is different to first post!!) I do notice that you have dial up, I am not sure how big IE7 is in filesize offhand but it will take a fair while for you to download. I would be tempted to request a copy of IE7 on CD rather than use the download option, you can request this from the same web link you download IE from.

I would recommend Firefox as a safer browser regardless of the outcome. Firefox is a more secure browser and also it had a lot of add-ons available for download for extra security and also for customisation too. Firefox 2 is availabe from here -> http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

If you decide to run with firefox then I will be more than happy to share what extensions which I use myself for customisation and security

Hope this helps you in your quest !

[Safira]

[size=4] Howdy and thanks for your reply and the links!

I've decided to try to uninstall IE7 and then install it and not do the system restore as I still don't know how to backup any files/data.
Do you know if Tomcoyote has a class on that (for me to study in the future, not now)?

I don't know if any of those updates depend on IE7 so I"m going to download them separately after uninstalling IE7. Thank you for posting the links for them ; )

I will 1) Uninstall IE7 2) disable updates 3)install IE7 4)reset updates is this correct? hope so.


No wonder that last updates set from microsoft took soo long! Yes, I'm still on dialup (to save $) so maybe I'll request that on cd.
* I"ve never downloaded/installed anything from a cd so how do I do that?


If I decided to go w/Firefox does that mean I should not reinstall IE7?
I dont know anything about Firefox and add-ons, customization.
[color=#FF0000] Does Firefox have to have regular updates like Microsoft does?

Do you know how I can access yahoo w/o getting on IE7? i have 400+ posts in my yahoo inbox i have not been able to copy/paste w/MIcrosoft since this trouble began.

Thanks again as I find computer troubles overwhelming.
Safira

[Doug]

Hi Safira,

You can reach your Yahoo account via FireFox, no problem.
My account is on DSL.sbc.yahoo.com
If I was needing a dial-up yahoo accound it would be dial.sbc.yahoo.com

Your account is probably not "sbc", but is http://dial.[some-ISP].yahoo.com

Best Regards

[Safira]

[size=4]Me again, I am adding to my last post (please see above)

I uninstalled IE7 and disabled updates, and just now when I tried to download/install IE7 .......

An aol security warning box popped up saying:
" The publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this software? IE7-windowsXP-x86-enu.exe
Publisher: Unknown publisher

This file does not have a valid digital signature that verifies its publisher. You should only run software from publishers you trust"

So, I did NOT run/open this file.

Does this mean its been tampered with?!
PLease let me know as I'm anxious to get it done so I can turn my auto updates back on.
bye for now,
Safira

[hammer51]

Hi, If the link for IE7 was from the Microsoft site then it will be ok to install.

* I"ve never downloaded/installed anything from a cd so how do I do that? -

Ive not used any updates myself from Microsoft via the CD method but I imagine it will auto run and install once you place the disk in, if not it will just be a case of opening and executing the file on the cd by double clicking on it.

If I decided to go w/Firefox does that mean I should not reinstall IE7?

I would install both, there are a couple of sites that may only open using IE7 due to the embedded content, even with the extension to view embedded content added

Do you know how I can access yahoo w/o getting on IE7?

As mentioned by Dough you should be able to access your account via Firefox without any problems

I have placed a few links below regarding firefox, the first is a download link for firefox and the others are extra addons for the browser

Link to download Firefox 2 -> http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Adddons - Security Based

Sitehound - http://firetrust.com...d_download.html
Adblock Plus - https://addons.mozil...g/firefox/1865/
IETab - http://ietab.mozdev.org/ (for viewing certain EI embedded pages, - Gives you the ability to download Microsoft updates with firefox)
No Script - https://addons.mozil...rg/firefox/722/
Update Notifier - https://addons.mozil...g/firefox/2098/

Addons - Cosmetic

Fasterfox - https://addons.mozil...g/firefox/1269/
Tabmix Plus - https://addons.mozil...g/firefox/1122/
Newtab Homepage - https://addons.mozil...rg/firefox/777/

[Safira]

Thanks for sharing that, Dough ; ) I think I'll try to install both browsers.

[Safira]

Thanks, Hammer, for the links ; ) It took around 2+ hours to download IE7 and after that, an Aol security warning box again popped up saying: “Windows has found a problem with this file. Name: IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe Publisher: Unknown Publisher This file was blocked because it does not have a valid digital signature that verifies its publisher.” I clicked on the Microsoft link you gave so I don't know why it says unknown publisher but is there another link I can try to download it from? How do I stop AOL from blocking the file? Microsoft charges for the cd so im not going to try it that way yet. Thanks and hope to hear back, Safira

[Safira]

Here's the most recent update.......
I called Microsoft and they said to disable aol internet security through that icon but i had none that i could find. Do you know how I disable Aol internet security?

so then they said so antispyware , internet security programs can create a conflict w/the dowlnoad of IE7.
They wanted me to remove all the programs and i said no, as i know it would be hard to install them again w/all the problems i have now.
so they said they are trying to look for those all those programs that run in the computer all the time, like internet security which is auto running at the background of the computer.
i have Adaware, Spybot search and destroy, and Spywareblaster but they are not running.
they wanted me to disable the my panda antivirus progrand i said i didnt feel safe doing that w/the very serious virus i got last year ; (

[color=#CC0000]How safe is it to have my panda av turned completley off/disabled for the 2+ hours it would take to download/install IE7? [color=#000000]?!

they said that publishing error could be because some of the antivirus programs or some of the security programs may not recognize this particular IE7, and they will give a warning that it is from non-publisher.

i tried again downloading IE7 just w/the microsoft automatic updates turned off and i still got the aol warning message box that doesnt let me download it

I hope to hear back,
Safira

[hammer51]

Hi Safira - Sorry for any delay,

Im just asking around for more info on disabling the AOL security features myself as I am not too familiar with AOL settings. If you bear with me I will get back to you as soon as I find out more information

EDIT: Thanks dough for the response and additional output below

Edited by hammer51, 02 January 2007 - 02:00 PM.

[Doug]

Hi Safira,

Let's get a better picture of what's running on your machine.

Please go to http://www.pcpitstop.com
Register there and Run the Full Tests
When completed, please Select - TechExpress - then Copy/Paste your TechExpress Link back here into this thread.
We'll then be able to give you more informed recommendations.

As to IE.7, it "is" a safe download and installation when obtained from MS Updates, no matter what AOL may be telling you. AOL may be detecting a problem in the actual download that "is" creating a "botched" download/installation as Hammer51 mentioned earlier. (Big downloads via dial-up do occasionally encounter problems with missed packets, resulting in a corrupted/incomplete final download)

HOWEVER -
As to IE 7.0 -- Who needs it?!
IE.6 continues to function satisfactorially and without the glitch/patch problems that still seem to be surfacing for IE.7

Many TC Members are successfully using IE 7.0 and many are still waiting for the bugs to be worked out before adopting it for use on their machine. Some of my customers had loads of problems earlier with IE 7.0 and have either had the problems repaired, or have reverted to IE 6.0 for the time being. I have personally not adopted IE 7.0 on my own machines yet.

As to Running on the Internet during a 2+ hour download, without your Panda AntiVirus........ Not a good idea!

Let's have a look at your PCPitstop Full Test - TechExpress - then we'll be able to better identify the next best steps for you.

Best Regards

[Safira]

Hi Hammer, I called Aol tech dept and asked how to disable the aol internet security feature and they said if (the icon) did not show in the lower right hand corner (where the timer is) than i probably did not have it. (it does not show) I also checked in "all programs" and its not there. I told them I have Aol Optimzed 9.0 Edition, and not the security edition, and they said than i should not have that internet security feature. I will say this: I am disappointed in the insufficient help I have recieved on the phone and by email from Microsoft after paying $160 for my operating system So I appreciate Tomcoyote and all the people who've tried to help me here bbfn, Safira

[Safira]

Hi Dough,

Thanks for the pcpitstop link ; ) The computer froze for a while but I was able to run the full tests and here is the link (hope this helps):
TechExpress link for your current results:
http://www.pcpitstop...7H7FWQCP6WSKY1J

One other thing Microsoft had me do was to uninstall my Yahoo toolbar but I still couldn't download IE7.
Since the Aol Security Warning box seems to be blocking my attmept to download/install the IE7 and like you say maybe detecting a problem w/ the actual download is there any way to get around that warning box?

Aol seemed to say what MIcrosoft did: that i was having some compatabilitly issue/progem since IE7 is a new program or that there is not enough room on my computer.


"Big downloads via dial-up do occasionally encounter problems with missed packets, resulting in a corrupted/incomplete final download)"
[color=#000000] What is a missed packet? Just curious.


" As to IE 7.0 -- Who needs it?! " *** I came to that conclusion too as it seems its created a headache for many. I didnt have any of these problems w/the 6.0 i think.
Since microsoft has their never-ending updates I hope I'd be safe just using IE6.0. I.e., will Microsoft send me updates for the 6.0?? I"m thinking they'll detect i dont have 7.0 and send me notices about it.

Thanks for confirming my feeling that my computer would not be safe turning the PandaAV off that long. I'm not going to take a chance despite what Microsoft said after my hacktoolrootkit virus!

Thanks again,
Safira