Re: IE Locks in Hotmail

From: Jim Byrd (jrbyrd_at_spamlessadelphia.net)
Date: 11/29/04 

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 21:56:12 -0800

Hi Adrian - Do you have MSN Messenger installed? If so, and you don't use
it, you might try disabling or uninstalling it and then see if Hotmail then
works with ActiveX enabled. Read all of the following carefully.

1. See here to disable it: How to prevent Windows Messenger from running
on a Windows XP-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=302089 Read carefully.

2. A simpler method to completely uninstall it if you don't use it which
you may want to try (rather than messing around in the Registry to just
disable it unless you're very comfortable with that) is to be sure you Exit
from Messenger by right-clicking the MSN icon in the notification area, and
selecting Exit. Then go to Start|Run then enter exactly (I would copy/paste
it):

RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %systemRoot%\inf\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Then uninstall the leftover installation information file by going to
Start|Run then entering:

rundll32 setupapi,InstallHinfSection BLC.Remove 128
%systemRoot%\inf\msmsgs.inf

Then reboot.

3. If you wish, you can ensure that MSN Messenger is shown in Add-Remove
Windows Components so that you can restore it at some later time if you so
desire by going to Start|Run and entering:

notepad.exe %systemRoot%\INF\sysoc.inf

When this file opens in Notepad, look for a line that starts "msmsgs="
and then delete the word "hide" if there and go to File|Save, then exit
Notepad.

Then reboot. 

-- 
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
In news:BFFD6637-1E0F-4FA8-B75A-993505191C23@microsoft.com,
Adrian <Adrian@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
>    Hi, Jim - and thanks for your replies.
>
>    I disabled ActiveX Controls and Plug-ins and it definately solved
> the Hotmail problem - everything worked fine there with ActiveX
> disabled.  But when I came back to these newsgroups, I was unable to
> browse the messages (received an error message stating that "ActiveX
> controls must be enabled to browse these newsgroups").  So it solved
> one problem and created another. When I re-enabled ActiveX, my IE
> locked-up again in Hotmail.
>
>    This one is rather baffling!  To answer your other questions, the
> problem occurs AFTER I log-in to Hotmail (normally - on the Hotmail
> website, not via a Passport log-in).  I can log into my account just
> fine, but when I navigate to my inbox, IE locks.  Again, I don't have
> any problems with IE on any other websites.
>
>    I'm not sure how to ping MSN - I'll need a quick lesson  :-)
>
>    Thanks, Jim!
>
>                                         Adrian
>
> "Jim Byrd" wrote:
>
>> Hi Adrian - The following was posted in another thread by Hippo101
>> and may be relevant to your problem:
>>
>> "For those who still have problems with Hotmail and that have MSN
>> Messenger on thier computer...
>>
>> Go in Tools > Internet Options>
>>
>> Click on "Security", select "Internet" and then "Custom Level"
>> Searche for "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins" and disable it.
>>
>> Disabling this will prevent Hotmail from showing the MSN Messenger
>> status near your email adress on your hotmail account. If it is
>> disabled, MSN Messenger wont be asked to run which is most-likely the
>> cause of the problem.
>>
>> Try it and tell if it works. It worked for me and I want to see if it
>> can work for other people. Thx !"
>>
>>
>> --
>> Please respond in the same thread.
>> Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
>>
>>
>>
>> In news:6D40292B-AD22-4BAB-B2F5-1009DB2A8C98@microsoft.com,
>> Adrian <Adrian@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
>>>    I am using Internet Explorer
>>> v6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_2_rtm.040803-2158 on Windows XP Professional
>>> SP2.
>>>
>>>    When I go to the Hotmail website to read E-mail, IE locks-up.  I
>>> have to do the 3-finger salute (ctl/alt/del) to end the process and
>>> exit out of IE - none of the buttons work.  I have no other problems
>>> with IE navigating the web - it is just on Hotmail.
>>>
>>>    I also have the newest version of the Mozilla Suite installed, as
>>> well as Mozilla Firefox.  I have no difficulty navigating within
>>> Hotmail from either of these applications - it just happens with
>>> Internet Explorer.
>>>
>>>    Any idea what might be causing the problem?  I recently did a
>>> registry cleanup (big mistake!), but I un-did the changes and
>>> successfully merged the entries back into the registry.  Even
>>> following a re-start, IE is still acting-up.
>>>
>>>    Your professional assistance would be appreciated!
>>>
>>>                                              Adrian