Internet Explorer crashes

I just reinstalled 7--64bit this time--and loaded about 25 programs, which included
Norton360 and Registry Mechanic. 24 hours later, I find that I cannot start Internet
Explorer. "Internet Explorer has stopped working"--it never started working, altho it
did on the first day, when I let the Norton folks run the machine remotely from it to
reinstall their program. The usual message about Windows trying to find a solution
as usual does nothing. I wouldn't generally care, but I ran into an instruction that
required Internet Explorer, and that's when I found out it didn't work any more.( I use
Firefox myself, since I believe using anything that has Microsoft's name on it invites
trojans and other mallware.) (I reinstalled because the original crashed and burned.)

If Linux had AutoCAD and WordPerfect I'd never boot Windows at all!

Thanx for any help. --doug

Do you still want a solution to IE then, or are you going with Firefox? Personally I don't even use IE at all.

I would not care about IE, but a routine that would allow me to put a radio station feed on a shortcut asked for IE. As I said before, normally I don't use IE--or MS mail, either. Thanx for reading and replying.

You could try the W7 disk or a repair CD and have it fix system files and there is a small chance that may fix the issue.

It's quite possible you damaged something important in the registry with Registry Mechanic; if it has an undo feature you might want to try that.

Or ... You didn't specify what version of IE but if it's a fresh install then it's likely IE8 so what you might try upgrading to IE9 and IE9 might work.

IE9 (and IE8 for XP users) continues to prove itself to be the most secure browser so I sure would not blow it off. That is not to say the others are insecure, it just means you cannot use security as an excuse to dismiss IE. That would be naive at this point in history. Since the requirement to practice safe computing to keep your computer safe and secure is the same, regardless the browser of choice, your choice of browsers is just that, your choice. Pick the most current version of the one that has the "look and feel" you prefer.

That simply is not true. 10 years ago maybe (because of "badguys" not MS), but not today with Windows 7 (especially 64-bit Windows 7) and IE9. The computer user, always the weakest link, is the one that invites malware - not Microsoft.

Problems with IE are most often caused by misbehaving or corrupt add-ons. I would reset IE and see what happens. And if me, I would dump Norton 360 and Registry Mechanic. Spending money on an anti-malware solution is a waste of money when there are several very capable and free (with much less bloat) solutions out there, like the widely popular, MSE. And Windows 7 does not need any program that dinks with the registry.

The OP indicates they NEED IE for a specific thing and it is damaged on their computer. Opinions/Articles on browsers and the security of each will not help him fix IE. Please keep your posts to how to repair IE.

I have moved the "is secure"/"isn't secure" browser discussion HERE but it will be closely monitored. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but much of it is subjective and reports often conflict so keep it civil.

Thank you. Worth quoting again.


Doug, it's possible Norton may be interfering with IE in some way, but short of removing Norton this can't be confirmed. Does Internet Explorer 64bit work for you? It's a separate install, you can access it from the start menu.

What version of IE are you using? I'd suggest downloading and installing IE9 if you're using an older version and seeing if that fixes it.

As for the OP: I'm sure there's a way to do it without using IE, but for something simpler i'm guessing you just want to use IE. Don't uninstall Norton though, even though it may be expensive, you can't beat security if it does a good job, and from the latest tests done in 2011, it is up there as one of the best AV's of 2011 from reviews done in May of this year, along with Kaspersky, Bitdefender, and ESET. MSE is also good, but the firewall in Norton 360 (v2010 and up only) beats all as far as i'm concerned.

If you learn it's controls, it's actually easy to manage. Disable the firewall, or make a rule in the firewall configuration settings from Norton to allow for whatever you're trying to do.

Nobody said he had to throw Norton away. If there is a chance that Norton is interfering there is nothing wrong with removing it. It can always be reinstalled.

EDIT: In rereading I see that Digerati did suggest it. The truth is all A/V software is only as good as the last update. New viruses come out every hour and they test them against the more well-known A/V software just to make sure they work then the A/V company updates again and the cycle goes on and on.

Just get your IE browser working and if you need to, then try it with Norton uninstalled. Whether you reinstall it or something else is up to you.

Please don't misquote me. I said, "if me, I would dump Norton". I did not suggest the OP dump it, I just said I would because paying for an anti-malware solution is a waste of money. And with Norton, you pay upfront, then you have regular recurring renewal fees too. So it is a continuing waste of money with no evidence the major free solutions are any less capable of keeping you safe.

As far as firewalls, again, you don't need anything fancy. Firewalls are low tech so anything fancy is just fluff. And if you have to pay for it, another waste of money. Windows Firewall is perfectly capable, and is already included in Windows. And, it is very simple to setup.

The important thing is to use a firewall.