Problems arise... again

InCreator · Mon 27/12/2004 16:56:11

Welcome back to InCreator's "Weird viruses & problems show" !

In today's show... It's teh ultimat3 goddamn inteRn0t 3xpl0r4r!

The thing is not downloading. It is downloading, but it is not downloading.

Like this: I start a web page, it opens. Downloaded, right?
Even pages I do not have in cache. Search engines. It shows pictures, plays sounds, everything. IM's work too.

But wait! Whenever there's thing that browser itself cannot open right away, like some unknown file extensions (all picture formats too), just anything that opens the "save"-"open"-"cancel" dialog, won't download. It opens the "Getting file information"Ã,Â window, "thinks" a little - and without starting to download, displays st00pid error, like

"Internet Explorer cannot download blah-blah from blah.com

IE was not not able to open this internet site. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later."

Well, right. It has been tested on everything, there's no way that mistake was in particular download. I can't get ANYthing.
Then again Save Picture As... works.

This crap happened just yesterday, when I foolishly thought that updating windows XP once in a millenia just could do any good. SP2 and "critical security updates" stuff.
I did so. I restarted teh damn thing and reactivated windows.
What a fool, I am.
What a bastards work there, at Microsoft corporation.

Now, I gotta use internet. My own logic - as everyone's others would - suggested to switch to some more normal browser, such as Mozilla firefox. What a nice idea. Especially when you are not able to download files from internet, which, of course - includes freeware web browsers...

Nope, no internet firewalls here.
No bad IE settings neither.

Oh.
Someone, please say something helpful. Or do something.
Thank you.

HillBilly · Mon 27/12/2004 17:01:47

My heart cries for you. If you'll get on MSN, I can send you the firefox installation file?

Evil · Mon 27/12/2004 17:33:03

Billy, I don't think the solution is just use a different program. The problem could be internal, in which firefox might not work either.

InCreator · Mon 27/12/2004 17:38:48

It worked with Firefox.
And Hillbilly was really helpful.

And IE goes

* under boycott
* a date with a object named "Recycle Bin" (Well, not really, I know Windows & MS Liferuiners Crew too well, so I fight the temptation)

c.leksutin · Mon 27/12/2004 17:45:01

Man, it seems like everytime I turn around, there's another nightmare story about sp2. I recently aquired the sp2 update on CD so I wouln't have to go through any lengthy d/l processes, but from the looks of things that CD will sit right where it is untill it decays naturally (should only take about 5,000 years). Or maybe I should take it down to the local chruch and see if they can exsise the deamons out of it.

Is sp2 REALLY this bad??

C.

InCreator · Mon 27/12/2004 18:04:52

Maybe you should carry CD everywhere with you.
Just carry -- not install the SuperProblems2-

Just in case when life takes you into a big, dark, snowy and cold forest and you run out of firewood or food.

Moox · Mon 27/12/2004 18:07:39

I have sp2 running and not a thing has happened since I installed it a month ago. Are you sure its not a memmory resident virus?

InCreator · Mon 27/12/2004 20:54:19

quite so.
At least, this is what

NOD32
Trend Housecall
AVG
and NAV2004 say.

No spyware neither, doublechecked both with Pestpatrol 4.0 and Spybot: S&S

...which was a real pain, because different antiviruses and anti-adware programs won't get along and declare each others as viruses and spyware! Huh.

Going through all this stupid mess that is called "options & settings for Internet Explorer" isn't something I'd like to waste my precious lifetime on to, but I did so to be sure it's not my fault - like something turned off or disabled there. Nope. No explanation to this mystery.

It's most likely just some crap sp2 installed, restricting downloading sounds just like one of MS-guys tricks. I haven't seen any popup-blockers or other things that they advertised as "increased internet security" neither, maybe installation messed up itself some way. Some invisible way, because from what I saw, there were no problems during installation...

Haddas · Mon 27/12/2004 21:16:24

I have sp2 too, but i aint had problems... except explorer not accessing anything I want, but it don't matter, cause I use FireFox anyhow

Barbarian · Mon 27/12/2004 22:35:03

I made the big mistake of downloading and installing "SP2" for XP on my laptop soon after it first was released. It killed my windows, and I almost lost everything. Luckily I know a few things about computers, and was able to fix things with a fresh repair re-install of XP and able to get things working again.

Also, keep in mind, backup your important files to external media. This is especially important if you plan to try and install an update such as SP2, as after installing SP2 it might render your computer useless (such as happened to me and several other people I know).

Edit: Found a couple of links at MicroSoft about the "Cannot download" problem:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;183506

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f687aa7f-e6da-4990-a63a-a162822a5c0e&displaylang=en

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318378

DGMacphee · Tue 28/12/2004 02:40:10

From what I can tell, the service pack 2's main updates really only add security features that Firefox already has.

LGM · Tue 28/12/2004 03:37:03

If you slipstream SP2 with your Installation CD, you get alot of annoyances out of the way that normally occur on reformats..

Why don't you try reformatting?

jrl2222 · Tue 28/12/2004 14:16:16

I installed sp2 at the end of November and have little to no problems with it. Of course I turned off half the crap that came with it so it was nearly pointless to install.