Active X

[AdamZ]

My computer recently crashed ( laptop) And my computer guy got it back up and running but had to reset a lot of stuff something about something or other being corrupted.

Anyway I can't click on links here can't open flash chat or play Youtube. Youtube says I need to install flash player or my java script is turned off. So I tried to install Flash player from Youtube but that yellow bar keeps popping up top and it says security wont let me install unsigned ActiveX controls. I reset the IE security to Defualt which is medium and of course medium says can't install unsigned active x. Medium is the lowest setting. grrr anything I can do here?

 

[RJM62]

• What version of Windows?
• What version of IE?
• Was the tech more specific than "something or other was corrupted?"
• Have you (or the tech) done complete malware scans?
• What was the specific reason the machine was taken for maintenance? What do you mean by "it crashed?"

Generally, on IE7, you can try to reset the whole shooting match by going to Internet Options and clicking the "Reset" button on the lower right under the advanced tab. Then you can go into each tab and set the defaults and see if that works.

If you can't click on links at all, you may need to re-register URLMON.DLL :

Start> Run > [type in] regsvr32 urlmon.dll [Enter]
​

I don't recall having needed to do that in quite some time, though.

Of course, you can just download and install Firefox, which will appear to solve a lot of your problems. But IE is very tightly woven into Windows (some would say it's little more than a glorified file manager), so problems with IE could suggest deeper problems with the system.

Very often, these problem lie in the registry; and it's not at all uncommon for a spyware removal job to cause numerous browser errors if the registry is not cleaned afterwards.

If I were sitting in front of your machine, I would also check to see if MSCONFIG is being used to restrict startup items. Many techs use this diagnostic tool as a fix, which is a practice I disagree with.

I believe that when the machine is given back to the client, it should run properly with MSCONFIG set to normal startup, and any unneeded startup entries removed the proper way.

Why do I bring this up? Because I've looked at a lot of machines that were "fixed" by un-ticking some entries in MSCONFIG, but were still pretty sick. Using MSCONFIG to stop processes from starting for any reason other than diagnostics always smells like an unfinished job to me. So when I see that the machine was left in selective startup mode by the last tech, I assume that there are problems left over from that visit. Most often these involve registry issues.

Rich

 

[AdamZ]

Rich the laptop was getting very slow and then on occasion began a physical memory dump what ever that is. it wen't into what I call blue screen mode with large digital looking type. The last time is just crapped out screene went black and gave instructions to reset and said I needed the disc which I had and put in But it wouldn't work so I gave it to the tech. He's a pretty honorable guy. I don't really recall what was corrupted perhaps it was a virus. I know that I had Norton but He couldn't get then back up and running so he installed a free anitvirus calle Avast.

The computer runs pretty well and faster except for the programs that I described above. The backgrounds had to be reset and I had to put some of the short cuts back on the desk top and some minor stuff like that.

I have:
Windows XP
IE7
I don't know what a malware scan is or Msconfig.

 

[AdamZ]

Rich I ran the URLMON.DLL and it installed successfully and now clicking on links works Thanks so much. Any Idea how I can install the Active X?

 

[RJM62]

Okay, good. And you're welcome.

Try resetting IE as described above, and then re-set each tab to the default settings. If that doesn't work, we'll try something else.

One caution: What you describe sounds like your run-of-the-mill registry crash, and none of the methods of restoring a system after a registry meltdown are perfect. They all leave some conflicts. Furthermore, there is the question of, "Why did it crash in the first place?" Sometimes these things are caused by issues that may occur again, such as a failing hard drive, a chipset problem, and so forth.

So think backup. Don't consider that system stable, at least not for a long time. Back up everything that is important, because it may crash again.

Rich

 

[AdamZ]

Will do I'll try all that tomorrow. Also you said

"it's not at all uncommon for a spyware removal job to cause numerous browser errors if the registry is not cleaned afterwards."

Are you saying that running my Adaware spyware program could casue this problem?

 

[RJM62]

It's possible, but so are a million other things.

It starts to get a little complex, but basically, a lot of malware places itself in the path between your browser and the Internet. When that malware is removed, the references to it also need to be removed, or else the browser continues looking for it.

Sometimes the missing malware causes the browser to lose its connection to the Internet. This generally results when a layered service provider is removed, and can quickly be diagnosed by pinging an Internet server over the command line. If it responds from a terminal but the browser has no connection, nine times out of ten it's an LSP issue.

Other times, malware removed without also removing references to it will cause the browser to crash, hang, lock, or sometimes refuse to close, or make it impossible to change the settings.

So yes, incompletely removed malware can cause the problems you're having, but so can a lot of other things.

Rich