mgross333
asked on
Links in Outlook Express emails mostly fail
The important thing about this Question is that most links in received Outlook Express (OE) emails fail but some do not. Please limit your replies to those consistent with "some links work".
Also the ONLY installed browsers are IE (version unknown but at least 6) and Netscape (version unknown BUT it is a working browser under the XP installed OS). OS is Windows XP SP2 or SP3. I do not know whether XP Home, Pro or Media Center.
I fix PCs for a living, this is for my customer, the PC is not available to me until I go to the customer site.. Hence replies to try something and report the result back by posting here are VERY MUCH A 2ND CHOICE as my customer expects me to arrive at 1 PM EST Saturday and fix the problem and leave (NOT RETURN LATER after I get a reply from an EE expert on Sunday morning or even Saturday 6 PM.) However I will take whatever I can get as I think this is a difficult problem.
REASON 1: I have done searches leading to various forum threads (EE and mostly other forums) and EVERY SINGLE ONE said the same thing: Make Internet Explorer (IE) the default browser by following steps provided in the forum reply. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY WITH THESE STEPS: I ALREADY HAVE TWO WAYS TO DO IT.
The problem I have with that approach is IF THAT WERE THE PROBLEM then **ALL** links in OE emails would fail right?? Example. IE and Firefox (FF) are installed and FF is set to the default browser. Then FF is uninstalled. Then all links in OE emails would fail.
THAT IS NOT MY SITUATION BECAUSE SOME LINKS WORK. If you disagree with my conclusion here, PLEASE REPLY TO THAT EFFECT.
REASON 2: I have been at this site before. At that time two links in 2 emails failed and the others all worked (to the extent the customer knew which may have missed some emails with non-working links). I ran ComboFix (CF), a powerful anti-malware program and forwarded the log to my partner a malware expert. She said there was no malware left to remove after CF ran.
When I left the customer agreed AT THAT TIME, that the problem was solved because EITHER
CF removed malware OR I pointed out that the two links pointed to non-existant URL's (BIG DIFFERENCE !!) and I can not remember which (my notes on this visit are regretably incomplete).
SUMMARY: My partner the malware expert said that at that time the CF log showed no more malware (so malware is not causing the current problem) AND that now some OE links still work seems to me to imply that the "set IE as the default browser" will not solve the problem as I think that that is not the right solution unless ALL links in OE emails fail. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG as that would give me an easy solution here.
Now I recognize that the CF log at that time showed NO malware left does NOT mean there was not more malware present. The CF log does NOT show everything.
OR
In the 3 weeks since I was there, more malware could have got on. But EITHER Norton or Mcafee protection PLUS Windows Defender are installed and that combination is very good at blocking malware in my experience. HOWEVER IT IS NOT INFALLIBLE and more malware could have got on and is causimg this problem.
Please reply with your solution to this problem (preferably because you have encountered and ACTUALLY SOLVED THIS EXACT PROBLEM). Or how you recommend I proceed.
EXCEPT no advice on how to proceed in general for malware. My partner will be helping me in real time and there are other removal tools and other logs we can generate, etc. The only exception to that is IF YOU KNOW THIS IS CAUSED BY A PARTICULAR MALWARE (please identify it) OR you know that a particular malware removal tool will ALMOST ALWAYS remove this problem, then please reply to that effect. But as to general malware removal techniques: I and my partner know how to do that.
Regards,
Mike
Also the ONLY installed browsers are IE (version unknown but at least 6) and Netscape (version unknown BUT it is a working browser under the XP installed OS). OS is Windows XP SP2 or SP3. I do not know whether XP Home, Pro or Media Center.
I fix PCs for a living, this is for my customer, the PC is not available to me until I go to the customer site.. Hence replies to try something and report the result back by posting here are VERY MUCH A 2ND CHOICE as my customer expects me to arrive at 1 PM EST Saturday and fix the problem and leave (NOT RETURN LATER after I get a reply from an EE expert on Sunday morning or even Saturday 6 PM.) However I will take whatever I can get as I think this is a difficult problem.
REASON 1: I have done searches leading to various forum threads (EE and mostly other forums) and EVERY SINGLE ONE said the same thing: Make Internet Explorer (IE) the default browser by following steps provided in the forum reply. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY WITH THESE STEPS: I ALREADY HAVE TWO WAYS TO DO IT.
The problem I have with that approach is IF THAT WERE THE PROBLEM then **ALL** links in OE emails would fail right?? Example. IE and Firefox (FF) are installed and FF is set to the default browser. Then FF is uninstalled. Then all links in OE emails would fail.
THAT IS NOT MY SITUATION BECAUSE SOME LINKS WORK. If you disagree with my conclusion here, PLEASE REPLY TO THAT EFFECT.
REASON 2: I have been at this site before. At that time two links in 2 emails failed and the others all worked (to the extent the customer knew which may have missed some emails with non-working links). I ran ComboFix (CF), a powerful anti-malware program and forwarded the log to my partner a malware expert. She said there was no malware left to remove after CF ran.
When I left the customer agreed AT THAT TIME, that the problem was solved because EITHER
CF removed malware OR I pointed out that the two links pointed to non-existant URL's (BIG DIFFERENCE !!) and I can not remember which (my notes on this visit are regretably incomplete).
SUMMARY: My partner the malware expert said that at that time the CF log showed no more malware (so malware is not causing the current problem) AND that now some OE links still work seems to me to imply that the "set IE as the default browser" will not solve the problem as I think that that is not the right solution unless ALL links in OE emails fail. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG as that would give me an easy solution here.
Now I recognize that the CF log at that time showed NO malware left does NOT mean there was not more malware present. The CF log does NOT show everything.
OR
In the 3 weeks since I was there, more malware could have got on. But EITHER Norton or Mcafee protection PLUS Windows Defender are installed and that combination is very good at blocking malware in my experience. HOWEVER IT IS NOT INFALLIBLE and more malware could have got on and is causimg this problem.
Please reply with your solution to this problem (preferably because you have encountered and ACTUALLY SOLVED THIS EXACT PROBLEM). Or how you recommend I proceed.
EXCEPT no advice on how to proceed in general for malware. My partner will be helping me in real time and there are other removal tools and other logs we can generate, etc. The only exception to that is IF YOU KNOW THIS IS CAUSED BY A PARTICULAR MALWARE (please identify it) OR you know that a particular malware removal tool will ALMOST ALWAYS remove this problem, then please reply to that effect. But as to general malware removal techniques: I and my partner know how to do that.
Regards,
Mike
ASKER
First, I forgot to mention that those OE email links that work open in IE, not Netscape
Carrzkiss,
Thanks for your good ideas. Do you know how to uninstall and reinstall OE even though it is a part of the Windows OS. In this regard note that Start>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs in the left margin has a choice for Add/Remove Windows Components. If I uncheck the OE line and proceed and then go back there and check that line and proceed will it uninstall and reinstall OE (keeping all email and the address book) or will it merely disable and enable OE (which will not solve the problem). In case email and address book are deleted by this, I can always back them up before doing this.
Or is there some other way to remove and reinstall OE?
Mike
Carrzkiss,
Thanks for your good ideas. Do you know how to uninstall and reinstall OE even though it is a part of the Windows OS. In this regard note that Start>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs in the left margin has a choice for Add/Remove Windows Components. If I uncheck the OE line and proceed and then go back there and check that line and proceed will it uninstall and reinstall OE (keeping all email and the address book) or will it merely disable and enable OE (which will not solve the problem). In case email and address book are deleted by this, I can always back them up before doing this.
Or is there some other way to remove and reinstall OE?
Mike
"Or is there some other way to remove and reinstall OE?"
See my post here
https://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q__24313260.html
See my post here
https://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q__24313260.html
ASKER
Jcimmaron, I will review and respond to your post later today
Carzkiss and other EE experts,
I already have the IE6 install file saved on CD for my business. However please reply to this:
Will the IE6 install file from MS work when the current IE version is 6 ?
OR
will it only work when the current installed version is NOT 6 (i.e 5, 7 or 8). I belive MS created it ONLY for the NOT 6 cases. If my customer has IE 6 will it work OR just immediately give me an error that IE 6 is already installed which makes it useless for the purpose of this Question.
And yes I suspect that if I upgrade to IE 7 and then use your file THAT will probably work (but that is too lengthy installs vs one). i.e has any one ever used MS's IE 6 dowlonad exe file to re-install IE 6 and had it work?
Regards,
Mike
Carzkiss and other EE experts,
I already have the IE6 install file saved on CD for my business. However please reply to this:
Will the IE6 install file from MS work when the current IE version is 6 ?
OR
will it only work when the current installed version is NOT 6 (i.e 5, 7 or 8). I belive MS created it ONLY for the NOT 6 cases. If my customer has IE 6 will it work OR just immediately give me an error that IE 6 is already installed which makes it useless for the purpose of this Question.
And yes I suspect that if I upgrade to IE 7 and then use your file THAT will probably work (but that is too lengthy installs vs one). i.e has any one ever used MS's IE 6 dowlonad exe file to re-install IE 6 and had it work?
Regards,
Mike
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
I am disappointed that no EE expert has seen this LINK problem, solved it and has a solution. This suggests to me that this is malwre related.
I have read the comments here and at https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24313260/How-to-Uninstall-and-Reinstall-Outlook-Express.html?cid=239&anchorAnswerId=24118920#a24118920 (also created by me) and have decided that
(0) I will make sure that IE is the default browser (using well established techniques)
(1) I will upgrade IE (6 to 7 or 7 to 8) because THAT WILL INSTALL A NEW VERSION OF IE.
(2) If that fails I and my partner will search for malware and fix it.
(3) If that fails I will use an XP CD matching the version already installed (Home, Pro, MC) and do a repair install which is a shot in the dark here as it does not replace all relevant files.
(4) If that fails I will do a partition install (replaces the Windows folder that also contains the registry but leaves all other folders untouched EXCEPT for creating a new Windows login account in the Douments and Settings folder) (this is one of the ways of using the XP SP2 Install CD, a way that many people are unaware of).
This will kill 3 birds with one stone. It will reinstall IE 6 and reinstall OE and IN PRACTICE get rid of any malware on the PC because almost all ACTIVE malware (not files that will be orphaned) is in the Windows folder or the Registry. Then I will run ComboFix to get rid of any malware left in the non-Windows folders. IN PRACTICE THIS STEP (4) IS A LOT OF WORK (all programs no longer work and must be reinstalled, XP CD is missing 3 or 4 drivers, the XP CD will not activate with MS, etc) and hence this is a last resort.
AGAIN HAS ANY EE EXPERT SEEN THIS EXACT PROBLEM (most OE email links fail but some work) AND SOLVED IT?
Mike
I have read the comments here and at https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24313260/How-to-Uninstall-and-Reinstall-Outlook-Express.html?cid=239&anchorAnswerId=24118920#a24118920 (also created by me) and have decided that
(0) I will make sure that IE is the default browser (using well established techniques)
(1) I will upgrade IE (6 to 7 or 7 to 8) because THAT WILL INSTALL A NEW VERSION OF IE.
(2) If that fails I and my partner will search for malware and fix it.
(3) If that fails I will use an XP CD matching the version already installed (Home, Pro, MC) and do a repair install which is a shot in the dark here as it does not replace all relevant files.
(4) If that fails I will do a partition install (replaces the Windows folder that also contains the registry but leaves all other folders untouched EXCEPT for creating a new Windows login account in the Douments and Settings folder) (this is one of the ways of using the XP SP2 Install CD, a way that many people are unaware of).
This will kill 3 birds with one stone. It will reinstall IE 6 and reinstall OE and IN PRACTICE get rid of any malware on the PC because almost all ACTIVE malware (not files that will be orphaned) is in the Windows folder or the Registry. Then I will run ComboFix to get rid of any malware left in the non-Windows folders. IN PRACTICE THIS STEP (4) IS A LOT OF WORK (all programs no longer work and must be reinstalled, XP CD is missing 3 or 4 drivers, the XP CD will not activate with MS, etc) and hence this is a last resort.
AGAIN HAS ANY EE EXPERT SEEN THIS EXACT PROBLEM (most OE email links fail but some work) AND SOLVED IT?
Mike
ASKER
I solved the problem with a Repair Install and never tried the solutions here (but would have if the Repair install had failed). Point awarded for future use.
Mike
Mike
#1: Make it so that OE opens links in a New Window.
(Choose: Tools | Internet Options | Advanced Tab |
[unckeck] Reuse windows for launching Shortcuts
Apply | OK)
This will make it so that every window opens in a new window.
This way, you can test everything to make sure that all the links are opening)
(If #1 does not work)
#2: Uninstall and Reinstall their version of IE.
Download IE6 in Full to take with you over to the clients house.
Follow the information provided here:
http://www.updatexp.com/download-ie6.html
If #1 and #2 do not work then.............
Scan the system again for known virus's, spyware, malware and so forth.
Making sure that the clients computer in clean of infections.
Good Luck
Carrzkiss