IE7 crawls after SP3 Update

[MSWizard Vinay]

Problem:
I was running XP Pro SP2 with IE7 and WMP11 with no issues. As part of
automatic updates, I installed SP3. Since then I noticed that IE7 slowed down
drastically.
Remarks:
I have both IE7 and Firefox 2 and Firefox is normal. I have a very fast
broadband internet and for example downloaded some ISO CD images using IE7 in
just minute before SP3s. However now it wont load Microsoft update even after
10 mins. USing IE to access Google is a bit better and just manages to load.
But Firefox is still very fast.
Steps taken:
First I tried to uninstall IE7 in the hope that re-installation would fix
the issue. I found that I was unable to uninstall as the option was grayed
out in Add Remove.
So I did a repair install using a slipstreamed XP SP3 CD which did not
contain IE7 since SP3 doesn't include it. After that, IE6 had no issues and
was very fast.

Automatic update kicked in and downloaded and installed a bunch of patches
including IE7. So again I had the same problem as before. However, I was able
to uninstall IE7 this time.

After uninstalling IE7 I decided to simply patch IE6 and avoid IE7
temporarily. However after a security roundup update for IE6, the next time I
used Microsft update from the start menu, I found to my surprise that IE6 was
opening as a small blank IE6 Window and Firefox was opening and going to the
update webpage. Clicking on the home button in the IE6 window opened the
default MS page in firefox. This is the craziest thing I have seen to date...

After that I uninstalled IE7 and installed IE7 file that I downloaded
instead of from automatic update. This brings me back to square 1. IE7 is so
slow that it is almost unusable. Firefox is absolutely fine. I cannot do any
updates.

Any pointers would be appreciated. At this point, I have no option but to do
a repair install using XP SP2 and downgrade my system.

[MSWizard Vinay]

IE7 Microsoft Update suddenly started to work and is now trying to install
IE7 from there. Why is it trying to install something that is already
installed?

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[Crossposted to IE General newsgroup]

What a mess! Where to begin?

> I was running XP Pro SP2 with IE7 and WMP11 with no issues. As part of
> automatic updates, I installed SP3. Since then I noticed that IE7 slowed

> down drastically...

> First I tried to uninstall IE7 in the hope that re-installation would fix
> the issue. I found that I was unable to uninstall as the option was grayed
> out in Add Remove.

If you install WinXP SP3 after you'd installed IE7, you will not be able to
uninstall IE7 until you've uninstall WinXP SP3. See
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/05/05/ie-and-xpsp3.aspx

> So I did a repair install using a slipstreamed XP SP3 CD...

Very, very big mistake! To avoid the very problems you're now encountering,
you'd need to uninstall both WinXP SP3 *and* IE7 prior to doing a Repair
Install.

Proceed as follows:

=> YOU WILL WANT TO PRINT OR COPY/PASTE THIS POST INTO NOTEPAD FOR OFFLINE
REFERENCE!

1. Your only (and I mean *only*!) recourse now is to format & reinstall
WinXP. Yes, you can use the slipstreamed XP SP3 CD to reinstall this time.

Tip: Reboot twice after reinstalling WinXP!

Tip: Make absolutely certain that the Windows Firewall is enabled!

Tip: Wait until you've got the machine fully patched at Windows Update
before installing an anti-virus application. As such, don't do ANYTHING
else online until (a) the machine's fully patched and (b) you've got your AV
app installed & fully updated!

2. Do Resolution Method 2 here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
(trust me)

3. Using IE only, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com | Install the
Windows Update-related software the machine will require then click on
CONTINUE | Select CUSTOM and scan | Accept the install of any critical
security updates offered | Follow all prompts.

NB: Do NOT accept the installation of IE7!

4. Make certain the Automatic Updates is enabled and configured per your
wishes; see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

5a. Install and properly configure an anti-virus application of your choice.

5b. Manually update your new AV app.

NB: Your anti-virus application should be configured to seek and install
updates automatically and daily at a time when the machine is usually
running and connected to the internet. It should also be configured to run
a full system scan a few minutes after seeking/installing updates, also
daily. Anything less is simply insufficient these days.

6. Now you're ready to install IE7 per the following:

Sandi's Installation Tips <= Steps #1-8, #10 & #11; take note of #12, then
STOP!
http://www.ie-vista.com/known_issues.html#pre-install
(ignore any references to Vista)

And I strongly recommend using
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx as the
installation source, not Automatic/Windows Update.

Alternately, use this Direct Download link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9ae91ebe-3385-447c-8a30-081805b2f90b

Tip: Save the installer to your desktop, do not Run it.

Make *certain* that you check in at Windows Update immediately after
installing IE7 and install any critical updates offered. If Optional
Updates category offers Root Certificates update, I recommend installing it
to take full advantage of IE7's additional security.

IEBlog : IE7 Installation and Anti-Malware Applications
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/10/11/IE7-Installation-and-Anti_2D00_Malware-Applications.aspx

========================

Those with IE7-specific questions or comments are asked to post to and seek
support in this newsgroup: microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general

On the web:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general

In your newsreader:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

MSWizard Vinay wrote:
> IE7 Microsoft Update suddenly started to work and is now trying to install
> IE7 from there. Why is it trying to install something that is already
> installed?
>

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[*Now* crossposted to IE General newsgroup. <doh>]

[MSWizard Vinay]

Pa Bear,
Thanks for the info. Before you posted this I had already formatted my OS
drive and done a clean install. I did see the Wups2.dll stuff and had tried
it on the previous install.

Anyway after the clean install, .Net 1.1 and .Net 2.0 failed to install but
showed up in the history. I rebooted and tried again and this time it did
install. I installed everything else normally [I had to get a new patch for
NIS 2008 but otherwise no issues.

Today I was asked to autoupdate again and .Net 3.0 failed to install as I
was typing this. Got to see what that is about.

I still have not installed IE7 and can wait for it. I will use Firefox
instead and use IE6 only for updates.

Thanks again for your help.

**********************************************************

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

I wouldn't upgrade to IE7 yet.

If & when you have issues installing an update, the first thing to try
before attempting to install it again is (1) disable NAV, (2) disable the
Norton Firewall and then (3) enable the Windows Firewall.

For the .NET Framework 3.0 issue (if it persists and if doing the above
doesn't help):

1. Write down what .NET Framework versions are already installed (e.g., .NET
Framework 1.1 SP1) before you go uninstalling/removing any of them!

How to determine which versions of the .NET Framework are installed and
whether service packs have been applied
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318785

2. Now see Resolutions Methods 1 or 2 in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923100 (ignore the title).

If no joy, see this related post by my colleague MowGreen:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/4d76de7769d04493
--
~PA Bear

[MSWizard Vinay]

Thanks. I will try the steps for .Net Framework 3.0 today. The error code is
Error Code: 0x643 BTW.
I have DOTNET 1.1 SP1 and 2.0 SP1 installed [At least it says it does] and
whatever patches pushed by autoupdate for those two.
Regards,
Vinay

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

> Error Code: 0x643 BTW.

When you try to install an update for the .NET Framework 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0,
or 3.5, you may receive Windows Update error code *0x643*...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923100

Hence my recommendation. <wink>

[MSWizard Vinay]

Yes Thanks :-) I saw the 0x643 explanation in the KP article after my post ...
Here is what I found:
v1.0.3705 - No mscorlib.dll in folder. Only DLL is mscormmc.dll and version
is 2.0.50727.1433 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
v1.1.4322 - mscorlib.dll version is 1.1.4322.2407
v2.0.50727 - mscorlib.dll version is 2.0.50727.1433 (REDBITS.050727-1400)

Then following debug recommendation from autoupdate, I simply did a manual
install of 3.0 Dotnet and it installed sucessfully. Autoupdate immediately
asked to install 3.0 SP1 and that failed. Manual install of 3.0 SP1 failed
as well.

It looks like I have two options. Either I reinstall Dotnet from scratch as
you originally suggested. But I suspect I am going to have problems since I
installed XP using SP3 slipstreamed CD. I think I can only roll back the 1.1
and 2.0 patches and they seem to be correctly installed if autoupdate history
is to be believed.

Or

I need to use the cleanup tool on 3.0 alone. But given that manual install
of 3.0 worked I think I need some different solution for 3.0 SP1 issue..

Any suggestions?

For example how do I verify if 3.0 installed correctly? How do I tell what
went wrong with 3.0 SP1? Where do I find the installation logs?

Again many thanks Pa Bear for your suggestions. They have been very helpful.

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Repost:

[MSWizard Vinay]

I did 3 re-installations of dotnetfx using the steps outlined here and
finally using the cleanup tool. 3.0 SP1 always failed to install. Finally I
simply ignored the error and installed 3.5. The cleanup tool now shows that
3.0 SP1 as installed.

My system works normally but I still don't dare to switch from I.E. 6.0 to
I.E. 7.0 in case the whole fiasco starts once again.

Thanks for all the help ...