IE 5.01: no browse in separate process?
Enisoc
I have Windows 98 FE, and Internet Explorer 5.01. IE occasionally
locks up upon entering a new page (e.g. clicking a link). Since I have
CrashGuard, which automatically kills the browser and then restores
the page you were viewing, this would not bother me one bit (I'm very
much accustomed to windows' various quirks and death traps), except
that forcefully terminating IE (i.e. ctrl-alt-del'ing it when it
freezes) also terminates (and restarts) the windows explorer, which,
I'm sure you know, takes all the system tray (taskbar notification
area, if you're a programmer) icons down with it. This is not
surprising at all, since a quick look at the task list (via the
win98rk tlist.exe util) while running IE5.01 clearly proves that it is
running in the same process as windows explorer (EXPLORER.EXE), as can
be deduced by the absence of any IEXPLORE.EXE process. Indeed, even
explicitly executing IEXPLORE.EXE simply causes the (already running)
windows explorer, EXPLORER.EXE, to open a new window. In previous
versions of MSIE (specifically IE 4), there was an option on the
"Advanced" tab of Internet Options, titled "Launch Browser Windows in
a Separate Process". As a person who uses IE all day, everyday, I can
confidently report (to anyone reading) that selecting this option has
been 100% effective at curing this irritating problem. However, this
option has disappeared in IE5, and (as I've discovered) for an even
MORE irritation "reason". Being the "good little enduser" that I am, I
simply did a quick search of the KB (fyi, on "browse in separate
process" for IE5), and found article Q240928, titled '"Launch Browser
Windows in a Separate Process" Setting Is Not Available in Internet
Explorer 5.01'. BINGO! This article states, quote:
----------------------------------------
After installing Internet Explorer 5.01, this setting is no longer
configurable, as it is automatically enabled or disabled based on the
amount of memory (RAM) installed in the computer. If the computer has
less than 32 MB of RAM installed, this setting is disabled and all
instances of Internet Explorer share the same process. If there is 32
MB of RAM or greater installed on the computer, the setting is
enabled, causing new instances of Internet Explorer to create new
processes.
----------------------------------------
WHAT?! As is the unfortunate custom of Microsoft, the developers of IE
have apparently decided that they "know what's best for us endusers",
and that "what's best for us" is to "protect" us from such "advanced"
options as this, since "we don't know any better". "and what's wrong
with the program auto-configuring itself to your system", you might
say? Well, the problem is, I have 192MB of RAM, and a one gigabyte,
unfragmented, swap file on a high performance, Ultra160 SCSI dedicated
drive, and IE5.01 decides it STILL doesn't want to run in a separate
process. Before you start telling me to check my video drivers,
hardware acceleration settings, etc, I'd like to say that 1) I've been
through all the latest drivers/bios's for my CL TNT2U, as well as all
four acceleration "notches" (for other reasons), and 2) I don't mind
that IE freezes; only that it refuses to run in a separate process, so
as to take all my tray icons with it. Sorry for rambling this long,
but I believe in the prevalence of 'preciseness' over 'conciseness'.
So, if you're still willing to help me, I'm open to any suggestions.
TIA for any assistance.
--
Enisoc
Enisoc
manual setting, I have added these entries to my startup script, so
they will be refreshed at every startup. Thanks again for the info,
and for a quick response.
--
Enisoc
"M. Spyridakis" <msp...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uIfwOsFs$GA.213@cppssbbsa03...
> For those reading along at home... the KB reference is here...
> "Launch in a Separate Process" Setting Is Not Available in Internet
Explorer
> 5.01
> http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q240/9/28.asp
>
> Since this value should be set in the registry already, i don't know
if this
> will have any effect but for those who care, I believe the registry
key is
> here
>
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\BrowseNewProce
ss
>
> * As you like (and at your own risk) you may put the option back in
the
> Internet Options Control panel using the values/text below as a
guide/merge
> file. (a new group "xxCustom
> should be created at end of existing entries)
>
> *** Whether or not the option is 'effective' (first iexplore process
was
> always linked to Explorer as far as i recall and a 'new process' is
only
> launched under some specific conditions (probably not from an
embedded link
> with 'Open in new window' ?),
> -and- whether or not you can get IE5.01 to maintain any manual
setting is
> another issue.
>
> Just my 2¢ here...
> ... it seems the problems you have go a bit beyond "IE in a new
process..."
> ... some users will swear that various "crash guard utilities"
(including
> Symantec's versions) are actually 'more trouble than they are
worth' or in
> extreme cases 'cause the problem' - (FWIW i happen to be running
Norton Crash
> Guard 4 since 16 Sept 99 and record 'only' six 32 bit Iexplore
crashes (& one
> 16 bit))
> ... how each of us uses a system varies of course but frequent
crashes or a
> need to kill an existing process indicates some very basic
conflict/rescource
> issues... based on your posting i can only suggest you grab a cool
drink, put
> on your detective hat and look for some root problems.. I wish you
luck.
>
> Regards,
> Max
> Research your problem with DejaNews
> Keyword search across many newsgroups
> http://www.deja.com/usenet/ -or-
> http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml
>
> *** First -- Back up your registry please ***
>
> You can either use the text at the end of this post as a guide for
making the
> registry changes manually or cut/paste the text with notepad to
create a
> registry merge file (*.reg). Careful of "word wrap" when creating
*.reg
> files from text files.
>
> *** All *.reg files begin with REGEDIT4 ***
>
> REGEDIT4
>
> // Lines starting with // will not be read during merge
> // M. Spyridakis msp...@hotmail.com 10 Dec 1999
> //
> // Add new "XX Custom" group to IE advanced options panel
> // Insert old IE4/5 "Browse in new process" option
> //
>
>
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet
> Explorer\AdvancedOptions\XXCustom]
> "Text"="XX Custom / Obsolete items"
> "Type"="group"
> "Bitmap"="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\inetcpl.cpl,4482"
>
>
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet
> Explorer\AdvancedOptions\XXcustom\BROWSE_NEW_PROCESS]
>
"RegPath"="SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Bro
wseNewP
> rocess"
> "Text"="Browse in a new process"
> "Type"="checkbox"
> "CheckedValue"="yes"
> "UncheckedValue"="no"
> "ValueName"="BrowseNewProcess"
> "DefaultValue"="no"
> "HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
> "HelpID"="iexplore.hlp#50178"
>
> // *** End of file //
>
> ***
>
> "Enisoc" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message
> news:#Nq$yqAs$GA.163@cppssbbsa05...
M. Spyridakis
REGEDIT4
***