IE6 Slow to Load Website Since Dec. 15 Automatic Update

As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was alerted
that Windows would install the automatic update and then close. When I came
back, the district website http://www.kckps.org/ (I'm the web manager) took
about 30 seconds to load. It's NEVER been slow to load before the update and
nothing else had changed. I did all the cleanup I could think of to rule out
malware being the problem. It's NOT. Something about the updated IE6 is
"hanging" on something in the JavaScript. I know this because I've taken out
all the JavaScript on the page to test and it loads fine with it gone. If
troubleshooted the JavaScript to see if there is something wrong with it ...
there's NOT. All the other browsers load quickly and I get no error
messages. The problem is with the updated IE6. Does anyone have a solution?
Thanks!

Windows version?

Have you installed the January and February updates?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org


Teresa wrote:
> As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was alerted
> that Windows would install the automatic update and then close. When I
> came back, the district website http://www.kckps.org/ (I'm the web
> manager) took about 30 seconds to load. It's NEVER been slow to load
> before the update and nothing else had changed. I did all the cleanup I
> could think of to rule out malware being the problem. It's NOT.
> Something about the updated IE6 is "hanging" on something in the
> JavaScript. I know this because I've taken out all the JavaScript on the
> page to test and it loads fine with it gone. If troubleshooted the
> JavaScript to see if there is something wrong with it ... there's NOT.
> All the other browsers load quickly and I get no error messages. The
> problem is with the updated IE6. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks!

Windows XP, SP2.
Yes, I installed all updates and the problem persists. Thanks.

"PA Bear" wrote:

> Windows version?
>
> Have you installed the January and February updates?
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org
>
>
> Teresa wrote:
> > As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was alerted
> > that Windows would install the automatic update and then close. When I
> > came back, the district website http://www.kckps.org/ (I'm the web
> > manager) took about 30 seconds to load. It's NEVER been slow to load
> > before the update and nothing else had changed. I did all the cleanup I
> > could think of to rule out malware being the problem. It's NOT.
> > Something about the updated IE6 is "hanging" on something in the
> > JavaScript. I know this because I've taken out all the JavaScript on the
> > page to test and it loads fine with it gone. If troubleshooted the
> > JavaScript to see if there is something wrong with it ... there's NOT.
> > All the other browsers load quickly and I get no error messages. The
> > problem is with the updated IE6. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks!
>
>

WYSIWYG. I think it's the website or the server handling the website, not
the machine. On a fully patched WinXP SP2 machine, it took me over 30 sec.
to reach http://www.kckps.org/ and another ~45 sec. for it to fully load.

I would NOT uninstall any updates in an attempt to reach the page faster or
have it load quicker.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org


Teresa wrote:
> Windows XP, SP2.
> Yes, I installed all updates and the problem persists. Thanks.
>
> "PA Bear" wrote:
>
> > Windows version?
> >
> > Have you installed the January and February updates?
> > --
> > Teresa wrote:
> > > As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was
> > > alerted that Windows would install the automatic update and then
> > > close. When I came back, the district website http://www.kckps.org/
> > > (I'm the web manager) took about 30 seconds to load. It's NEVER been
> > > slow to load before the update and nothing else had changed. I did
> > > all the cleanup I could think of to rule out malware being the
> > > problem. It's NOT. Something about the updated IE6 is "hanging" on
> > > something in the JavaScript. I know this because I've taken out all
> > > the JavaScript on the page to test and it loads fine with it gone.
> > > If troubleshooted the JavaScript to see if there is something wrong
> > > with it ... there's NOT. All the other browsers load quickly and I
> > > get no error messages. The problem is with the updated IE6. Does
> > > anyone have a solution? Thanks!

You just helped to prove my point that it is the UPDATED IE6 on Windows XP
that is the problem. ONLY computers that have been fully updated are
"hanging". Those that have NOT been updated DO NOT HANG. Other browsers do
not hang. ONLY THE IE6 installing the updates AFTER Dec. 15. I'm saying
that something Microsoft did to upgrade IE6 for Windows XP is choking on the
JavaScript. Not enough to break it, but causing it to load very slowly.
I've checked the JavaScript and could not find any errors ... plus it worked
fine just before I did the install.

I've spent countless hours trying to "fix" what Microsoft screwed up. I'm
hoping somebody else has found the solution. Thanks.

"PA Bear" wrote:

> WYSIWYG. I think it's the website or the server handling the website, not
> the machine. On a fully patched WinXP SP2 machine, it took me over 30 sec.
> to reach http://www.kckps.org/ and another ~45 sec. for it to fully load.
>
> I would NOT uninstall any updates in an attempt to reach the page faster or
> have it load quicker.
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org
>
>
> Teresa wrote:
> > Windows XP, SP2.
> > Yes, I installed all updates and the problem persists. Thanks.
> >
> > "PA Bear" wrote:
> >
> > > Windows version?
> > >
> > > Have you installed the January and February updates?
> > > --
> > > Teresa wrote:
> > > > As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was
> > > > alerted that Windows would install the automatic update and then
> > > > close. When I came back, the district website http://www.kckps.org/
> > > > (I'm the web manager) took about 30 seconds to load. It's NEVER been
> > > > slow to load before the update and nothing else had changed. I did
> > > > all the cleanup I could think of to rule out malware being the
> > > > problem. It's NOT. Something about the updated IE6 is "hanging" on
> > > > something in the JavaScript. I know this because I've taken out all
> > > > the JavaScript on the page to test and it loads fine with it gone.
> > > > If troubleshooted the JavaScript to see if there is something wrong
> > > > with it ... there's NOT. All the other browsers load quickly and I
> > > > get no error messages. The problem is with the updated IE6. Does
> > > > anyone have a solution? Thanks!
>
>

You see the glass half-empty, I see it as half-full. Are you seeing similar
behavior on any other webpages? (I'm not.) I hold fast to my /opinion/
that the webpage itself needs to be updated/fixed and that it makes no sense
whatsoever to uninstall any Critical Security Updates in order to have one
webpage load faster. YMMV.

A possibility:

ActiveX controls may not load as expected in Internet Explorer due to
defense in depth changes introduced in cumulative security update 896688
(MS05-052)
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=909889

A Web page that contains a custom ActiveX control may not load as expected
in Internet Explorer due to defense in depth changes introduced in
cumulative security update 896688 (MS05-052)
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=909738

The fix detailed in 909889 involving the Registry and OLE32.DLL is available
at

- http://patch-info.de/IE/Downloads/OLEfix.zip, and

- http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/kb896688_fix.zip (a small VB app that
checks the 4 values and offers a repair option if any of them are
incorrect).

NB: I've run the above fix(es) and see no improvement at the page.
--
~PA Bear


Teresa wrote:
> You just helped to prove my point that it is the UPDATED IE6 on Windows XP
> that is the problem. ONLY computers that have been fully updated are
> "hanging". Those that have NOT been updated DO NOT HANG. Other browsers
> do not hang. ONLY THE IE6 installing the updates AFTER Dec. 15. I'm
> saying that something Microsoft did to upgrade IE6 for Windows XP is
> choking on the JavaScript. Not enough to break it, but causing it to
> load very slowly. I've checked the JavaScript and could not find any
> errors ... plus it worked fine just before I did the install.
>
> I've spent countless hours trying to "fix" what Microsoft screwed up. I'm
> hoping somebody else has found the solution. Thanks.
>
> "PA Bear" wrote:
>
> > WYSIWYG. I think it's the website or the server handling the website,
> > not the machine. On a fully patched WinXP SP2 machine, it took me over
> > 30 sec. to reach http://www.kckps.org/ and another ~45 sec. for it to
> > fully load.
> >
> > I would NOT uninstall any updates in an attempt to reach the page
> > faster or have it load quicker.
> > --
> > ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> > MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org
> >
> > Teresa wrote:
> > > Windows XP, SP2.
> > > Yes, I installed all updates and the problem persists. Thanks.
> > >
> > > > Windows version?
> > > >
> > > > Have you installed the January and February updates?
> > > > --
> > > > Teresa wrote:
> > > > > As I was closing my computer to go on a three week vacation, I was
> > > > > alerted that Windows would install the automatic update and then
> > > > > close. When I came back, the district website
> > > > > http://www.kckps.org/ (I'm the web manager) took about 30 seconds
> > > > > to load. It's NEVER been slow to load before the update and
> > > > > nothing else had changed. I did all the cleanup I could think of
> > > > > to rule out malware being the problem. It's NOT. Something about
> > > > > the updated IE6 is "hanging" on something in the JavaScript. I
> > > > > know this because I've taken out all the JavaScript on the page
> > > > > to test and it loads fine with it gone. If troubleshooted the
> > > > > JavaScript to see if there is something wrong with it ... there's
> > > > > NOT. All the other browsers load quickly and I get no error
> > > > > messages. The problem is with the updated IE6. Does anyone have
> > > > > a solution? Thanks!

PS: Opening any of the links on http://www.kckps.org/ takes forever, too.
The website needs updating/redesigning to make it compatible with secure
browsers and OSS.

I was never planning to "undo" any critical updates. I was just trying to
let Microsoft know about a problem in the hope that they could then "fix" it.
I am in the process of updating our main menu from complete JavaScript to
PHP (but it will still contain some JavaScript). I do not see the need to
get rid of the functionality that the JavaScript provides my website just
because one of Microsoft's updates isn't processing it correctly. Our school
district is already in the process of changing to FireFox as our standard
browser because of all the problems with IE. I will continue to do what I
can, but Microsoft needs to take some responsibility and clean up the messes
they make. Thank you for your time ... but your advice hasn't been very
helpful.

"PA Bear" wrote:

> PS: Opening any of the links on http://www.kckps.org/ takes forever, too.
> The website needs updating/redesigning to make it compatible with secure
> browsers and OSS.
>
>

Thanks for your feedback.

There's an upcoming IE update related to ActiveX controls which may have an
even greater affect on the functionality of websites such as www.kckps.org.
It's all related to some legal issues/lawsuits of longstanding. See
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/ &
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks.../09/69848.aspx for some
general background on the former and
http://support.microsoft.com/default...=rss&spid=2073 &
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks.../11/83189.aspx for some
background on the latter.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org


Teresa wrote:
> I was never planning to "undo" any critical updates. I was just trying to
> let Microsoft know about a problem in the hope that they could then "fix"
> it. I am in the process of updating our main menu from complete
> JavaScript to PHP (but it will still contain some JavaScript). I do not
> see the need to get rid of the functionality that the JavaScript provides
> my website just because one of Microsoft's updates isn't processing it
> correctly. Our school district is already in the process of changing to
> FireFox as our standard browser because of all the problems with IE. I
> will continue to do what I can, but Microsoft needs to take some
> responsibility and clean up the messes they make. Thank you for your
> time ... but your advice hasn't been very helpful.
>
> "PA Bear" wrote:
>
> > PS: Opening any of the links on http://www.kckps.org/ takes forever,
> > too. The website needs updating/redesigning to make it compatible with
> > secure browsers and OSS.