Re: Hyperlinks hijacked by Microsoft

[Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup]

Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP2; WinXP SP3; Vista
SP1) when posting to this newsgroup.

> Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
> computers.

Not necessarily a wise idea, even if you religiously & frequently check-in
at Microsoft Update website to install critical security updates and others.

> However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
> 2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.

Assuming these two (2) updates were downloaded via Automatic Updates, you
had to approve the install of IE8, right?

Before you installed IE8 on the computers, what IE version was installed,
IE7 or IE6? Did uninstalling IE8 automatically return the machine(s) to the
previous IE version?

Was IE or FF set as your default Browser prior to installing IE8?

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these applications running
in the background when you installed IE8?

Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this machine
(e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?

Last but not least, do you have an available Restore Point which predates
the install of IE8? <=JUST ASKING for now!!
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


John TCI wrote:
> Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
> computers.
>
> However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
> 2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.
>
> Am now having problems with hyperlinks. On all 3 computers:-
>
> (a) Have not used either IE6 or 7 for absolutely ages.
> (b) The default browser is set as Firefox 3.0.10.
> (c) I rejected IE8 as the default browser during installation
>
> (A) First problem: On trying to open a hyperlink link, in a Word 2007
> document on all 3 computers, it opens in IE8 (or IE7, when IE8 has been
> uninstalled) and IE8 promptly crashes and goes into a vicious circle and
> unsuccessfully attempts to recover itself ad infinitum.
>
> (B) Second Problem: On trying to open a link from Outlook 2007 (however on
> 1
> computer only) the following error message appears:-
>
> General failure. The URL was:
> “http://www.blablabla.com/etc “. The system cannot find the file
> specified.
>
> Have uninstalled IE8 and reset Firefox as the default and even tried
> reinstalling it on one of the computers (but not a “clean� reinstall as
> yet). Have also reset the Default Programs via Control Panel and turned
> off
> access to Internet Explorer. No result. However, if IE8 or IE7 are set as
> the default browser, the link from Outlook works fine. Changing back to
> Firefox, the problem reappears.
>
> Could it be something to do with the Office 2007 update and not IE8?
>
> Any other suggestions would be welcomed.

Apologies the oversight.

Vista - Home Premium Edition (x32)
Service Pack 1
Build: 6001
Direct X version: 10.0

Thanks Robert,

In addition to previous answer, re Windows version, the rest of the answers
are within your original text in curly parenthesis/brackets/braces.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

[Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup]

Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP2; WinXP SP3; Vista
SP1) when posting to this newsgroup.

Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
computers.

Not necessarily a wise idea, even if you religiously & frequently check-in
at Microsoft Update website to install critical security updates and others.
{thought I had set automatic download but ask to install}

However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.

Assuming these two (2) updates were downloaded via Automatic Updates, you
had to approve the install of IE8, right? {Right}

Before you installed IE8 on the computers, what IE version was installed,
IE7 or IE6? {IE7}

Did uninstalling IE8 automatically return the machine(s) to the previous IE
version? {Yes}

Was IE or FF set as your default Browser prior to installing IE8? {FF}

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed {Norton 360} and
is your subscription current? {Yes}

What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? {Norton 360}

What third-party firewall (if any)? {Norton 360}

Were any of these applications running in the background when you installed
IE8? {Yes . . . all of them}

Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this machine
(e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)? {Yes}

Last but not least, do you have an available Restore Point which predates
the install of IE8? <=JUST ASKING for now!! {Unfortunately no}

> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>
>
> John TCI wrote:
> > Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
> > computers.
> >
> > However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
> > 2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.
> >
> > Am now having problems with hyperlinks. On all 3 computers:-
> >
> > (a) Have not used either IE6 or 7 for absolutely ages.
> > (b) The default browser is set as Firefox 3.0.10.
> > (c) I rejected IE8 as the default browser during installation
> >
> > (A) First problem: On trying to open a hyperlink link, in a Word 2007
> > document on all 3 computers, it opens in IE8 (or IE7, when IE8 has been
> > uninstalled) and IE8 promptly crashes and goes into a vicious circle and
> > unsuccessfully attempts to recover itself ad infinitum.
> >
> > (B) Second Problem: On trying to open a link from Outlook 2007 (however on
> > 1
> > computer only) the following error message appears:-
> >
> > General failure. The URL was:
> > “http://www.blablabla.com/etc “. The system cannot find the file
> > specified.
> >
> > Have uninstalled IE8 and reset Firefox as the default and even tried
> > reinstalling it on one of the computers (but not a “clean� reinstall as
> > yet). Have also reset the Default Programs via Control Panel and turned
> > off
> > access to Internet Explorer. No result. However, if IE8 or IE7 are set as
> > the default browser, the link from Outlook works fine. Changing back to
> > Firefox, the problem reappears.
> >
> > Could it be something to do with the Office 2007 update and not IE8?
> >
> > Any other suggestions would be welcomed.
>
>

Backup your personal data, then do a format & clean install of Windows.
Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place upgrade) will NOT fix this!

After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a network and before using a USB key that
isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly formatted:

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

Tip #1: Tempoarily disable NAV, any/all Norton Add-ons, and the Norton
Firewall and then enable the Windows Firewall prior to installing a Windows
or Office Service Pack and/or an IE upgrade and/or a Cumulative Security
Update for IE (e.g., KB963027) & reboot twice after installing same.

Tip #2: At all costs, avoid installing any of the following at the same
time: A Windows Service Pack (e.g., Vista SP2); an Office Service Pack
(e.g., Office 2007 SP2); an IE upgrade (e.g., IE8); and/or critical security
updates for Windows and/or Office. To be able to adhere to the above,
you'll need to configure Automatic Updates to the "Notify Only" setting; see
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
(Vista) or http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525 (WinXP).

Tip #3: Your Office applications (e.g., Outlook) will be much happier with
IE configured as the default browser.

Good luck. Wish I had better news for you.
--
~PA Bear

John TCI wrote:
> Thanks Robert,
>
> In addition to previous answer, re Windows version, the rest of the
> answers
> are within your original text in curly parenthesis/brackets/braces.
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
> [Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup]
>
> Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP2; WinXP SP3; Vista
> SP1) when posting to this newsgroup.
>
> Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
> computers.
>
> Not necessarily a wise idea, even if you religiously & frequently check-in
> at Microsoft Update website to install critical security updates and
> others.
> {thought I had set automatic download but ask to install}
>
> However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
> 2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.
>
> Assuming these two (2) updates were downloaded via Automatic Updates, you
> had to approve the install of IE8, right? {Right}
>
> Before you installed IE8 on the computers, what IE version was installed,
> IE7 or IE6? {IE7}
>
> Did uninstalling IE8 automatically return the machine(s) to the previous
> IE
> version? {Yes}
>
> Was IE or FF set as your default Browser prior to installing IE8? {FF}
>
> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed {Norton 360}
> and
> is your subscription current? {Yes}
>
> What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? {Norton 360}
>
> What third-party firewall (if any)? {Norton 360}
>
> Were any of these applications running in the background when you
> installed
> IE8? {Yes . . . all of them}
>
> Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this machine
> (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?
> {Yes}
>
> Last but not least, do you have an available Restore Point which predates
> the install of IE8? <=JUST ASKING for now!! {Unfortunately no}
>
>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>>
>>
>> John TCI wrote:
>>> Thought that I had turned off automatic Microsoft updates on 3 family
>>> computers.
>>>
>>> However, during a very recent download of many updates, including Office
>>> 2007 Service Pack 2, unfortunately it also installed IE8.
>>>
>>> Am now having problems with hyperlinks. On all 3 computers:-
>>>
>>> (a) Have not used either IE6 or 7 for absolutely ages.
>>> (b) The default browser is set as Firefox 3.0.10.
>>> (c) I rejected IE8 as the default browser during installation
>>>
>>> (A) First problem: On trying to open a hyperlink link, in a Word 2007
>>> document on all 3 computers, it opens in IE8 (or IE7, when IE8 has been
>>> uninstalled) and IE8 promptly crashes and goes into a vicious circle and
>>> unsuccessfully attempts to recover itself ad infinitum.
>>>
>>> (B) Second Problem: On trying to open a link from Outlook 2007 (however
>>> on
>>> 1
>>> computer only) the following error message appears:-
>>>
>>> General failure. The URL was:
>>> “http://www.blablabla.com/etc “. The system cannot find the file
>>> specified.
>>>
>>> Have uninstalled IE8 and reset Firefox as the default and even tried
>>> reinstalling it on one of the computers (but not a “clean� reinstall as
>>> yet). Have also reset the Default Programs via Control Panel and turned
>>> off
>>> access to Internet Explorer. No result. However, if IE8 or IE7 are set
>>> as
>>> the default browser, the link from Outlook works fine. Changing back to
>>> Firefox, the problem reappears.
>>>
>>> Could it be something to do with the Office 2007 update and not IE8?
>>>
>>> Any other suggestions would be welcomed.