OT: updated IE, now it's broken!

Help!

[louponne]

ok, I dutifully updated IE, and now it won't access certain pages.

It seems that when I try to access pages that call dynamic content (?), I can't get in. For example, I can't access the specific pages of overture ad-manager now.

Could this be a badly-set security "feature"? I looked, but didn't see anything wierd in that.

I have:
IE 6.0 SP1
Win2K
Zone Alarm 2.6.362
Crazy Browser
Cookie Pal (that "eats" cookies :)

[keyplyr]

I would suggest to first turn off Zone Alarm and then try accessing several different webpages.

[louponne]

Thanks for your reply, but nope, that doesn't help! :(
Another example, in case this helps: I can't use mappy.com at all. I can access the home page, but if I try to enter something and click OK, it stalls. I have an old NN4.0 that works fine on mappy.com, but of course there are lots of things it can't do.
arg.

[grahamstewart]

What version of IE did you upgrade from? Was it just the IE6 service pack or was it something else?

Off topic: You mentioned "Cookie Pal". I presume this blocks all cookies or something does it? If so A) why do you use that rather than IE's built-in cookie settings? and B) why do you block cookies at all?

I'm just curious, not trolling I promise.

[louponne]

I had 5.5 earlier, then upgraded to 6.0, then added SP1 thinking that might help the trouble I was having with 6.0

I use cookie pal because :
a) I don't like the idea of commercial sites customizing their info for me
b) I like to see easily when I get cookies

Hey, "just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean everyone's not out to get you! ;-)

(but cookies are *not* the problem here)

[chris_f]

If your certain it's not a cookie problem (however, I would double the settings in the browser) then try deleting your history, cache, cookies and temporary internet files. Alot of IE6's problems where actually related to IE6 accessing IE5's old internet files.

Chris

[louponne]

Alot of IE6's problems where actually related to IE6 accessing IE5's old internet files.

yippeeee. thanks a million, chris_f! I've been tearing my hair out on that one for a while now! All seems to be working now - I had deleted everything but the old cookies.
Thanks again!

[ShawnR]

Well, now that the problem has been solved, perhaps it is safe to post a slightly off-topic post... What does 'trolling' mean (msg#4)?

[grahamstewart]

What does 'trolling' mean (msg#4)?

Posting something just to encite a response and preferably start a fight. Hence the often seen sign on message boards and newsgroups: Don't Feed the Trolls

Or..

Trolling: The act of posting outrageous messages to newsgroups (or sending outrageous emails to many recipients) to generate many irate responses, or similar conduct.

From www.internettermsdictionary.com

e.g. When I said I wasn't trolling I meant I wasn't asking about louponne's use of Cookie Pal just so that I could berate him - I was genuinely interested in why he used it.

I still am actually...

louponne - when you say 'commercial sites' do you mean 'advertising sites' or just any professional site?

Whats the advantage in using Cookie Pal over the Internet Explorer cookie controls (which are actually pretty good)?

[ShawnR]

OK, thanks. I often couch things in controversial terms specifically because I want to tease out some of the views of those who are very passionate about something... (or sometimes because I disagree with the accepted wisdom and want to test whether my view will stand up to scrutity of those who are very passionate about the issue). Didn't realise it was frowned upon...

[grahamstewart]

Shawn: don't fret it - real trolls are far,far less subtle than that. Their messages tend to be more like "U GuYs RELLY SUxOR WOT a BuNcH oF PHAGs" etc etc etc

Theres nothing wrong with a little healthy debate tho and I for one like having my preconceptions challenged :)

[louponne]

louponne - when you say 'commercial sites' do you mean 'advertising sites' or just any professional site?

Well, both, except of course where cookies are necessary to use the site.

Whats the advantage in using Cookie Pal over the Internet Explorer cookie controls (which are actually pretty good)?

Several things - for one, it's incredibly easy to use, and easy to add filters (always accept/always refuse, etc). It makes it easy to see when a cookie has come in. And well, I've used it for years, since way before IE did it well! But mainly, it can also be set to accept/refuse cookies for any program, not only a browser.

On principle, I just really don't like the "big brother" idea of being tracked all of the web, especially by ads, you're right, but also by sites and software in general.

[TheWhippinpost]

louponne - Noticed you have CrazyBrowser - If you like that, have a go at MyIE2, superb IE-based browser ;¬)

[louponne]

ok, back to square 1. :((
IE still isn't working for me - it's definitely a problem with cookies, but not the problem you thought. Now, if I delete the specific mappy.com cookie, I can get information from the site. But if I shut down and then fire up IE again, no go. So it must have something to do with IE having trouble reading the cookie it installed itself.
arg.

[hartlandcat]

Don't use IE. Use Netscape instead.

[louponne]

Thanks, but well, believe me, I need to use IE.

[grahamstewart]

Have you tried without Cookie Pal (just temporarily to see if thats the problem)?

BTW: If you are concerned about being tracked then do you also hide your Referer headers? If so what software do you use for that? And do you go through a proxy pool or anything to mask your IP address?

[louponne]

Have you tried without Cookie Pal

yep, of course - that's not the culprit!

hm, and it just occured to me that since this very forum "recognizes" me when I come back to the site, then cookies aren't entirely buggy. On the other hand, that is *definitely* the problem with sites such as mappy.com and overture.com

This is wierd.

[hartlandcat]

Perhaps you'd like to tell me why you especially "need" to use IE? Just of interest, but I always like to know people's reasons.

[grahamstewart]

IE6 blocks third party cookies by default - you will see a little eye appear on the taskbar when it does this - clicking the eye gives you details.

Perhaps the sites you refer to use third party cookies (that do not have privacy policies attached)?

[caine]

As the guys have suggested, its going to be the defaults that are creating the problems.
Tools > Options > have a look
have you updated anything else?

[louponne]

whew. solved. whew.

The problem was indeed third party cookies.

Mentioned deep on a MS support page
[support.microsoft.com...]

whew.

Thanks to all who made suggestions - you got me pointed in the right direction! :)

(why do I need to use IE? Well, for one thing, I develop websites, and over 90% of the visitors to the sites we make use IE! But it's actually mainly because I use many of the features in CrazyBrowser)

[hartlandcat]

What exactly are the "features" of CrazyBrowser, apart from tabbed browsing?

[louponne]

Lots!
Click on a link with the middle "scroll" button of your mouse and the page opens in a new tabbed window.
You can make "groups" of sites that you then can open all at once.
For me, those two features alone make it *very* convenient. But it can also block pop-ups and a bunch of other stuff. And, well, it's free!

[hartlandcat]

So basically, not much that you can't do in Netscape.

[grahamstewart]

Or Opera

[caine]

Opera 7 with its webpage view style options blows away everything that i have seen as a single point browser view point for a web-page-desinger development platform. And every page that i have used Opera to view, easily validates in I.E. though is a little quircky in N 4.7x, though the workarounds are easy to find.

[louponne]

What are the "webpage view style options" of opera?

[grahamstewart]

Opera allows you to view webpages in 'user mode'

Nice handy things like:

Default (no external styles applied)
Emulate Text Browser
Show Sturctural Elements
Disable Tables
Accessibility Layout