Hello.

I thought for sure that it was spyware or a virus, but in the HijackThis forum, after several sweeps (and a few things found) they have directed me here.

Win2k, build 5.00.2194 SP4, IE 6.0.2800.1106

Symptoms include:

IE opens fine in safe mode, but in regular boot hangs for 90+ seconds, blank screen, cannot close, etc. This is with every window, regardless of whether or not it is a new thread or existing one.

When opening Add/Remove programs, I get the following:
http://smackdown.blogsblogsblogs.com/images/arp_error1.jpg

None of the fixes offered by Microsoft, either automatic or manual, change that, including completely reinstalling IE:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668

All of the Change/Remove buttons in that applet are disabled:

http://smackdown.blogsblogsblogs.com/images/arp_error2.jpg

I have found resolutions suggested for if one or more of the Change/Remove buttons get like this, but they did not work or seem to apply in this case, and hadn't seen anything about someone having them all disabled.

AVG8, with both the free and paid versions, will not install correctly. During install it gives me an error saying it cannot save my user settings, but that I can change them from the management screen. Once installed, every check for an update says it is out of date (always showing it will update to the same version each time), I still cannot save my user settings (ie. cannot change when the scan will run, or even check the box to to have it run at all automatically), and neither the Scan whole computer nor the Scan specific files or folders will actually do anything. Click the button and nothing happens.

Thanks.

-Michael

did you try creating a new user profile in case present one is corrupt

Cudni

Why all the Java installations? I only have 2 and would delete one of them but it is used by an external application that requires a lower level of Java.

can you start ie with third-party tool bands and Browser Helper Objects disabled?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298931

you have tried other MS solutions, which cover a lot, without luck, something to me sounds corrupt hence try another account

Java installs always leave previous versions behind, remove all and install .06_06 which is the latest

Cudni

Ok, booting into safe mode does not help the add/remove programs issue at all. I downloaded jv16 power Tools, which has it's own interface for removing programs. I used that, uninstalled what Java componets I could, removed all of the references to Java in it (aside from Open Office), fixed all of the add/remove invalid registry entries, cleared the ARM cache registry entries... and they are still showing up as being there in the add/remove applet.

Any ideas?

-Michael