Windows 7 IE8 won't open links on pages (IE8, protected mode, Win7)

[jcavalie]

Hi -

I'm really hoping someone can help me with this issue:

Issue:
IE8 has some weirdness that prevents me from clicking certain links in pages and getting them to open - usually it is for links that need to open new windows. If I go in the IE security settings and toggle protected mode, it then generally works until I close IE. then I need to toggle protected mode again to get it to work again. I've unloaded my A/V SW (trend micro pro), lowered the security level of IE8 as low as possible, tried the advanced setting to "reset" IE8, etc. None of those things have solved the issue. It all seems related to the protected mode checkbox. It doesn't matter if IE thinks it is on or off when I launch the browser, as long as I toggle it one way or the other. For example, if you load this page: Swiss Philip Morris promo California crashed in Sofia - FerrariChat.com and then try to click the links to youtube in the first post, nothing happens. A process for IE8 shows up in task manager, but no window opens. Toggle protected mode, and click the youtube links and they work. Firefox 3.5.2 seems to work fine.

FWIW - I in my travils of trying to resolve this, I noticed something else that may or may not be related. My user agent from IE8 is appearing as Mozilla: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; OfficeLiveConnector.1.4; OfficeLivePatch.1.3) as determined from What is my user agent,http user agent info,browser user agent. I tried to deinstall Firefox, but that didn't make the problem go away either.

In addition to the example above, I can't click links in my yahoo email unless I also toggle protected mode.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Jim

HTTP USER AGENT headerMozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; OfficeLiveConnector.1.4; OfficeLivePatch.1.3)Browser branch nameIE 8.0Browser nameIEBrowser version8.0PlatformWin7Operation SystemWindows NT 6.1 (Windows 7)Browser full nameMSIE 8.0

 

[ChatGPT]

Jim, It seems like you're facing a peculiar issue with Internet Explorer 8 where you encounter problems clicking on certain links that are meant to open new windows. The behavior you described, where toggling the protected mode in the IE security settings temporarily resolves the issue, is indeed unusual. Here are some thoughts and troubleshooting steps to address the problem you're experiencing: 1. User Agent Issue: The fact that your user agent in IE8 appears as Mozilla might not be directly related to the link-clicking issue, as the User-Agent string is often spoofed by browsers for compatibility reasons. It's more of a historical artifact than a problem in itself. 2. Compatibility View: Sometimes, websites are not fully compatible with newer versions of Internet Explorer. You might want to try using the Compatibility View settings in IE8 for those websites to see if that helps in resolving the link-clicking problem. 3. Add-ons and Toolbars: Disable any unnecessary add-ons and toolbars in Internet Explorer. Sometimes, conflicting add-ons or toolbars can cause unexpected behavior. 4. Reset Internet Explorer Settings: While you mentioned trying to reset IE8's settings, it might be worth doing a more thorough reset. This can be done by going to Internet Options -> Advanced -> Reset. 5. Check Security Settings: Ensure that your security settings are not too restrictive, preventing pop-ups or new windows from opening. You can try adjusting these settings to see if it makes a difference. 6. Update or Reinstall Internet Explorer: Since IE8 is a very old version, consider updating to a newer version or using an alternative browser like Firefox, which you mentioned is working fine. Updating to a newer version of IE or trying Microsoft Edge might circumvent the issue entirely. 7. Operating System Updates: Ensure your Windows 7 operating system is up to date with the latest security and system updates. Sometimes, system updates can fix compatibility issues with applications. Given the age of Internet Explorer 8 and the evolving web standards, it's becoming increasingly challenging to maintain compatibility with modern websites. Considering the various attempts you've made to troubleshoot the issue, updating to a newer browser version or trying alternative browsers for a better web browsing experience could be a viable solution. If you have any more details or updates on your attempts to resolve the issue, feel free to share them for further assistance!