a computer day from hell !!

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 27 Jan 2015 6:58 pm

Internet Explorer on Vista. If it won't open you can't fix or uninstall. It's an error 404. It won't even let you reinstall from a flash stick.
The irritating thing about it is that I don't even use it.
But some of my programs won't work until it's fixed or get rid of it altogether.
I got a malware while I was messing with it and had to restore from an older date and work for about an hour to get everything back to normal except for the original Explorer problem.

Any Ideas except just living with it.

Mike Wheeler · Post by **Mike Wheeler** » 28 Jan 2015 8:58 am

Yep...back-up everything and install Win7. Problem solved.

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 28 Jan 2015 10:46 am

"uninstall Internet Explorer"? I wasn't aware that was even possible.

For starters, if you haven't already, you could try running sfc /scannow and also chkdsk c: /f (if your boot drive is C). Those are pretty basic, but at least chkdsk can provide a little diagnostic information. Reboot after each item.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 28 Jan 2015 1:30 pm

It is not possible to uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows. It is part of the operating system, just like Windows Explorer, just a different flavor (displays Internet and email content rather than local or network files).

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 28 Jan 2015 3:40 pm

Wiz Feinberg wrote:It is not possible to uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows. It is part of the operating system, just like Windows Explorer, just a different flavor (displays Internet and email content rather than local or network files).

Yeah, that was my understanding. Thanks for confirming.

I confess I don't try to stay current on antedeluvian OSes.

The forum is fortunate to have access to your expertise, Wiz. But I know you only do it because you like "herding cats".

DG Whitley · Post by **DG Whitley** » 28 Jan 2015 4:29 pm

Stuart, don't take this personally please, but it never ceases to amaze me the number of people hanging on to old (sometimes ancient) OS's and then complaining when things no longer work or their computer is plagued with hacks or viruses.

(Mainstream support for Vista has already expired, extended support ends in April 2017 I believe. XP support is long gone in both areas.)

That being said, I'm not a fan of having to update OS's every two years or so, but it has to be done or you end up with those problems eventually. So it's either move on or expect to have these issues. I don't like it any more than you do but that is the way it is.

My two cents, YMMV.

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 28 Jan 2015 5:44 pm

DG Whitley wrote:That being said, I'm not a fan of having to update OS's every two years or so, but it has to be done or you end up with those problems eventually. So it's either move on or expect to have these issues.

Agree. It would be wonderful if we never had to update anything. But, that's just not reality.

We see people trying to rationalize hanging on to ancient Windows operating systems on the basis that they can't upgrade because newer operating systems won't run their old, outdated software. But, the dirty little secret is, their outdated software has been either updated to run with current OSes, or superceded by much better software.

Either way, refusing to update software just doesn't make sense.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 28 Jan 2015 6:01 pm

Some times people can't afford to upgrade. The cost of Windows has gotten prohibitive for many. Add on top of that, the possible need to upgrade some components to get it to run. I had to update my video and sound cards in my expensive Dell computer. Some computers have to be replaced altogether. To some that may be no problem. To some, they might as well be trying to buy a house.

DG Whitley · Post by **DG Whitley** » 28 Jan 2015 6:14 pm

Richard I do not disagree. Sometimes I have to save/scrape for months to get the newer stuff, but do it with the realization that not doing so could be worse (and usually is for me).

But my point of debate is, you know your stuff is old and not being supported anymore, why complain when you know the cause?

I also agree with Dave, some people just don't want to change.

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 28 Jan 2015 8:56 pm

This may lend something to
the discussion here ~> click
~Rw

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 28 Jan 2015 9:24 pm

DG Whitley wrote:Richard I do not disagree. Sometimes I have to save/scrape for months to get the newer stuff, but do it with the realization that not doing so could be worse (and usually is for me).

But my point of debate is, you know your stuff is old and not being supported anymore, why complain when you know the cause?

I also agree with Dave, some people just don't want to change.

The World of computers has always been one of innovations and changes. Old computers of the 1970's still accepted punched cards for input. Otherwise, one had to type in long codes, as in Cobol and Fortran 4. I was just learning to program a DEC computer in a University's computer dept when I was let go.

Up until the invention of the Mac and Windows operating systems, everything on computers was done by keypunch from code books. I used to use Gopher, Archie and Veronica to browse online BBS' and documents available for downloading or online viewing. Hyperlinks and movable mouse pointers seemed like magic.

Since starting graphically with Windows 3.1, I have upgraded fairly regularly to each better release, skipping just three versions: Millennium, Vista and 8. I am not spending as much time online as I used to, nor to I do computer troubleshooting for a living any more.

I can understand why a person who is happy with his or her computer may not care to upgrade to a whole new PC when his OS is declared to be at EOL. The thinking is if my computer isn't broken, why should I stop using it? You may figure since it's old and maybe doesn't have any bank account information, or other important documents, what value would it be to those hackers anyway?

Unfortunately, the world of cybercrime and hacking preys upon such people. Every hacked PC has great value as part of a botnet. It can be used to store and transfer stolen data, launch DDoS attacks, act as a "proxy" for criminals to use to hide their IP address as they do no good things, send spam emails by the thousands every day, send spam and scam posts to social networks, spy on occupants of the room (if it has a mic and camera), participate in click fraud, churn bitcoins, and much more.

Les Cargill · Post by **Les Cargill** » 29 Jan 2015 5:43 am

Dave Potter wrote:
DG Whitley wrote:That being said, I'm not a fan of having to update OS's every two years or so, but it has to be done or you end up with those problems eventually. So it's either move on or expect to have these issues.
Agree. It would be wonderful if we never had to update anything. But, that's just not reality.

We see people trying to rationalize hanging on to ancient Windows operating systems on the basis that they can't upgrade because newer operating systems won't run their old, outdated software. But, the dirty little secret is, their outdated software has been either updated to run with current OSes, or superceded by much better software.

Either way, refusing to update software just doesn't make sense.

It makes perfect sense. I have at least three software packages that date back to before XP that I use nearly daily. There has never been an actual upgrade for them, just releases with higher version numbers. Had 64 bit not become a thing, I imagine I could still use them ( in my host O/S ). As it is I have Virtualbox virtual machines that can run them.

There's an old computer dictum - absolutem, obsoletum - that which works is obsolete. By this thinking, nobody'd use a Twin because it won't run Flash

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 29 Jan 2015 7:27 am

Les Cargill wrote:It makes perfect sense.

Well, whether it makes sense or not depends on the application, obviously. But for most intents and purposes, the reality is that the advantages of maintaining current software are too numerous to even try to list them all here - most people understand that.

DG Whitley · Post by **DG Whitley** » 29 Jan 2015 7:57 am

...Windows 10 for free....here's your opportunity...but I guess it's the rest of your software that will be costly.

...always a bug somewhere...