[Shin Ukyo]

It's a long story, actually, but I'll try and explain it the best I can. First off, my Internet Explorer runs fine... that hasn't ever been an issue. No crashes, no big malware issues. This whole ordeal actually started a few weeks ago, when I decided to upgrade from IE5.5 to IE6sp1. The Windows Update and installation went fine, and the computer rebooted. Once it got to the "updating windows system settings," though, it froze during the progress bar. I had to reset the PC, but afterwards it did manage to finish from where it left off on the system settings progress bar. And IE6 was running fine, actually, after this. However, after this all happened, my display was messed up. There were gray lines all over the screen, and I was freeking out. I'd assumed it was because of something that when wrong with the system settings...

I downgraded my Internet Explorer back to IE5.5 to see if that would fix the problem (by using the option in add/remove programs for "restore the previous windows configuration.") After downgrading, that ran fine as well, but the display was still funky. I had also done a System Restore to a point a couple days before the original install and problems... to be sure it wasn't a system settings issue. A lot of pain and suffering later, it turns out the display problems weren't related to system settings or drivers at all. My graphics card had died, and it had chosen a confusing time to do so (right after an install, which made me originally think the install itself was to blame). It was a five-year-old NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 card (which I found out, through research, has a habit of doing this gray line thing a lot). Either way, I replaced the graphics card, and the display problems are fixed...

Having resolved the display issue, I went to Windows Update so I could upgrade my Internet Explorer back to IE6sp1. However, every time I try to do this now, it says that it was unable to correctly install many components of IE6 (including the important one, Internet Explorer itself). It reboots itself like usual, then gives me the option to either try and resume the update... or to start it over. No matter which one of those I choose, it still ends up with the result of "components could not be properly installed." I've tried every type of install, from the minimal to the full ones (and the option to download the full cab files beforehand). There are no other programs running at the time, mind you, so that isn't the problem either.

I've tried getting rid of the "windows update setup files" directories, to be sure there were not conflicts. I've tried rebuilding my registry. I tried using the "repair" option under add/remove programs. I've tried most anything I can think of. But whenever I do the install, it seems to zip past the part where it gets the main internet explorer program files (as if I already have them still, and they just need to be put back into use). I wish there was just a way to completely reinstall every file, rather than just the ones it thinks you're missing (like with a normal program). That would seem to do the trick. But since it's IE, well, no go.

P.S. Also, for some reason, there's an oddity when I go to add/remove programs for it. It still lists the program as IE5.5sp2 on that programs list (as does any other windows diagnostic function, they all seem to recognize the version correctly). But when I actually click it, and go to the part with "add components" and "repair" and such, the top of THAT window lists it as IE6 for some reason.

For reference, I'll post a HJT log anyhow.
It's clean as far as I know, but can't hurt to include it:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 2:28:57 AM, on 2/21/2006
Platform: Windows ME (Win9x 4.90.3000)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v5.51 SP2 (5.51.4807.2300)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SSDPSRV.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KB891711\KB891711.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ATI2EVXX.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT HARDWARE\MOUSE\POINT32.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT HARDWARE\KEYBOARD\SPEEDKEY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RESTORE\STMGR.EXE
C:\HIJACKTHIS\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by AT&T Broadband Internet
O3 - Toolbar: @msdxmLC.dll,-1@1033,&Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCHealth] C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\Support\PCHSchd.exe -s
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [POINTER] point32.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Microsoft IntelliType Pro] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Hardware\Keyboard\speedkey.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SSDPSRV] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ssdpsrv.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [*StateMgr] C:\WINDOWS\System\Restore\StateMgr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [StillImageMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [KB891711] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KB891711\KB891711.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [ATIPOLL] ati2evxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [ATISmart] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ati2s9ag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\Shdocvw.dll
O16 - DPF: {74D05D43-3236-11D4-BDCD-00C04F9A3B61} (HouseCall Control) - http://a840.g.akamai...all/xscan53.cab
O16 - DPF: {BB21F850-63F4-4EC9-BF9D-565BD30C9AE9} (ASquaredScanForm Element) - http://www.windowsec...scan/axscan.cab
O16 - DPF: {644E432F-49D3-41A1-8DD5-E099162EEEC5} (Symantec RuFSI Utility Class) - http://security.syma...n/bin/cabsa.cab
O16 - DPF: {2BC66F54-93A8-11D3-BEB6-00105AA9B6AE} (Symantec AntiVirus scanner) - http://security.syma...bin/AvSniff.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoft...free/asinst.cab

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in i.e. go to help > about internet explorer

what version does it say there?

[dsenette]

in i.e. go to help > about internet explorer

what version does it say there?

[Shin Ukyo]

in i.e. go to help > about internet explorer
what version does it say there?

It says the correct version, ver 5.50.4807.2300

Windows System Information also lists it that way, as does the add/remove programs list and such. It doesn't seem to be an issue with that, it's only that one applet in the add/repair/restore part that lists it wrong. It's weird, though, because when I try and click on "add components" on that part, it says it can't find a particular file (it seems to be trying to run off the ie5setup.exe, and the ie5wzrd part of it, which obviously wouldn't work correctly anymore).

[Shin Ukyo]

I finally managed to solve the problem. Turns out the solution was to clear the files in my internet explorer's "uninstall information" folder. It's a hidden folder, which I had seen before, but I never thought to try that. Either way, after doing this, it FINALLY managed to download the true entirety of the Internet Explorer install files (more than thirty megs worth) and properly install them all. Thank you so much to everyone involved for your help, it is very much appreciated.

Here is the method, for future reference, incase someone else has a problem of upgrading their Internet Explorer...
This applies to Windows ME, not to versions such as 98 or XP:

Go to My Computer - Tools - Folder Options - View:
- Select "Show hidden files and folders", click Apply - OK

Create a new folder on your root directory named something like "old uninstall"

Go to folder C:/Program Files/Internet Explorer/Uninstall Information

Now Edit - Select All - Cut all files (this will leave the folder empty)
- Make sure NOT to delete the folder itself, since it can't be recreated

Open the "old uninstall" folder you made and paste the files into there (as a backup)

Next time you try to install/upgrade IE, it will start fresh and recreate the info

Assuming all goes well and is completely done, you can delete your "old uninstall" backup folder

[dsenette]

thank you so much for that....it is a logical sollution...CONGRATULATIONS!