32-bit IE won't connect on Win7 64-bit

I recently downloaded and installed the 64-bit version of Windows 7 (build7100) to do some testing. Install was fast and easy, no problem finding drivers. But I found a problem as soon as I tried out IE. The 64-bit IE works fine, barring the lack of Flashplayer support. So I tried to open the x86 IE...all I get is 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'. I also tried installing the latest Firefox, but it gets the same results.

I first thought maybe it was a firewall/security issue, but I've disabled all the Windows built-in security with still no resolution. I've searched everywhere and not found other people with similar problems.

Has anyone else experienced issues like these? Or could anyone suggest where I go from here?

Hippeh said:

I recently downloaded and installed the 64-bit version of Windows 7 (build7100) to do some testing. Install was fast and easy, no problem finding drivers. But I found a problem as soon as I tried out IE. The 64-bit IE works fine, barring the lack of Flashplayer support. So I tried to open the x86 IE...all I get is 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'. I also tried installing the latest Firefox, but it gets the same results.

I first thought maybe it was a firewall/security issue, but I've disabled all the Windows built-in security with still no resolution. I've searched everywhere and not found other people with similar problems.

Has anyone else experienced issues like these? Or could anyone suggest where I go from here?

Hippeh; Welcome to Windows Seven Forums! Nice computer! Thanks for filling in your specs!

I have run 32 bit browsers in 64 bit OSs for years and not had the problem you described. However, "cannot display the webpage" (seen a lot of that) usually starts with the NIC card, router (if using one), to the Service Provider's "modem". Somewhere the computer isn't seeing the Internet. How do you access the internet, what cards / devices?

I have also noticed that with my onboard VIA Rhine II NIC and the standard Windows driver, I had issues connecting. However when I installed the motherboard's supplied driver, even though it wasn't marked as 7 compatible, the issues dissapeared. Check the make and model of your NIC card and find out what driver is in place and let us know.

Lets see what we can do!?

Robert

Thanks for the reply.

The network adapter I'm using is a Linksys Wireless-N PCI WMP300N. When I installed Win7 x64, it found a driver for it automatically. But thinking as you did, I uninstalled the device and reinstalled using the driver disc that came with it. It installed without any problems at all I'm pleased to say. Yet for some reason both IE8 x86 and Firefox refuse to run correctly. They still give "cannot display the webpage" messages. It's frustrating. I like the performance of the 64-bit OS but this headache is making me rethink installing it.

As for my connection, I'm having no troubles with it at all. I can connect with my laptop wirelessly without any troubles (running Win7 32-bit). I also have another computer connnected directly to the wireless router and it has no troubles either (running Vista Home). I'm not seeing this as a hardware issue...the only problems that arise are when trying to run 32-bit browsers in a 64-bit environment.

In my mind, I would think either a firewall or proxy issue but I've uninstalled or disabled all firewall protection and I've never changed any proxy settings.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I DO have connection when using the IE8 x64 version. I'm responding to this post using it right now :)

Weird, but what you can do is go into device manager and uninstall the driver and reboot - windows should reload the original driver for it - if this sounds stupid its because you didnt say how it worked before you changed the driver. Also here is the download page for your wireless adapter - you could install the latest 64bit vista driver it has available -
Linksys by Cisco - WMP300N Support
Sometimes a driver will not install because of a OS mismatch, fortunately there is a way to resolve this - install the driver in compatibility mode:
To install a driver OR program in compatibility mode - right click the setup.exe file - click properties - click compatibility - check run in compatibility with vista/xp etc - check run as administrator - leave the rest blank. Start setup.exe and install.

Reinstalling drivers may not solve the problem as you say 64bit ie8 works - so it could be a 3rd party application you installed - if there are any you can think of that are related to your connection try uninstalling them, and see if this fixes the connection - you could try starting ie 8 without any addons - you may have installed a program like skype that installed an addon to the browser, when you think about it this is probably your first option to try - go to start - all programs - accessories - system tools - IE8 (no-addons) Also leave IE 8 as your default browser to be on the safe side.
Post back if nothing works I may be able to find a solution.

Hippeh said:

I recently downloaded and installed the 64-bit version of Windows 7 (build7100) to do some testing. Install was fast and easy, no problem finding drivers. But I found a problem as soon as I tried out IE. The 64-bit IE works fine, barring the lack of Flashplayer support. So I tried to open the x86 IE...all I get is 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'. I also tried installing the latest Firefox, but it gets the same results.

I first thought maybe it was a firewall/security issue, but I've disabled all the Windows built-in security with still no resolution. I've searched everywhere and not found other people with similar problems.

Has anyone else experienced issues like these? Or could anyone suggest where I go from here?

This problem is caused by one of the programs or drivers that you have installed.

Can you check in your task manager for a file called "HsMgr 32", this file has been known to cause this problem with IE 32bit. If you find that file you can disable it using "system configuration" under startup.

The file won't show up as "HsMgr 32" in system configuration. It will show up as HsMgr but there will usually be two of those, disable one at a time restarting each time, and see if it fixes the problem.

I am experiencing the exact same problem. I don't see that file under the task manager. Any other suggestions?

This problem has to do with one of the drivers on your machine but it's hard to say which one. You can narrow it down by reinstalling Windows and installing one driver at a time testing IE after each driver install to find out which one is causing the problem.

Yea, I was hoping to get away with finding someway to fix without having to do a full re-install.

Thanks for the assistance.

I'm sorry I didn't check back sooner...I ended up doing a reinstall with the x64 Enterprise RTM from MSDN. And everything works perfectly. I would have liked to work through the problem and figure out what was causing the issue in case someone else ran into it, but I just didn't have the time to keep messing with it.

As a note, I had this problem immediately after a fresh install of the x64 Ultimate RC version. So it was nothing that I installed. My gut feeling is that it might have been a corruption during the install, although it doesn't make sense that Firefox wouldn't work either.

At any rate, I'm very happy with it. I can definitely see the performance difference in comparison to my x86 build. I'd always shied away from 64-bit OS, but I can see the writing on the wall. It's time to take that step! Thanks for all your help.

Hippeh said:

I'm sorry I didn't check back sooner...I ended up doing a reinstall with the x64 Enterprise RTM from MSDN. And everything works perfectly. I would have liked to work through the problem and figure out what was causing the issue in case someone else ran into it, but I just didn't have the time to keep messing with it.

As a note, I had this problem immediately after a fresh install of the x64 Ultimate RC version. So it was nothing that I installed. My gut feeling is that it might have been a corruption during the install, although it doesn't make sense that Firefox wouldn't work either.

At any rate, I'm very happy with it. I can definitely see the performance difference in comparison to my x86 build. I'd always shied away from 64-bit OS, but I can see the writing on the wall. It's time to take that step! Thanks for all your help.

That's great news! Thanks for posting back with your solution. It would be nice to be able to put a finger right on the problem, but I'm afraid the electronics and software are just to complicated to do that every time.

Happy surfing!

Robert