IE8 32Bit crashes everytime I open it on Win7 64Bit OS

Hi,

Just got a new Acer Aspire laptop which is a 64Bit computer bundled with Win 7 Home 64Bit edition.

Every time I open the 32Bit version of IE8 it crashes on start up. I've disabled all add-in's, uninstalled Flash OCX (as I heard it can cause browsers to crash), uninstalled adobe. Tried resetting browser options back to default, tried various switches to start IE in different modes. Sometimes I can get it to open up without crashing, but as soon as I try to navigate or do anything it crashes straight away.

If I boot Windows 7 in Safe mode with Networking support, IE8 32Bit loads fine, no crashing. So it must be driver / third party related.. but what.

In Event log this is the error logged for the issue:
Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 30/12/2009 3:43:51 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Tristan-PC
Description:
Faulting application name: iexplore.exe, version: 8.0.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bc69e
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000
Faulting process id: 0xe70
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca89a18d6c34c4
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: ccd5e0f8-f594-11de-91af-00262d5bdc9c
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-12-30T22:43:51.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>3337</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Tristan-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>iexplore.exe</Data>
<Data>8.0.7600.16385</Data>
<Data>4a5bc69e</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>00000000</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>00000000</Data>
<Data>e70</Data>
<Data>01ca89a18d6c34c4</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>ccd5e0f8-f594-11de-91af-00262d5bdc9c</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

No problems with IE8 64Bit edition.

Help!

This is just like uninstalling, so you come back with a new IE. In search type turn windows off windows. Then click on turn windows on and off. Then turn if off. Warning, you cannot surf the net at all until you turn it back on

After you turn it off ..Boot up again and turn it back on.

Wishing you the best.

I unchecked the Internet Explorer checkbox and rebooted as requested. When windows rebooted I went back in to turn it back on but it still had the checkbox ticked, but IE was actually removed from the machine. The links had gone. So I tried unticking the checkbox and ticking it again to get it back installed and it won't install now. It just keeps saying applying settings and to reboot.

I used System Restore to go back in time to before I removed IE. So back to square one now. Have IE back but still crashes.

I have to think about this IE is not behaving correctly. I know that the problem is tired into IE. What is your A/V?

Do you know how to make a clean boot?

Here is the MS method of a clean boot. Try this. But warning, before trying anything make a system restore point and if you have the equipment an image of the HD and put it on an external device. The clean boot will tell us what is interferring with IE.


How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

I'll try the clean boot tomorrow or the next day.. Thanks for the MS article

I found the problem and solution

So it seems it is PGP Desktop that is making IE 32Bit crash. PGP have acknowledge the issue in their support document:

https://pgp.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1000
Resolved a compatibility issue between PGP Desktop for Windows and Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 on Microsoft Windows 7 systems. [24691]

And of course it's fixed in their newly release version 10 (Released today)... grrr I don't need a new version just a fix!