Tech: Another IE bottleneck...

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 May 05 - 03:48 PM

Some confusion here?

When you installed Win98SE you installed Internet Explorer (IE). It is part of the Windows Operating System. I don't have a Win98 system still running to check, but my recollection is that the "default" installation was/is IE version 4.5, although Win98SE (Second Edition) may have had ver 5.0.

IE performs multiple internal functions in Windows, including management of Windows Explorer -- a separate program interface which allows you to see what stuff is on your drives. Windows Explorer is a "local machine browser" and Internet Explorer is an "internet browser." They should be considered, and talked about, as separate programs, but are actually two different "interfaces" for the same core program.

In order to use a web browser, you need to tell the system how and where to connect. This is a system setup step, not an installation. The usual place to get into the settings is in Control Panel|Network Connections. (Again, I can't check the exact name of the function since I don't have a Win98 setup available.) If you go into the setup via Control Panel, you should be able to enter the information for your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and details about your connection, if you want to create a new internet connection or make changes to an existing one.

Once you have one internet connection set up, you should not need to "install" IE. It's already installed. If you open IE (usually iexplore.exe) and tell it to use the existing network connection you shouldn't need to "create a new connection." The only reason for running a "setup" for IE would be if you want to use a different ISP with IE than the one you use for another browser, or if your ISP requires "special software" that needs to be separately "installed for IE."

The ie6setup that was run is offering to set you up to use MSN as your ISP. Depending on the Win98 version installed, there probably was a desktop icon for running the MSN choice, and also similar ones for Yahoo and AOL, possibly a couple of others.

The "wizard" for setting up your network connection and selecting MSN as your ISP requests a modem so that it can make a 'phone call to a free - probably "800" - number to get a local (hopefully) dialup phone number it can plug into the setup to connect you to MSN via dialup. Remember that when the Win98 installation disks were made, almost nobody had any other kind of connection. The few cases where people might have another kind of connection were handled by the always-informative "see your system administrator."

If you go in through Control Panel | Network Settings - or the equivalent for your version, you should be able to select a generic "New Connection Wizard," that will let you tell the setup that you know what settings you want, and avoid the "automatic MSN" request for a dialup modem. If a network connection exists, any browser you choose to open should be able to use the existing connection without additional setup; although as always, your mileage may vary. Some browsers may require you to make internal browser settings to "point to" the existing connection(?).

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 May 05 - 08:49 AM

I've seen that message about not being able to find a modem before. Thing is, I have a modem as right as rain.

I think that message is one of the meaningless things a computer says when it has a headache. Restarting usually makes it go away.

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 May 05 - 02:24 AM

ieSpell plugs into the IE toolbar (free) - it's been mentioned before here on the Forum.

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: Beer
Date: 17 May 05 - 09:39 PM

McGrath, I downloaded Firefox because someone told me it was great. Used it for awhile then deleted the program and went back to Internet Explorer. Since then,any e-mail I received with a internet address in the message (not an attachment)I could not open. I was lost for a time. Then I reinstalled firefox and now I can open them. Very strange. But then I'm no techenician.
Beer

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: Bill D
Date: 17 May 05 - 08:27 PM

McGrath..ever try TinySpell? --it works independently of the browser, but monitors everything you type and notifies you with a sound or just a color(colour) change, or you can open a little window and position it where you wish. (When typing in Mudcat, I put it right above the text box and glance at it when it beeps.) Then, if you need to take one of its suggestions, it will change it for you automatically.

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 May 05 - 07:21 PM

Sorted! Thanks, MMario.

It does seem a bit bizarre though - I had to inform the computer about this totally fictitious modem, which it then imagined it had installed, and allopwed things to go forward, And then I uninstalled it. There seemed a clear assumption that telephone dial-ups are the only way to connect to the Internet - and I'd pretty well forgotten they were ever used.

And now I've got IE up there, I've no intention of using it either, except on occasion. (Though if only I could find a spellchecker for Firefox as good as HotLingo, which only works on IE...)

Subject: RE: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 17 May 05 - 04:40 PM

there should be a "use existing network connection" choice - if not - choose the most generic modem you can find in the list - and delete when done. You can set the "connection" in IE to use your existing network connection.

Subject: Tech: Another IE bottleneck...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 May 05 - 04:31 PM

These days I generally use Firefox, and in fact since reinstalling Windows (98SE) the last time, I've not bothered to reinstall Internet Explorer. But there are times it might be convenient to have it, so I decided to put it back again, just in case I need it from time to time.

However I've come up against an odd problem.

I've got an "ie6setup" sitting there in my computer, but when I click it, up comes a window saying:

Welcome to MSN Internet Access
Get fast reliable internet access and email from Microsoft
We'll now guide you through the set-up process.
Note: This process is for both new and existing MSN members.

We will need to install a modem before continuing
Please click next to continue

The problem is, I don't have a modem and I don't want a modem. I've got a cable broadband connection which does a great job, and though people call that little box sitting next to the screen "a cable modem,", I understand it isn't actually a modem. Still, I thought, maybe that might be a
quibble, so I clicked "next". But it turned out that Microsoft agreed with me on that quibble - the screen informed me that they hadn't been able to find any modem in my PC, and gave me a whole list of modems I might possibly have, none of them corresponding to the non-modem I do have.

So does any more tech-savvie Mudcatter out there have any idea of what is going on and what I should do, if I persist in wanting to install IE? I've never had this problem in the past when I had to reinstall it.