This has been happening for weeks now. Basically, if there's a shortcut on the desktop for a particular website, it won't work. It will open Internet Explorer 8 (unless it's already open) but it won't load the page. Instead, it will just say "Connecting..." and show a blank page. The stranger thing is that if the shortcut is pinned to the IE8 icon on the taskbar and I click on it there, it will open just fine. I've tried resetting and reinstalling IE8, I've tried using it in safe mode, I've tried logging in as a different user, I've tried creating new shortcuts, I've tried making sure IE8 is the default program for internet browsing, and I've tried disabling add-ons. I've probably tried other things that I can't remember right now, but those are about it. I'm using Windows 7 Professional 32-bit, the computer is on a domain, I am using Internet Explorer 8, and the machine is a Lenovo ThinkCentre M58p. There are other computers in the company with a nearly identical setup that don't have this problem.

When did the issue first occur? Did it occur after installing some software? Does the issue occur after saving the shortcuts to other locations such as C: drive? Also, please go into Safe Mode with Networking (Restart computer, press the F8 key when the boot menu pops up, select [Safe Mode with Netowkring], and boot up) and check if the issue still occurs.Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

I am having the same exact issue. I have two Windows 7 32 bit Professional Machines both Dells w/ Internet Explorer 8. I have run System File Checker. I regregistered multiple .dll's. I have reset Internet Explorer to factory defaults and deleted browser history. I have removed IE8 from the turn on / off Windows features. I found a bat file from one website (non microsoft), and it made them work on the first Machine, but I can no longer find that website, and non of the other dll reregister methods are working. I wish I would have kept it until I was done setting up all the new machines. I have used the no add-on mode and disabled all add ons, and I still have the same issue. I am about to format the pc and start again, but I don't really want to do that. Firefox works just fine when I set it to default, but most users here prefer IE8, and firefox will not work with some of our work related sites. Help me please, Adam

I am also on a domain.

Does the full url get transfered to the address bar or is it truncated? Try Start>Default Programs>Set your default programs. Select Internet Explorer and click on Set as default. Jerry