Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with all important patches Microsoft Security Essentials with current updates I have a number of Windows 7 Ultimate x64 machines. One of them has begun acting strangely -- particularly when using IE8. A page will load but be locked for ten to twenty seconds meaning that moving the mouse pointer over a hyperlink does not change it into a hand. Many times the status bar will display Waiting for res://ieframe.dll/dnserror.html. Alt-Tab no longer moves beween applications -- in fact it appears to be completely ignored. I ran a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials and nothing showed up. I just opened Microsoft Security Essentials to check the date of the last scan and Alt-Tab started working again. However, IE8 is still painfully slow. Any suggestions on how to determine the cause of this would be appreciated.

A page will load but be locked for ten to twenty seconds meaning that moving the mouse pointer over a hyperlink does not change it into a hand. Many times the status bar will display Waiting for res://ieframe.dll/dnserror.html. Alt-Tab no longer moves beween applications -- in fact it appears to be completely ignored. I recommand to you to re-install IE8: http://www.microsoft.com/nz/windows/internet-explorer/default.aspx This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with all important patches Microsoft Security Essentials with current updates I have a number of Windows 7 Ultimate x64 machines. One of them has begun acting strangely -- particularly when using IE8. If you suspect an inspection, you can proceed by a repair install of your Windows 7 operating system: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-do-a-repair-install-to-fix-windows-7/ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

IE8 is not part of Windows 7. It is an unremovable KB patch.

I tried the link you posted. I could not find any thing that referred to reinstalling IE8. If you have a specific link please provide it. I then did a search for IE8 problems and came across this: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/ie_performance_and_safety/en-us?entrypoint=lightbox I had to log in as the administrator to run it and it suggested disabling a number of add-ins that "slow" the loading of IE8 -- like the Java preloader -- for a fraction of a second (it listed the estimated time "saveing"). I let it do whatever it wanted and it didn't fix anything.

Okay, we will proceed with another method. We will try reset Internet Explorer settings and check if the problem is solved or not: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378/ This is a link about to uninstall or remove Internet Explorer 8: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700 Try the procedure and re-install it if the first method don't give positive results. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

As I noted earlier I have already tried the automated trouble shooter -- it did nothing but disable some third party add-ins that were not causing any problems. Most (all?) of the options that restoring original settings affects are user level. Since this problem exists for all users of the problem machine -- including one administrative user that had never used IE8 before I tested with it -- I doubt resetting them will help but I will give it a try -- which I did. It had no effect If you go to the link you supplied while running IE8 it does not give you an install or download option -- it says it is great you are already running it.

Really strange. I am also running IE8 but it gives me the possibility to download it. I think the best way to proceed now is to repair you operation system install. This will delete the strange behavious on your windows 7 operating system and according to my knowledge it should repair also your IE8 install. Please mark as helpful and as a response the replies that helped you to know the way to proceed to solve your problem. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Saberman, Have you tried your malware scan with something other than Security Essentials? Maybe give Spybot or SuperAntiSpyware a go? Is there anything in your event logs?

Went through Programs and Features and found that the Ghostery plugin was installed. It did not show up in add-ins. Uninstalling it cured the problem.