Links won't Open?

Infopackets Reader Leonard M. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I sure hope you can help with this one --

My web page links will not open properly in Outlook Express (OE). Often times, I'll try and click a link in an email, and it just opens a blank window and goes no further. The links simply won't open! I had to copy and paste your web address into the Internet Explorer (IE) address box in order to get here -- and it's a royal pain in the butt!

I am thinking that maybe my Popup Stopper or Spyware programs have done something to my system and I'm not sure how to get the link functionality back. Can you point me in the right direction to fix my problem? "

My response:

I get asked this question no less than a few times each month.

The answer is (more than likely) that you will reset your URL Monitor. The URL, which stands for "Universal Resource Locator" -- or more affectionately known as a "web link", is monitored by the Operating System (Windows). If the "URL Monitor mechanism" is broken, then the resulting link will not open properly.

To resolve the issue:

Click Start -> Run, then type in the following commands and press 'Enter' after each one:

• Regsvr32 /i URLMON.DLL
• Regsvr32 actxprxy.dll
• Regsvr32 shdocvw.dll

This will reset your URL monitor.

Links that Won't Open: Alternative Suggestions

Sometimes, the inability to open a link properly has to do with a Spyware infection that was not properly cleaned up. In this case, your System Registry is probably messed up and needs to be reset.

Side note: the System Registry is an internal database that is part of Windows and contains vital information about your computer. Spyware programs have a tendency to wreak havoc on the System Registry by injecting junk that shouldn't be added; Spyware cleaners do their best to remove this junk, but sometimes, don't get all of it and you end up with a 1/2 working system (Spyware is gone, but links don't work all the time).

To resolve this issue, you can [in order of preference] try to:

1. Repair Internet Explorer.

2. Repair your Registry with Registry Mechanic.

3. Use another web browser other than Internet Explorer (Mozilla is free).

4. If all else fails, Reinstall Windows. My eBook on how to Reinstall Windows teaches you which files to backup before you reinstall Windows, where to locate them, how to format your hard drive, and how to reinstall Windows *cleanly* so that you don't have any issues.

How to Re:Install Windows

Good luck!