This is my first ever post in a forum so apologies if I do anything wrong.

I'm having various problems with IE7, and they may be linked, but I'm not sure.

I started getting the following warning message in certain sites:
The instruction at "0x00f01317" referenced memory at "0x0f5e166c" The memory could not be "read". And when I clicked OK or Close, IE7 would shut down all open IE windows.

I followed the fix instructions on another forum to reinstall the "engine" folder for InstallShield. I also downloaded and ran RegistrySmart and AdAwareAlert to clean up my registry and clear bad files etc. And I reset all IE settings.

Since then, the original problem has gone, but now I can't open some websites, such as microsoft and symantec (on the first attempt it says IE cannot display the webpage, and then it brings up a blank page while constantly trying to connect).

Also the IE7 "welcome" webpage (go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=74005) that I assume was there when I installed IE7 now appears as my homepage (although IE can't open it as it's a Microsoft page). I have changed the homepage to Google in Internet Options, but it still defaults to the Microsoft page.

Help please. Many thanks.

Updating to IE7 has in my experience has caused many problems.

I suggest you go here:

Mozilla Firefox in English | Mozilla Europe

and download the free open source browser. This will give you browser capability.

Thanks. Not solved the problem per se, but has neatly side-stepped it.

Firefox is excellent, and much better than IE7 (which has been a constant source of annoyance with its niggling problems since I upgraded). I can't believe more people don't use it.

Thanks again.

Hehe..."side-stepped"..I like it

Just a thought, maybe the problem is being caused by a mal-formed plugin. Did you update the obvious ones such as Java and Flashplayer?

Just to finish it off:

Goto the Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs and Uninstall the IE7. Thereafter reinstall it from MS or other sites

I thought you couldnt uninstall IE7 without corrupting windows?

Remove Internet Explorer from Windows

Although uninstalling Internet Explorer from Windows is possible, you are strongly advised not to remove IE, for a number of reasons [1]:

1. Many web sites are programmed to work only with Internet Explorer. For example, webmasters authoring a site may have not tested with other web browsers. The majority of websites on the Internet should work with Mozilla browsers, but there are some sites that appear distorted or inaccessible unless IE is used as a browser.
2. Windows Update requires Internet Explorer. As an alternative, you may be able to manually download security updates, but it will require more monitoring and work than letting Windows Update handle this for you.
3. Some applications depend on libraries installed by Internet Explorer. These applications may no longer work or they may behave unexpectedly if IE is removed.
4. Some anti-virus products require IE for updates. Live updates or automatic DAT updates used by both Norton and McAfee are built on Internet Explorer's foundation. You may be able to manually update your virus signature files but it could require more work.
5. Both removing and restoring IE is risky and difficult. IE is complex with extensive hooks built into Windows, for efficiency and functionality. Thus unplugging it from your system may impact Internet connectivity, Windows functionality, and break functionality in Microsoft Office and non-MS products.
6. IE is more than a browser, it is the foundation for Internet functionality in Windows.

Source