hi forum first post, I always use firefox as my browser but recently discovered something is blocking internet explorer. when I try to start internet explorer the loading page says cannot display the web page and the address box always shows this

http://go microsoft.com/fwlink/?link id=74005

I expect its something easily fixed, hopefully, if anyone can help

Hello zoom and welcome to PC Help Forum.

Have you tried setting your home page in internet explorer?

Go to your home page then click tools/internet options and set home page to currant.

If this is IE7 and this dont work uninstall IE7 via add and remove and reinstall it.Then once reinstalled set it up before using it.

Hi there and welcome to PC Help Forum

Internet Explorer needs to visit that site so that your browser (IE7?) can complete its set up. Luckily there is a way of cheating it so that it thinks it has completed the set up.

Do the following
1) Close Internet Explorer
2) Copy and paste the text above (in the "code" box) into a new text file (notepad) & save it as <any file name>.reg. Save it to the desktop so that you know where it is.
3) Double click on the new file and accept any "warning" boxes that appear
4) Open IE and test

thanks guys for your help. firstly I can't change the settings in the homepage box to current, the box is grayed out so I can't make any changes . I tried resetting IE7 settings to default but when I restart it spybot reports that the browser page is being changed back to http://go microsoft.com/fwlink/?link id=74005.
also tried running the script Hengis posted and it downloaded files to do with service pack 3 but didn't solve the problem. So now going to reinstall IE7 as suggested and see what happens

Hello zoom,do you have SP3 installed?

yes JB service pack 3 was installed, I have now uninstalled it and also IE7 so I am back to IE6. Unfortunately I still have the same connection problem and when I go into internet options the home page box is still grayed out and I can't change it. Now wondering if it could be a virus?

Hi zoom you can proberly reinstall IE 7 now.

Well you can do the Prework the link is in my signiture in pink.It can take a little time though and copy n paste results back here on your thread.

I can take a peek and see if I notice anything unusal I can then move you to HJT for our security team to check for you and see if it is a infection of some sort.

Although I will not be dealing with a HJT our security team does this.

It is worth running just to make sure.