Fix: Internet Explorer freezes when using the drop-down address bar list when the fix described in KB908531 is installed
Note, HP and Kerio are NOT the only software affected by the problems described in the KB article 918165. Older NVIDIA software is also implicated, and as the KB article states, there may be other third party COM controls or shell extensions causing a problem. In short, don't assume that just because you don't have NVIDIA, HP or Kerio that you'll be safe or that your problems can't be caused by the MS06-015 update. I have personal experience of people being hit by this problem who have none of that software:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165
(I have no idea why Stephen ***'s surname doesn't appear properly - all I see is three stars instead of a surname...)
Stephen *** of Microsoft has posted to ie6.browser newsgroup regarding a known problem with MS06-15 / KB908531 wherein Internet Explorer may freeze when you attempt to use the drop-down list in the Address Bar. MS have tracked down the cause of the problem, and it is wide spread enough to be deserving of publicity. I am sure Stephen will forgive me for quoting him verbatim rather than sending you off to the newgroup via Outlook Express or the Communities Web Interface.
<quote> We've determined that the majority of the issues people are having with MS06-015 / KB908531 are due to a bad interaction between the security update and a software component included with various HP hardware devices, including but not limited to printers, scanners, and cameras.
Here are two fixes which should fix problems caused by the interaction with the HP software:
Option 1 - Modify the registry
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- (If you have multiple user accounts set up) Log onto the computer using an account with Administrator privileges
- Click the Start button, then click Run and type "regedit" at the prompt, without the quotes; this will start Registry Editor
- Locate the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached key in Registry Editor
- Right click on the key and select New / DWORD Value
- Rename the resulting value "{A4DF5659-0801-4A60-9607-1C48695EFDA9} {000214E6-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} 0x401", without the quotes
- Right click the value, select Modify, and type "1" into the Value Data field
- Close Registry Editor
Option 2 - Kill the HP process
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- Wait until Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, or whichever component is encountering problems is in an unresponsive state
- Click the Start button, then select Run and type "taskmgr" at the prompt, without the quotes; this will start Task Manager
- Locate any instances of hpgs2wnd.exe or hpgs2wnf.exe in Task Manager, then right click on them and select End Process
(Note: Option 2 this may disable some HP device-specific functionality until you restart your computer.)
If your computer is not currently unresponsive, you should only have to do Option 1 or Option 2, not both. If your computer is currently unresponsive, you should be fixed by doing Option 2.
I'm very sorry about the inconvenience this has caused you all; hopefully this will get things back on track. Please note that MS06-015 fixes a critical security vulnerability, so it's very important that you reinstall it as soon as possible if you've uninstalled it. Please also keep in mind that disabling Auto Update will leave your computer unprotected even after we release security updates. I understand that this experience has been very frustrating for many of you, but I really must still strongly recommend that you leave Auto Update enabled for your own safety. </quote>
Addendum: <quote> Actually, it appears that I spoke too soon. Option 2 will correct the problem for the logged-in user, but not for all users on a computer with multiple user accounts. For that reason, Option 1 is the preferred option. </quote>