Google [web ] via Internet Explorer 5.1.6 is suddenly inaccessible

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Level 2

231 points

Google [web ] via Internet Explorer 5.1.6 is suddenly inaccessible

All of a sudden, after years of using Google as my home page with IE 5.1.6 I can not get to Google Home Page.

Yesterday, I had a first ever crash [?] on the site I use to look at TV listings [zap2it]. The message said the internet preference folder was damaged and should be trashed. It was and on restart a new one appeared. All well and good, I thought.

The next time Mr H turned on the computer and went to IE he says he began to type in the search before Google came up, but I've done that before and all that happened was part of the searched word went into the main search box on IE and the rest went into Google's box and then I had to fix it by typing the whole word in the Google search box. This time Google never appeared. In the progress box at the bottom of the screen it shows loading 0 bites of 5855 [or some number like that] the progress wheel spins and it goes nowhere and can't be stopped.

I still use OS 9.1. I use Internet Explorer version 5.1.6. I can get to Google maps or videos or news with IE, but if I click on Google Web it doesn't work. My screen freezes and I have to do a restart. I can use IE to get anywhere else [well almost anywhere else, but it's been that way for years]

Interestingly enough, I am able to access Google through Netscape, version 7.0.2.

I have cleared cache and history; I have run disk first aid and disk doctor; I have rebuilt the desktop.

Yes, I know I should switch to OS X and I will soon [as long as I can still access OS 9 and all those files that won't work in X], I just need to get this fixed now. Of course I can use dogpile or another search, I'm just wondering if this symptom means something bigger than just Google via IE is in trouble.

I e-mailed Google help and they also suggested deleting all cookies - but I didn't know if that was a PC suggestion or a Mac suggestion. [Ididn't do it] I also have wondered about going back to my last hard drive backup and just removing the IE app and replacing it with the one in my backup that worked - but I don't think the app is the problem since it works fine for all else [not for this site though...] and I don't know what I should be replacing.

Help, please,
Mrs

Dual 450 G4, Mac OS 9.1.x, and old PowerBook 170 and ancient [faithfully still working] Mac Plus

Posted on Jun 9, 2007 9:04 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Baby-Boomer-USofA

Level 9

58,098 points

Jun 9, 2007 2:08 PM in response to Mrs H

You actually trashed the whole Internet Preferences Folder including all your preferences still in there?

Actually, you were suppose to just trash the Internet Preference file/document which is inside the folder.

See if updating to the latest & last version of IE for Mac will help.
Internet Explorer (Classic) 5.1.7

Internet Explorer 5.1.7

Internet Explorer v5.1.7
"WARNING:" Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31st, 2005, and is not providing any further security or performance updates.
Accordingly, as of January 31st, 2006, Internet Explorer for the Mac is no longer available for download from Microsoft.

Or, you can try the following w/your older version of IE:
Once a week Go into the system folder>preferences folder & trash the following preferences:
finder
ASLM
PPC Registration Database
Cache.waf-found inside the MS Internet Cache folder
MRJ Cache folder-a new one will be recreated.(If not found go to System folder>Application Support>MRJ Cache folder-trash all you find inside-( DO NOT TRASH THIS FOLDER)
Download Cache-found inside Explorer Folder
Downloads.html-found inside Explorer Folder
History.html-found inside Explorer Folder

Rebuild your desktop w/extensions off. Use Techtool Lite or Trash*Desktop - may delete Finder comments to rebuild your desktop w/extensions off. Does a better job than manually & you avoid all the finger gymnatics. You just have to hold down the shift key to shut off extensions.
Restart to turn the extensions back on again & empty the trash.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2007 2:10 PM in response to Mrs H

Hi, Mrs H -

Google became inaccexxible for me, also, starting a couple of days ago or so. Attempting to link to it causes a freeze of IE 5.1.7 - sometimes I can get out of it by force-quitting IE, sometimes I have to reset the Mac.

Glad to hear it is not just me - perhaps Google has changed something on their site; or, perhaps it could be outside interference.

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Answer 3

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 9, 2007 2:33 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

I mispoke:

"The message said the internet preference folder was damaged and should be trashed. It was and on restart a new one appeared. All well and good, I thought."

You are right I just trashed the internet preferences file/document inside the folder.

Thanks for the other suggestions, but I think the next reply explains that the fault is not with my Mac.

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Answer 4

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 9, 2007 2:37 PM in response to Don Archibald

This is so good to hear, thought not helpful for you or me.

I had our ISP person try connecting to Google on their Mac with OS 9 and they said it worked.

You are right, sometimes force quit works, sometimes restart has to happen.

When I e-mailed Google help and asked if they changed anything, all they said was delete cookies and cache. Oh well, please let me know if you figure out anything.

Til then, what search engine are you using? Do you still use IE? [Google does work on Netscape and I've been using dogpile on IE]

Thanks very much,
Mrs H

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Answer 5

Jun 9, 2007 5:27 PM in response to Mrs H

Hi, Mrs H -

I did a little testing.

• I trashed the Google-specific cookies - no change.

• I tested using the Google-Mac search page (this page allows restricting the search to just things Macintosh) -
http://www.google.com/mac.html

On this page are two selections - "Search Mac Sites", and "Search the Web". As long as I clicked the "Search Mac Sites" button, the search performed the way it should.

This would indicate there is nothing wrong with the basic Google search engine, primary server(s), or site as such, nor with cookies or anything else on my machine.

However, if I clicked the "Search the Web" button, I got the same hang as when trying to reach the normal Google search page.

• I noted that when trying to access the normal Google search page, or using the "Search the Web" button on the Google-Mac search page, the page-loading hung at the same place in each instance - when trying to load an item (page element) whose name ends in logo.gif

Conclusion at this point - that there is something askew with trying to load that page element, something about it, or about the server it is being sourced from, that is in some way not compatible with OS 9 and/or IE 5.1.x.

FWIW, disabling "Show Pictures" and "Animate GIFs" in IE's preferences had no beneficial effect - it still hung.

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Answer 6

Jun 9, 2007 5:31 PM in response to Mrs H

I switched to Mozilla for OS 9 & like it better than IE. It works on web pages that IE has problems with. Plus, Mozilla has a pop-up ad blocker & a password manager. Download Wamcom's Mozilla browser at:
http://wamcom.org/latest-131/

Also it's generally required for best operation to increase the browser's Preferred memory to 2X - 3X the Suggested size. See Mac OS: Assigning more memory to an application program
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=18278

Cheers, Tom

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Answer 7

Jun 10, 2007 11:18 AM in response to Mrs H

I am experiencing same problem. I cannot access Google with IE 5.1.6 and OS 9.2.2. I can however get it using Mozilla.

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Answer 8

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 10, 2007 2:27 PM in response to Don Archibald

I also found that by accessing Google through another search - for example, dogpile, - and then clicking on Google maps or news that works but images doesn't - and from the Google home page Google itself still causes all those errors and doesn't work.

I am curious about my ISP worker who said she was able to get to Google through OS 9.2 on one of their Macs. I will call them again tomorrow and have them try again [small, rural ISP here in Vermont, weekend customer service isn't as good as weekday]

Mrs H

Did you try e-mailing Google as I did?

What search engine/browser combo do you use now?

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Answer 9

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 10, 2007 2:32 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

About Mozilla - does it allow you to put in just one word and it goes to the site [as IE does] or do you have to know the website addy [as I find is the case with Netscape which I am using now] or have visited the site before so your browser remembers where to go? [I don't think I've asked this clearly, but I hope you can figure out what I mean]

I have a Mozilla folder which seems to be connected to my Netscape - were they/ are they related?

Do you recommend switching to Mozilla even if I plan to go to OS x in the distant future...[I've been saying this for 2 years at least now...]

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Answer 10

Jun 10, 2007 7:28 PM in response to Mrs H

Google has made major changes to what you get when you do a search. They are now including part of the referenced content (when available) not just the list of web sites where the keyword is mentioned.

So, to use an example from their press release, you search for Darth Vader, and a web site contains a picture of Darth Vader. A thumbnail of the picture is displayed in-line. This means many more advanced data types are being shown as the result of a search.

Here is their press release:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/universalsearch_20070516.html

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Answer 11

Jun 11, 2007 12:36 AM in response to Texas Mac Man

Hi, Tom -

I've used IE for so long I feel married to it; getting a divoice from it doesn't sound like fun.

Question - I have thousands of bookmarks (favorites), most of them sorted into logical groups (folders) in IE's Favorites. There is an export function in IE for Favorites, which exports them to a file named Favorites.html. Will any of the Mozilla browsers be able to import such a file?

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Answer 12

Jun 11, 2007 12:44 AM in response to Mrs H

Hi, Mrs H -

No, I have not contacted Google. It appears that their enriched webpage, as noted and linked to by Grant below, may be the cause.

I'm not yet using a different search engine - my needs for such are few, and for the most part the Google-Mac page (which still works) fills my needs.

I probably will end up finally switching browsers, provided getting my favorites (bookmarks) transferred won't be too traumatic or time consuming.

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Answer 13

Jun 11, 2007 5:48 AM in response to Don Archibald

Don,

Will any of the Mozilla browsers be able to import such a file?

Yes.

Certainly WamCom does. From the Help files:

You can also import bookmarks files from other sources. For example, you can import bookmarks files from earlier Mozilla versions, other browsers, or from bookmark files that your friends send you.

Before you start, make sure that the bookmark file you want to import is an HTML file.

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Manage Bookmarks.
2. In your Bookmarks window, open the Tools menu and choose Import.
3. In the "Import bookmark file" dialog box, locate and select the bookmark file you want to import.
4. Click Save.

The imported bookmark file is treated as a group of new bookmarks and added to the bottom of your bookmarks list. If you have designated a new bookmark folder, the imported bookmarks are added to that folder.

Note: Importing a bookmark file imports the bookmarks and folders from that file. It does not create two bookmark files.

Michael

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Answer 14

Jun 11, 2007 7:17 AM in response to Michael Wasley

Thanks, Michael!

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Answer 15

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 11, 2007 7:57 AM in response to Michael Wasley

Michael,

Good to know about movable/importable favorites. The directions you quote sound just like the ones on Netscape to which I exported my IE Favorites a year ago. [I was not able to reproduce what I did last year using their directions for import and suspect I may have to export IE favorites if I stick with Netscape]

I went to the WamCom link you gave. I assume I choose the download described below and don't worry that they refer to classic 9 [I am just using 9.1 - no OS X and therefore no classic]?

"The bug (213580) occurs ONLY on Mac OS "classic"
"Mac OS 8.6 / 9 aka classic"

These 2 lines copied from the WamCom download ReadMe tell me that I do have to worry about the bug and fix it since they seem to be saying that OS 9 is classic regardless of OS X.
AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY?

Thanks,
Mrs H

PS What does this mean?
Note: Importing a bookmark file imports the bookmarks and folders from that file. It does not create two bookmark files.

DOWNLOAD: Apple Mac OS 8.6 and 9.x classic binary (stuffit directory) (15 MB)
News 2003-07-23: The https problem (only seen on Mac OS classic) has been fixed!
wamcom-131-macos9-20030"723.sit (There is also a fix for macos9-20030721 as a small download.) (ReadMe, source code patch)

Dual 450 G4 Mac OS 9.1.x

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