IE7, WindowsUpdate yields HTTP 400 Error

New installation of MS WXP Pro with SP2, NIS 2008. The machine connects to
the Internet, the IPConfig /All looks right, MS Messenger connects, as does
e-mail.

Yet IE7 yields an HTTP 400 error on every attempt to connect to a web page
but the first one. Meaning - if I Reset IE7 in Internet Options I can
connect to the Microsoft.com home page, but can NOT click on any link from
there. I cannot at any time open WindowsUpdate nor MicrosoftUpdate. Other
web pages fail too.

All MS Updates were installed earlier this month, NIS 2008 appears to be
updating fine and has the most current version of its updates - from the best
that I can tell. All scans are clean.

Can someone give me some clues on what I can do short of reinstalling the
O/S? Thank you.

Robert
Thu Mar 27 21:03:02 PDT 2008

"Bruce" <Bruce@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9149BEA7-0CF9-4A03-BF35-222A4765FF52@microsoft.com...
> New installation of MS WXP Pro with SP2, NIS 2008. The machine connects to
> the Internet, the IPConfig /All looks right, MS Messenger connects, as does
> e-mail.
>
> Yet IE7 yields an HTTP 400 error on every attempt to connect to a web page
> but the first one.

> Meaning - if I Reset IE7 in Internet Options I can
> connect to the Microsoft.com home page, but can NOT click on any link from
> there.


Are you sure that's not overkill? E.g. RIES empties the TIF.
Opening a new page puts stuff in it. What happens if you just clear the TIF
each time instead? Then if that works try changing your cache-checking
setting to Never (Alt-T,O,Alt-S,N). And if you want to refresh try using
Ctrl-F5 instead of F5. All those things will reduce your reliance on the TIF
and hence test if it could be a factor in causing your symptom.


> I cannot at any time open WindowsUpdate nor MicrosoftUpdate. Other
> web pages fail too.
>
> All MS Updates were installed earlier this month, NIS 2008 appears to be
> updating fine and has the most current version of its updates - from the best
> that I can tell. All scans are clean.
>
> Can someone give me some clues on what I can do short of reinstalling the
> O/S? Thank you.


You need more information. I would try using Fiddler2 to see what is changing
between the first and second requests (if it is not as a result of cache-checking)
and I would use ProcMon to see how the TIF is being used. E.g. perhaps
you have a permissiions problem with it or something?

Also, as long as you are just visiting Microsoft sites I would try uninstalling
your Norton product and use the Windows firewall only. See if your symptoms
change then. E.g. third-party firewalls are notorious for fiddling with headers...
I'm not sure what the path would look like if you had Fiddler and your Norton
firewall in place anyway. Otherwise check to see if your Norton firewall
has some diagnostics in it. Then compare what it is sending with what Fiddler
shows you that IE is sending. Another tool you could use to do that would
be netcap; then format the resulting .cap file with Ethereal.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
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