Can't open new window or tab in IE8 32 bit?

Win 7 Pro on a new HP i7 PC with 9GB ram. All MS and HP updates installed

64 bit IE8 works perfect. Only 32 bit version has this problem.

Can not right click and "Open in new window"
Can not right click and "open in new tab"
Links that open in a new tab just sit there saying "Connecting"
Links that open in a new window do nothing. (Like new question window in here)

I have reset all defaults in internet, Intranet, and Trusted Zones.
I have cleared all temp and cache files
I have reset advanced settings
I have uninstalled and reinstalled IE8
I have regsvr32 some specific dll files as suggested in other MS forums
NOTHING WORKS TO FIX THIS.

Technet doesn't have any answers but searching the web does find this error
reported frequently. None with any solutions

IE32 bit did work initially. With so many updates I can't pinpoint when it
stopped doing so.

I have spent too much time personalizing everything and adding programs to
restart with a clean install. All mainstream like Quickbooks 2010 etc. Not
sure that some would even let me reregister if I did a clean reinstall of
Win7..

As a side note, IE8 running in XP Mode virtual machine also runs perfect.

Does the behavior persist if you start IE 32-bit in No Add-ons mode?

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed, is your
subscription current, and is it supported in Win7? What anti-spyware
applications (other than Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

Officially, all Win7 Support should be obtained in one of these forums:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/...egory/windows7

Which firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware or security suite is installed?
There are some that cause problems which don’t always appear immediately.

IE seems to be going away from such repairs, instead going to
..msi based repairs such as you could get by using the Control Panel's
Add or Remove Programs applet's Set Program Access and Defaults
tool. See if re-registering IE as your default brower that way helps
at all. Also, since there are so many more security/obscurity impediments
these days it may help to use that tool when Run as Administrator.
E.g. just before the .msi file is executed use the appropriate right-click
incantations to get that done. In fact, I would try it from a safe mode
command only boot but I suppose in that case the Installer service might
not be running. ; ]

32bit IE8 no-add ins mode doesn't help.
Using only Microsoft Security Essentials and MS Firewall.
Moving a website into trusted zone with minimal security doesn't help.

Just a reminder IE8 64 bit works fine, except flas and even silverlight
don't work on x64.

Thanks for telling me what usenet group to use. I couldn't find Win7 group.

Are there 64-bit versions of Flash and Silverlight? No, nor are ActiveX
Controls on which they depend supported in IE 64-bit. Access pages with
Flash or Silverlight content in IE 32-bit.

What anti-virus application were you using before you installed MSE, was
your subscription still current, and did you uninstall it before you
installed MSE?

Repost: Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

Did you upgrade to Win7 64-bit or is it a brand-new computer with Win7
64-bit preinstalled by the OEM?

The Win7 *forums* are not available via Usenet nor are there any
Win7-specific Microsoft newsgroups.

Is this another example of "Shotgun Effect" posting? Is there something
wrong with only posting in one forum as is strongly recommended at all
times? If you think it may be relevant in two or more groups, then
submit individual posts in those groups. Multiple crosss-posting just
makes for one BIG UGLY MESS!!!

It is quite extensively cross posted but your advice is completely
incorrect.

[Bob]

"don't post to each group separately. Instead, specify all the groups on a
single copy of the message. This reduces network overhead and lets people
who subscribe to more than one group see the message once instead of having
to wade through each copy"

I had an email from Bobby in response to my post, unfortunately from an
un-routable email address so I couldn't reply. I suspect he is confusing
cross-posting and multi-posting but we may never know :-)

[jheffernan]

I found this support community just today, while looking for an answer to a similar problem I have. At least I think it may be similar. I am not a tech expert, so I apologize if I'm way off base. I have Windows XP, 32 bit, but IE 7, not 8. But, I also recently installed (and cannot uninstall) microsoft security essentials.

Even more recently, I have had difficulty, or am flat-out unable to open search results or links provided by emails. I also experience the same kind of results expressed here--clicking may result in a never-ending attempt to connect (no help from refreshing) or no response at all, and am not helped trying to right click open a new window (I should mention that my problems relate largely to regular left double clicks, just trying to open something or go to a site, but I have tried the right click/open window unsuccessfully in trying to get around the general problem).

This latest problem is very frustrating and has pulled me off of my efforts to uninstall MSE. I've gotten one set of directions to uninstall manually from Microsoft that I've had no luck with, but plan to try again. The second set of directions sent to me by Microsoft sent me to a range of uninstall tools for other security programs that I've had in the past and thought were totally uninstalled--I think I've used every one at some time. As of last night using these tools has not changed anything either.

Bottom line, I'm sad to read no one has a fix for the main problem here (I think it might well help me if there were). I now wonder, however, if the problem is a MSI, 32 bit problem, rather than an IE, 32 bit problem? Any thoughts? Thanks for listening; it helps to vent.

I guess when you found this you didn't read the title - "64bit"

This group is for Windows 64-bit. You need to go to one of the Windows
XP groups. Try the ones below for starters:

microsoft.public.windowsxp.general

microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support

[jheffernan]

Bob,

Oh. OK. Thanks. j

[paddy1]

I have discovered that it was an add-on - IE developer toolbar.

I assume that others have experienced the second tab closing as soon as you try to open it. When I opened 'manage add-ons' and disabled the IE developer toolbar, closed and restarted IE, it works flawlessly.
That worked for me!

Further to my post above, I just realised that I have IE6 developer toolbar installed before I upgraded to IE8 and am fairly convinced that this caused the issue.

It seems that enabling the developer toolbar again in IE8 is ok, but one of them is 'developer toolbar BHO' and it seems that this one is the 'offender!'

Hope this helps