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Can't Open Two Browser Windows

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by maxwell edison

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Windows 2000 Professional - Service Pack 2, Service Pack 3, or no service pack at all - it doesn't matter.

Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0 - it doesn't matter.

Only one browser window can be opened at a time. I want to open two, three, ten, twenty - whatever.

The strange thing about this problem is that it just suddenly appeared. One day I could open as many as I wanted, the next day only one.

This has happenes to several machines, not just one, but not all. I'm aware of machines at different locations (including my home) having this problem as well. So a virus is not the problem.

I've seen reference to this issue in the past, but I can't seem find it now.

Does anyone have a link to a fix, know of a fix, etc?

Many thanks,

Maxwell

4 replies

by timwalsh

My initial thought is pop-up stopper software. I have only used one version (pop-up stopper by panicware). I initially thought I had the same problem after installing this software (until I enabled audio as well as visual alerts). Although the software does a good job of inhibiting Internet pop-ups, it has a sumetimes unwelcome side effect of preventing the user from opening more than one browser window without momentarily disabling the software. I discovered this only by accident. Although you get a visual alert (a momentary flash of the software's icon in the system tray), unless there is also an audio alert enabled, or see are looking at the system tray icon to see it flash, you may not realize what is happening.

Hope this helps.

by timwalsh

I also discovered that there is a setting in Group Policy the disables the New menu option in IE. I'm wondering if it might have the side effect of not allowing you to open a new browser window for the IE icon as well. Might be worth checking to see if the Policy is set,

by maxwell edison

Tim,

It's always the easy things, isn't it? (Well, almost always.)

It was the pop-up stopper software that I had installed. I guess the timing of my install didn't register.

Thanks for the help.

Maxwell

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