Internet Explorer 8 Error Right After Update in Windows XP

IE 8 is cool indeed. Some has speculated on it's speed as the fastest of all web browsers in the universe. You can check this out: http://tonyseno.blogspot.com/ , however the article contradicts with http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/tested-google-chrome-vs-ie8-vs-firefox-3-1-462848 and this http://www.cnet.com.au/browser-battle-ie-8-vs-opera-9-5-vs-safari-vs-firefox-3_p4-339287694.htm and some others, including my own testing. But indeed Teno's article went along with this article http://www.pcworld.com/article/161616/browser_showdown_ie_8_vs_firefox.html .
I guess it is hard to pinpoint which one is the best with so many variables and not just the objective ones but also in a matter of taste and behaviour.

Most of all, I think, it is the fact that 90% of computer users are using any version of Microsoft Windows, which has Internet Explorer in it. That's why IE8 is such an important issue to discuss. Check the statistic at http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp. And with all what Microsoft Windows can do, it all becomes a blessing... or a curse.

Some people are having issues with IE8 right after updating their PC thru Windows update. To be precise it is the installation of Software Distribution Service 3.0 that is bundled with the updates is the trouble maker. The funny thing is, Software Distribution Service 3.0 is not listed in the update. It is like the old pain in the *ss Windows Genuine Advantage.

The issues are listed :

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsupdate&tid=47ec8d20-a50b-4652-ac96-e13136fb22a3&cat=en_US_2231886c-4c59-45b0-92e0-8881ddf5f40b&lang=en&cr=US&sloc=en-us&m=1&p=1
and also http://forums.techarena.in/windows-update/856021.htm
and also http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160450

Yes, google it and you will find troubles every where. But no solutions.

Here's the anatomy of the problem:
- a windows update came in, so it was then installed. No matter you installed it or by an automatic windows update.
- Internet Explorer 8 error. Just could not connect. It just froze once you put any address in the URL and hit enter.
- In the Event Viewer > Application you would have an Event ID 1000 error, saying "Faulting application iexplore.exe, version 8.0.6001.18702, faulting module entapi.dll, version 8.0.0.240, fault address 0x0000368a."
- Then you were so pissed-off so you switch to FireFox or Opera or Safari no matter nice and cool IE8 is with the great things so called "web slices" or "accelerator" in IE8. Now before you do that, I'll shed a light for you to overcome this.

Get a shower, have breakfast (after thru the horrible night trying to fix it) and take the pill. Here's the solution.

What I did to work around this was:
1. once you had the problem, check on your system restore.
2. there's a check point called Software Distribution Service 3.0, restore to that point.
3. after restored check the update you have taked that caused the headache.
4. in the High Priority list, uncheck (untick) whatever listed there, and check/tick "don't show this update again".
5. select/tick the other options in as "software, optional" and "hardware, optional", it doesn't matter.
6. you can update.

Basically, windows will intall Software Distribution Service 3.0 when installing one or some of the high priority updates. My guess is, it prohibits anything "illegal" or "considered illegal" software installed in the OS. And how microsoft judges the installed software as legal or illegal is not always accurate. The software that is incorrectly judged as illegal is mostly Microsoft Office 2007. Check my previous article http://burningzeppelin.blogspot.com/2008/12/move-ahead-to-vista-office-2007-or-even.html, this was year 2008.

I am now investigating Microsoft Office 2007. I need to now the best times and worst times we're gonna get with Ms Office 2007 before I really use it company wide. You know what, some day Vista or Win 7, Office 2007 and IE8 will be the standard tools in most offices. May be most companies are gonna use them, although less but still majority( http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp ) . Some will switch to Linux and Apple, why? Because if you use Windows OS but still have problems with it's application (browsers or word processor) then what good is that to have a great OS without the ability to get the job done?