Each time I click on a link to view the web page, that page plus a
blank page open. The link page opens first, then the blank page. How
do I prevent this?

Tell us which browser you are using.

Also I presume Windows XP? :-)

I am using IE v6.0 sp2 and Windows XP Home sp2.

Right click the 2nd page, select Properties from the menu that opens. What information is shown, particularly the Address (URL)?

Jim.

When right clicking the second (blank) page and clicking on properties, nothing appears. There is nothing on the address bar also.

I searched the MS knowledgebase and Google but didn't see anything related to this problem - which doesn't mean a solution doesn't exist, just that I didn't see it.

Does the blank window open when you right click a link and select open instead of directly clicking the link?

If you type an address in the blank page's Address window, does it go to the address?

Are you up-to-date with anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-Trojan programs?

You could try repairing IE6.

To repair Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x for Windows XP:

Note: Before proceeding, ensure that your Microsoft Windows XP CD-ROM is available.
1. From the Start menu, choose Run.
2. In the Open field, type sfc /scannow
3. Click the OK button.
4. Restart the computer when the System File Checker program finishes.

Alternate fix to repair Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x for Windows XP:

Note: Before proceeding, ensure that your Microsoft Windows XP CD-ROM is available.
1. From the Start menu, select Search, and choose Files or Folders.
2. Click the More Advanced Options item and ensure that there is a checkmark beside the Search hidden files and folder option.
3. In the Name field, type ie.inf
4. In the Look in drop-down menu, click C: or the letter of the hard drive that contains the Windows folder.
5. Click the Search Now button. The correct ie.inf file should be located in the Windows\Inf folder.
6. Right click the ie.inf file and choose Install from the drop-down menu that appears.
7. Restart the computer when the computer finishes copying files.

Alternate fix to repair Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x for Windows XP:

1. From the Start menu, choose Run.
2. In the Run window, type rundll32 setupwbv.dll,IE6Maintenance "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Setup\SETUP.EXE" /g "C:\WINDOWS\IE Uninstall Log.Txt" Note: The command is case-sensitive.
3. Click the OK button.
4. Click the Repair Internet Explorer option.
5. Click the Yes button to complete the repair.
6. Restart the computer when you are prompted and allow the computer to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer.


Jim.

The problem only seems to occur when clicking a link from an e-mail message. My anti-virus and spyware programs are all up to date and have been run within the last day. When I type in an address from the blank page, I go to the site I typed in. Links from my favorites or links from a web page seem to work ok.

The closest symptom I can find in the MS Knowledgebase deals with opening a blank page from an Outlook Express linked site but not a blank second page.

Anyway, here is what is suggested:

To resolve this problem in Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Quit all programs that are running.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. Type regsvr32 urlmon.dll, and then click OK.
4. When you receive the "DllRegisterServer in urlmon.dll succeeded" message, click OK.

If this does not resolve the problem, repeat steps 2 through 4 for each of the following files (in step 3, replace Urlmon.dll with each of the file names below): • Shdocvw.dll
• Msjava.dll
• Actxprxy.dll
• Oleaut32.dll
• Mshtml.dll
• Browseui.dll
• Shell32.dll (Windows XP and Windows 2000 only)

If the problem is still not resolved, verify that the following registry values are present and correct:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Interface\{00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Name: (Default)
Value: IDispatch

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Interface\{00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProxyStubClsid
Name: (Default)
Value: {00020420-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Interface\{00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProxyStubClsid32
Name: (Default)
Value: {00020420-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}


If the problem is still not resolved, reinstall Internet Explorer. If you are using the version of Internet Explorer that is included with your operating system, reinstall or repair your operating system.



So, give it a try and good luck!

Jim.

Jim,
Tried all you suggested (except the XP re-install). The run
program did not show any errors. The registry values were all
ok. In addition, I installed two new e-mail programs, (Poco Mail
and Incredimail), and the problem persisted with each one.
Rather than do a complete XP reinstall, can I use the SP2 CD I
used to go from SP1 to SP2?

It sounds virus like, but possibly isn't. Is the window for the blank page labled about:blank? That has been a problem for some in the past.