Have you checked the computer for viruses and such things lately?
This group's web page offers some free tools that you can use to check if the
problem you described is caused by malware, viruses or trojans, which are all
capable of being the cause of this
(http://simplycomputers.davidron.com/spyware)

--- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, DJLINFL@... wrote:
>
> I use a PC with WXP. I have several applications that try to call up IE
> but instead start with the IE welcome screen but with a message that it
> cannot open up the web page, stopping all further work cold.
> Nothing I can do to get around the sudden dead end works. Does this make
> sense and can anyone help? Microsoft no longer services WXP, or at least I
> do not know how to get their service.
> Don
> In Boca Raton
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> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>