I have recently upgraded to Internet Explorer 7 but when it starts a message appears suggesting there is a fault on the line to my ISP. This is not so as Firefox and Outlook are both working fine. I’m on XP using a dial-up connection.

A contact of mine had just upgraded his Sony Vaio and had run into this problem. Luckily, the answer wasn’t so hard to find.

Assuming that Internet Explorer 7 was working when you initially upgraded, it may just need resetting. If it never worked properly then it should be uninstalled and reinstalled.

To reset Internet Explorer 7, go to Tools, Internet Options and Advanced. At the bottom of the page is a button marked Reset. Click on that and follow the prompts. Bear in mind that any personal setting you have applied or add-ons you have installed will be lost.