Nuking javascript--kill to cure

[Lemon law]

I recently bought a used win xp pro system infested with malware---now that I have the last of the malware off--a few problems remain---and while I am familar with XP home--xp pro is somewhat different.

For what its worth, I mainly surf the internet with Firefox and thunderbird--and use ie 6 as little as possible.

But I have downloaded and use sun java jre 1.5.07---but I still get an inordinate number of javascript errors when I check my javascript in firefox and thunderbird---in addition, when I go to control panel---java---applet settings---there are check boxes for enable both ie and a seperate checkbox for mozilla & netscape. Logged in with administrator privledges---I am able to check and uncheck the ie checkbox---but when I add a check mark to enable mozilla netscape---I am told that either I lack the authority or my installs of mozzilla netscape were corrupted.

So step one in the trouble shooting was to totally nuke firefox and thunderbird---including all their profile files---then I reisntalled a fresh virgin copy of seamonkey 1.0.3--and got the same results---so sorta of an ipso ergo---its not firefox thunderbird.

I can uninstall and reinstall sun java jre 1.5.0.7 to no effect---but am told sun java is not javascript.

But if my javascript is corrupt---I may need to kill it--and then reinstall it--how do I do just that?

 

[Brazen]

Nuke the whole OS from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Lemon law]

Hardly helpful---I have a problem and want to solve it---how do I get javascript working correctly?

 

[Brazen]

But it's a new (to you) computer, so why not just nuke it? Don't you want that new-OS smell to go with your new (to you) computer?

You mentioned you "still get an inordinate number of javascript errors" but did not give specifics on what those errors are. You could post them here, but I would highly suggest just googling for the exact error messages.

 

[Lemon law]

At this point I have installed my software and nuking the whole OS is not an easy option.

But my java script errors are mainly in the area of cascading style sheets--often failing on line one.
My wifes computer running XP home will have but a tiny fraction of the number of javascript errors I have---so I figure my javascript must be corrupt---but can't fiind out exactly what I have to delete and reinstall to get things back to normal---is there a way short of nuking the whole OS?

Or alternately is their a repair tool similar to winsock fix to repair javascript?

As far as I can see no settings in ie , firefox , or thunderbird disables javascript.

 

[CTho9305]

The first thing you need to know is that JavaScript and Java have nothing to do with each other. JavaScript is only called "JavaScript" because Netscape wanted in on Sun's Java hype. The real name of the langauage is ECMAScript.

The errors you see in Firefox's JavaScript console are almost entirely errors people make when they write web pages, so you can ignore them. For example, when loading the forums, I get lots of things like:

Error: Expected ':' but found '2px'. Declaration dropped.
Source File: http://forums.anandtech.com/include/themes/default/fusetalkstyles_default.css
Line: 142

Basically, this says that whoever wrote fusetalk doesn't actually know CSS, and wrote something invalid. You can't fix it - the page's author has to learn how to write CSS properly and fix the web site.

Ignore stuff in the JavaScript console, unless the source file is a "chrome://" URL or you're writing your own web page.

 

[Lemon law]

To Ctho9305,

Well thanks for the reply----but sadly the point you are making collaspes before the facts----when I visit webpage X I might get 20 to 30 javascript errors---when my wife's Xp computer visits the same website X her computer will get only a few javascript errors--and sometimes none.---and yes I also get chrome and other errors also--but mostly css.---and that 25 to 2 ratio on javascript errors is consistant across visiting multiple webpages.

Clearly something is wrong on my computer regarding javascript---and the question is and remains---how to repair it?

Someone---anyone---I am at my wits end.

 

[CTho9305]

Uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox would completely remove and re-add the JS engine being used for web pages by Firefox. The only other thing is your profile - you could try creating a new one.

There are a couple simple possibilities though - any chance you enabled "strict" mode? You would have had to set the javascript.options.strict pref in about:config to do that (not something accidental). Also, in the JS Console, which option is selected? All, Errors, Warnings, or Messages?

 

[Lemon law]

Again thanks for the suggestions Ctho9305,

But thats all a been there tried that already-----and I am getting really frustrated that nothing is working---after deleting all my non-ie browsers---their profiles---and everything else remotely associated with it------but clearly something is blocking the proper execution of javascript on this computer.---and its not the non-ie browsers. Nor is it settings in ie. as far as I can tell.

Which is why I am wondering if deleting and then reinstalling javascript might be the way to go---which would then get any corrupt files and replace it with a copy that was uncorrupted.

But right now I am open to trying darn near anything short of totally nuking the OS---which is a last resort. And I am open to the possibility that its something else---but what is blocking the correct execution of javascript?---not expecting perfect---just about as well as it should would be fine.---and when this PC has 10x+ times more errors than normal---something is wrong.

 

[CTho9305]

Is your wife running a different version of Firefox?

 

[Lemon law]

To Ctho9305,

Actually my wife normally runs the mozilla suite---whose sucessor is seamonkey----but she also has the exact same fully updated version of firefox as I have---which is now 1.5.0.6.
Regardless of which non-ie browser she runs---she gets a small number of javascript errors----and I get 10x+ times more----and the security setting are the same on both computers in both the non-mozilla browsers and in ie.---and I get a similar number to my copy of firefox javascript errors when I run seamonkey 1.0.3.

Nor is my problem in sun java itself---I can uninstall and reinstall another copy of jre 1.5.0.7 and nothing changes.

And to the best of my knowledge---both computers are free of any malware---other than a few tracking cookies that don't last long.

So I am still baffled!---but I do appreciate your help.

 

[CTho9305]

I'm actually a SeaMonkey dev... your wife should switch from Mozilla 1.7 since it's no longer receiving security updates.

Is it possible one of you has a HOSTS file or something that cause you to see different advertisements?

 

[CTho9305]

That link is supposed to point here, but FuseTalk sucks and parsed a smiley in the URL, and errors when I try to edit the post.

 

[Lemon law]

Its all right about the link to Mozilla, firefox, or seamonkey---I already have them all saved to disk---but getting my wife to switch away from Mozilla 1.7.12 is a diplomatic problem
I am powerless to solve.---but I am on your side there---but my wife's computer is fine---I am the one having problems.

And the question is and remains---what trees do I bark up.---step by step?---and I sure don't want to recover ground I have already covered.

 

[imported_Baloo]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
And the question is and remains---what trees do I bark up.---step by step?---and I sure don't want to recover ground I have already covered.

The way I see it, both Brazen and CTho9305 answered you question as well an anybody can. I'll add a bit to try to make it more clear to you. Your computer has a problem that your wife's does not due to differences in software, configuration, and corrupted files on your "new to you" PC. If you wish, you can go file by file thru the winnt, program files and documents and settings folders and compare each to your wife's to find the corrupted ones and that way you can "solve the problem." There are 10's of thousands of files there, so you might want to take a few months off to check each and every one. When you are done, you will need to go thru the registry and identify any bad data in there, There are 10's of thousand of lines in there, so you might want to take the rest of the year off to check every line. CTho9305 mentioned the only other possible but not sure way you can do this without following brazen's advice. In the end, you are going to need to do a reload, as brazen suggested. A reload is the quickest a most sure way to remove corrupted files and data and fix your problem.

 

[Lemon law]

Sad to say baloo---you may well be right

But thanks to all that tried to help.

But will leave the topic open if any haev guesses on what to check.

 

[CTho9305]

I would be somewhat interested in some specific examples of pages that produce different errors for you and your wife using the same software, and what the errors are.

 

[totalcommand]

Use System File Checker (run sfc.exe from start->run). Let it repair any errors, then go back to Windows Update site and re-update everything.

You can be fairly sure that all system files will be "normal" after this procedure.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: CTho9305
I would be somewhat interested in some specific examples of pages that produce different errors for you and your wife using the same software, and what the errors are.

I would as well.