IE7 and Outlook HTML e-mail create is slow

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haapy

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Using XP-SP2, IE7, Outlook 2003 and the HTML format, there is a significant typing delay creating new e-mail messages, both using stationary and not. Using text or rich text, there is no lag. Also, IE7 in general seemed slower.

I have eliminated anti-spyware and ant-virus as a cause. Office Detect and Repair did not fix anything.

Resetting IE7 fixes the problem.
Control Panel>Internet Options>Advanced>Restore>Reset.

Caution: this resets the IE7 add-ins also, which must be investigated and re-enabled as necessary.
Open IE7>Tools>Manage Add-ons>Enable or Disable add-ons.

I have traced the issue down to SpyBot Immunization and Spyware Blaster Enabling Protection for Restricted Sites. Either one causes the problem. This is repeatable. The problem started around 1/20/07.

In addition, I have found that Sun Microsystems BHO (ssv.dll) slows IE7.

Disable SSV Helper class - (It's from Sun Microsystems) It's a BHO - ssv.dll

Close browser and then re-open.

Cheers
 
I am surprised this message received no attention. I just stumbled into it doing Google searches trying to fix my wrecked Outlook HTML email. I immunized with Spybot yesterday. That's when my problem started. I just undid the immunization and now Outlook HTML works good again.

There is a serious problem here that needs to be fixed. I feel much safer with immunization running. But not at the expense of wrecking my email.

Can this be fixed and is any attention being afforded to such a fix?
 
Some users e-mailed us that they have experienced compatibility problems with the Internet Explorer 7 and Spybot - Search & Destroy.
In detail, there were problems with freezing/not responding of our software and also problems with the SDhelper of Spybot - Search & Destroy that won't work correctly.
Currently, we are working on this issue and try to find out what the problem might be.
We hope that we will solve this problem very soon.
There will be a new SDHelper.
Please be patient.

Further, you will find more infos and other users' experiences regarding this point in our forum:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?p=48286#post48286
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=8492
 
I had no problem with IE7 so long as I had the browser helper disabled. But that did not prevent problems with Outlook 2003. Typing was delayed. Sometimes I would type 5 or 6 letters and nothing would appear on the monitor. Then suddenly all the letters would appear at once. Repeating was would not work. If I held any letter key down it would not repeat. One letter only would appear until I removed my finger from the key - then multiple images of the letter would appear. I can turn this behavior on/off by disabling/reenabling the immunization feature of Spybot.

I believe this behavior was brought to Spybot's attention with the release of IE7 almost six months ago. How patient do you expect user's to be?
 
I have the same problem as well as logging out of hotmail. This freezes and eventually times out. A fix or resolution would be greatly appreciated.
 
haapy said:
Using XP-SP2, IE7, Outlook 2003 and the HTML format, there is a significant typing delay creating new e-mail messages, both using stationary and not. Using text or rich text, there is no lag.

<snip>

I have traced the issue down to SpyBot Immunization and Spyware Blaster Enabling Protection for Restricted Sites. Either one causes the problem. This is repeatable. The problem started around 1/20/07.
Click to expand...
I had the identical problem. Thank you for your post, as it helped me find this fix: In Outlook go to Tools/Options/Security/Security Zones, change from "Restricted Sites" to "Internet".

I suppose this means Outlook will possibly download from blocked sites should I happen to come across one in e-mail. I will have to live with this risk, which I suspect will be small considering I have multiple spam filters and other protections in place.

MS Outlook help says:
Zone list box— Specify the zone you want to apply to HTML messages. Zones can warn you of potential dangers or can prevent scripts and other processes from running when you open HTML messages. To change the settings associated with each zone, click Zone Settings.
Click to expand...
 
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I Know What's Causing This!

Hey Everyone!

Looks like we are the only people on the earth who know about this problem, and that's a shame because it really stinks! Anyway, after reading through the posts I was definitely able to apply the work-around fix of unimmunizing my system, but that to me was unacceptable, so I have been pounding away at this in my spare time.

Okay, I still do not know how to permanently apply a fix for this, but I DEFINITELY know why your typing/e-mail create/e-mail open is so slow. Of course, the amount of slowdown will vary per-machine, but that is irrelevant.

I decided to run a process viewer on my machine, and I was amazed to discover that with Immunization enabled, Outlook was literally scanning each and every single blocked domain that Spybot had added to the Security Zones every time I opened an e-mail or even typed a letter. Yes, each time I pressed "A" on my keyboard, my CPU was running through all 13,000+ entries in the registry's Zonemaps. In fact, anything that had to do with HTML text editing was causing this. Opening a HTML-formatted e-mail, typing HTML-formatted text, or even highlighting said text would all result in my CPU having to run a marathon. The more you type, the more gets added to the CPU's work queue, and you can see where the progressive slowdown comes from. With Immunization turned off (i.e. all bad domains removed from the Zonemaps section of my registry), not only does Outlook work flawlessly, but what's most peculiar is that unlike before it doesn't even try to scan the Zonemaps.

So, long story short:
Immunization turned on = CPU makes 13,000+ queries to your registry.
Immunization turned off = CPU takes a breather and doesn't even check.

You get the point... :eek:

It would make a lot more sense if during the latter, the CPU did check the registry, but because the list was either non-existent or short, everything moved smoother. However, since it is not like this, I would have to assume that there is either some setting in Outlook that can be changed, or that Spybot (or the kind folks that code and operate it) could hold the secret.

Is there a secret setting or registry entry?
Is there a particular Zonemap that should be changed?
Is there some control somewhere else in Windows that can be modified?

These are the questions that I pose to the readers and to the forum masters. One thing is for certain, this is a very real and very annoying problem!

========================================================

BTW: Since this problem seems isolated to this message board, perhaps we can start by trying to find some similarities between our software/hardware setups. Obviously, I know for a fact that the main issue here is with the addition of IE7, but because it is so closely integrated with Outlook (when viewing messages in HTML mode), I figured it wouldn't hurt to also see if we could spot some additional similarities to help narrow down the cause of the problem.


My Specs:

-Hardware-
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
2GB RAM
2x 250 GB HDs
ATI Radeon x3100 w/512MB DRAM

-Software-
Windows XP Media Center Edition (AKA: Win XP Pro SP2)
Microsoft Office 2003 (Includes Outlook)
Norton's AntiVirus 2006 w/Office Scanning Turned On
Internet Explorer 7 (Primary Browser)
Firefox 2.0
Netscape Browser 8.0

========================================================

Good hunting, folks! Let's win one for the Gipper...



-Ronald Reagan
 
This helped me

I too was having very slow typing echo from my Outlook 2003. This was only when in HTML format, no problem with raw text. After reading your comments I fully removed both SpyBot and Spyware Blaster. Now it seems much better, only minor spirts of backed up letters. It seems like my IE is also running better. Was getting long "waiting for ..." in bottom box (normal shows "done").

Still need to test more but 1st impression is good.
 
Some More Information.

Hello Again Everyone!

After doing some more investigation into the matter of the typing delay caused by Spybot immunizations, I have discovered that there is yet another work-around solution. This work-around will enable any user to have both immunizations installed, as well as a speedy and functional HTML-based Outlook.

The Steps:
Start Outlook
In the Menu Bar go to Tools/Options
Click the "Security" tab
Under the "Security Zones" section click on the pull-down menu
Change the default (should be "Restricted sites") to "Internet Sites"
Change this value back to the default ("Restricted sites")
Click OK

Voila, Outlook should work correctly again until its next reboot. Of course, you will have to repeat these steps each time that you start the program, but until there is a more permanent fix in place it will have to do. :sad:

Clearly, the issue here is with Security Zones, as with my previous post I outlined how with immunizations installed Outlook is querying the registry for every single entry in the Zone Maps. Now, whether this is a bug in Outlook's behavior or perhaps a technical snafu on behalf of the immunization database is still unknown, but it is evident that the problem resides here. Of course, this behavior is perplexing, because as some of you may have noticed that on its own, Outlook will sometimes (although rarely) not suffer from the slowdown.

Through my efforts, I am still trying to pinpoint the exact registry entry that may be causing Outlook to misbehave with regards to the Security Zones, but as it stands it is definitely a combination of Outlook 2003, Spybot Immunizations, and IE7.

Hopefully, Team Spybot will be able to shed some light on this subject, as this is practically the only message board on the entire internet that has so accurately and effectively narrowed down the cause of this problem.

The hunt continues, so good luck!


-Ronald Reagan
 
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Although I don't know for sure I don't think this is a Spybot issue. I think it is between IE7 and Outlook alone. I've tried the suggestions in this post and they sort of work. "Undo"ing immunization caused Outlook to crash. Turning it back on fixed that problem. Changing the security settings makes things fine until Outlook is shut down and then restarted. In fact you can make other changes in the Options setting and this problem will go away until you restart Outlook again. Turning SDHelper off made no difference.

Others on the Internet have reported this same html issue with no mention of Spybot. See the Microsoft forums for several reports people with this same problem. Some people have reported other "solutions" - disabling Outlook add-ins, changing language options. All hit and miss with results.

I don't want to rain on your parade but changing Spybot and/or security settings doesn't do it here.

We're simplying using text format and waiting for Microsoft to push out a fix in one of their automatic updates at some point in the future.

Cheers.
 
Re:

Hello Again,

Although I agree that ultimately the fix will probably rest with MS, I would still have to disagree with your point that Spybot has nothing to do with it. It clearly does, as the difference between immunization and no immunization equals Outlook scanning the Zone Maps section of the registry.

With this in mind, I think it would be beneficial for both Team Spybot and for MS if they (or we) could track down the exact entry/entries in the registry that trigger this behavior. On machines that suffer from this specific problem, it is evident that removing immunization (hence, blanking out the Zone Maps) will relieve this problem 100% of the time.

As for what other users may or may not be experiencing, that is still up in the air. I am convinced that what many people are encountering is unrelated to this specific issue, and is in fact a result of other problems such as poorly configured machines, malware, or etc. Crashes or slowdowns in IE7 are not the same problems as the slow e-mail/text create.

Until this specific issue is addressed by a specific entry on the MS website with a hotfix, I will continue attempting to narrow down the list of immunizations. :red:

Good Luck,


-Ronald Reagan
 
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You are both correct to some extent, since under certain circumstances the Restricted Sites entries can interact in undesired ways in combination with IE and other applications, generally security applications in most cases.

The4Bs is correct that this isn't really a Spybot S&D issue, since all Spybot really does is add a number of entries to that list, it's Internet Explorer and apparently Outlook that actually check the list during their operation. There are other programs including SpywareBlaster that also place even more entries in that list, so it isn't really an issue for Team Spybot to solve.

Microsoft has taken the stance in the past that automatically filling the Restricted Sites list with thousands of entries isn't what was intended, since it was really designed for the user to add their own sites manually one at a time. Though in theory the idea works, eventually even the most stable system will start to show the effects of needing to scan through thousands of entries for each web site accessed. You are likely seeing these effects, possibly in relation to another security application on your system that is also attempting to verify each access like a Phishing filter or AV/AS product.

Since many combinations of this issue are being seen it's likely there are at least several different combinations of applications that can cause it. Since Spybot simply places entries in the list, it really isn't actively involved, though I believe that TeaTimer Resident monitors this registry area for changes, so you might try disabling that during your testing if you have it running.

Unfortunately the interaction of active security applications is becoming more common as they each add more monitoring of registry and other changes. Since Internet Explorer 7 and Outlook have also added some of their own protection, the likelyhood of these issues is increasing, often leaving the users to discover the interactions themselves. Good luck in the search for yours.

Bitman
 
Food For Thought.

Hello Bitman, (Hopefully, 8-bit!)

You put up an interesting post, and it's given me some food for thought. However, I would have to point out a few differenced between what I think are the two main problems that people are experiencing.

===================================================

(Problem 1, Outlook Slowdown)

I can tell you with absolute certainty that the problem is indeed caused by Outlook scanning the Zone Maps. However, what I cannot tell you (yet, anyway) is why on earth Outlook will sporadically scan the Zone Maps when opening/creating an HTML-formatted e-mail, or when entering or editing HTML-formatted text. What boggles me (and leads me to believe that this is perhaps fixable through some trick without any intervention on MS's behalf) is the work-around trick which entirely negates this behavior.

As mentioned earlier, when the user goes into the options and makes any change before clicking OK to quit, the program will entirely overlook this previous behavior and completely ignore the Zone Maps. Otherwise, upon closer inspection I have discovered that it will in fact still scan the registry even with immunization disabled, but because the Zone Maps are so limited without the Spybot immunizations (in my case, anyway), there is no noticeable slowdown.
:oops:


(Problem 2, IE7 Slowdown or Crashing)

I cannot say what this problem may be exactly, as I have fortunately never experienced it. Perhaps users should consider narrowing down the possibilities one at a time by turning certain programs on and off. Also, it would be wise to verify that any computer in question does not have any malware or viruses running on it, as these will absolutely lead to an unstable Internet Explorer. Finally, perhaps the computers in question simply are not up to spec enough, or are simply not as optimized as they could be in order to run IE7 well. There are many ways of improving a computer's performance with simple adjustments, and the steps for these can be found in many places online.

===================================================

As for the possible causes that you had mentioned: I did in fact check for those very same issues before I made my very first post, so I can tell you that at least in the case of problem 1, these are not the issues. Here is a breakdown of what I have checked for:

1) Phishing Filter has been permanently disabled and turned off for all user accounts since the initial installation of IE7. (Why would anyone surf the net and let MS track their every movement?)

2) Antivirus program entirely disabled (including having its service stopped/disabled) for the purposes of the test.

3) TeaTimer not running/installed, Bad Download Blocker disabled for purposes of the test.

4) All installed/running services audited and tested for their affect on Outlook slowdown, with no obvious source proving to be responsible.


Right now, I am attempting to further narrow down what exactly gets called for/looked at when Outlook is loaded as well as when Outlook's options are set and saved. Perhaps if I can locate a particular MS registry entry or command that is not being called or executed reliably, but is still reset by the work-around fix, I will in the least be able to make an official bug report of it to MS.

I will post again when I find out more information...


-Ronald Reagan
 
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SLOW typing

Sad to say, I've joined this group.

I ran Windows Updates yesterday on two machines, and BANG, when I type in an Outlook email (HTML format), it takes forever to show my characters.

I read all of these posts, and see that I can go into Tools/Options/Security... change ANYTHING... change it back, and click 'OK', and then BANG, I'm back up to speed.

I tried for hours different scenarios between SpyBot, Outlook etc. but never got it to work after a reboot.

FINALLY I just restored my computer, and did NOT run the Windows Updates, and Voila, I'm back up to speed again.

BUT I'm nervous. I did this exact thing last night, and then I uninstalled iTunes and Quicktime (I'm on an XP machine), and BANG, the slowness came back.

I'm NERVOUS that when I do any kind of program update, add, whatever, that I'll be crawling again.

MS better fix this!
 
Me three...

There seems to be something in the MS updates done this morning (5/9/07) that triggered this behavior for those of us not previously affected.

It was caused by one of the following three updates:

Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP (KB931768) Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Windows XP Update for Windows XP (KB930916) Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Windows XP Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - May 2007 (KB890830)

I've run a SB S&D immunization last week sometime, and didn't have any problems at all until this morning's updates.

Who thought it was a good idea to scan a buffer against ANYTHING on every keypress!?! No wonder everything is so bloated and it takes a multi-gigahertz machine with gigs of RAM to do anything these days!
 
bitman said:
The4Bs is correct that this isn't really a Spybot S&D issue, since all Spybot really does is add a number of entries to that list,
Bitman
Click to expand...

Can you tell me where "that list" is stored? Is it in the registry or some file. I would love to look and see what my "list" looks like.
 
SLOW typing

My guess is that it's the IE update OR the 'crypto' update (I don't remember what it was literally called).

Why on earth are they checking every keystroke??? On my 1.8 ghz P4, if I type really fast, I simply do NOT see ANY characters until I stop typing... lines and lines worth! That sucks.

I actually hope a few million users experience this major slowdown so the gripe goes straight up the food-chain.

Bring back DOS !

:2thumb:
 
Joined The Club Too!

I too have joined the club! For now, the workaround that RonaldReagan posted is working for my Outlook. I suspect as the security features and program complexity continue to grow, there will be more of these undesireable "interactions" among programs that will manifest themselves in different ways. I also learned this morning that I had to go to a separate website for updates to my Office 2003 and do it manually. I installed all 6 of them but nothing resolved the issue until I followed RonaldReagan's prescription. Computers should help me be more efficient - not be another burden! Back to servicing record changers - something I understand!
 
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