"Michael Jennings" wrote in message
...
"Kate" wrote in message
...
Michael : I`m not keen on a re-install, either, but as I get the
notice every time I try to get to a newsgroup, rather than
occasionally, I don`t know how long my patience will last. But
I`ll
keep my fingers crossed that you can find a resolution. I am not
sufficiently experienced to try anything too ambitious without
step-by-step guidance by someone knowledgeable. Good luck!

Well, the registry hack is for XP sp1, and I found that it didn't
work
for XP sp2, for which you are supposed to reinstall service pack 2
in order to reinstall Outlook Express 6, then get the WU updates.
The IE6 setup file did not accept the "IsInstalled" value data zero,
either for OE alone or for both IE and OE. Windows, however,
"saw" the "uninstallations" and offered to remove personal settings
(which I accepted) after each of the two reboots. I am using the
so-called uninstalled OE6 to make this post. Sorry to fade on you,
Kate, but "live with it" beats out reinstalling SP2 for me.



Although I have always had e-mail scanning turned off in AVG Free, on
Thursday night I disabled it in Manage/Services & Applications and,
lo! no more tiresome message re `no connection available`.
Coincidence maybe?

Kate