"Richard in AZ" wrote in message
...
I think this is a Windows XP issue and not an IE or OE, but maybe both.

I have a senior friend with a fairly new Dell Laptop. All updates installed.
Antivirus, Antispyware software, and Windows Defender report no problems.
Spybot and SuperAntiSpyware reports no problem.
He uses IE6 and OE6 with a dialup connection.

If he starts IE first, and then the dialer comes up and connects.
He can then go to OE and read mail.
When he closes IE and OE, the phone line connected warning works.

If he starts OE first, and then the same dialer comes up and connects.
Now it does not matter if he goes to IE or not,
when he closes, the phone line connected warning does not appear.

I have gone through the connection setting several times.
including making a new dialer connection with his ISP.
I have also checked the registry and all the Dwords appear there and with correct settings.
(I have the same ISP and use the dialer on shop computer and the registry key matches)

He only has one phone line and family peace would be helped if he had that disconnect reminder.


ExitDisconnect doesn't always work. E.g one example I had was
(apparently) having the Alexa Explorer bar installed (the real one not
just the Related links thing). As soon as I uninstalled Alexa ExitDisconnect
started working again. But by the time I realized that was the cause
I had become so completely used to using the disconnect prompt that OE's
Work Offline command generates that I never actually needed the
ExitDisconnect again. That allowed me to keep windows open and still
hangup conveniently.

The automatic disconnect due to idle timeout feature always worked for me.
The only thing wrong with that is that the UI of its prompt is unfortunately
keyboard aware and its default is Disconnect. Hence, you can accidently
disconnect while typing a D or a Space or when pressing Enter.
Worse, that can happen even though you haven't seen the prompt!
Otherwise the combination of both the OE Work Offline hangup prompt
and a reasonable idle timeout setting is what I would recommend instead of
worrying about the ExitDisconnect feature not working.

Getting DSL is the ultimate solution to making the telephone line available
but other options may be available from the phone company. E.g. some
services exploit call waiting, some even exploit call forwarding, and if your
phone company is your ISP there is even software which can effect a similar
service without resorting to either of those other subscriber options.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
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