Sorry, hotdoge, but I had already done that and it didn't help. Like I said above, I fixed it by uninstalling some software and using a restore point. I haven't gotten around to figuring out what software corrupted my scripting permissions, but it was probably Quicktime. Thanks, anyway.

http://pcpandit.com/index.php/internet/reset-internet-explorer-settings.html

Reset Internet Explorer settings IE7

Fixed it! Now I've got to find it. Used a restore point from a week ago. Didn't try that before, because 1. I didn't want the hassle of what I would lose, though I don't think it was much more than Adobe 9, which I can reinstall, and 2. I didn't think it would work because none of the restore points seemed to go back to before I installed software I suspected. Right now I suspect it's either the Adobe or more likely Quicktime 6.5, which I happened to have on a disk, or my Java, which seems to have installed some duplicate dlls. Not sure about that. All this was after I uninstalled QuickTime and reset all the IE settings, which is an unpleasant hassle to restore. Mainly I still suspect QuickTime, since I ran Revo once, and reran the QuickTime uninstaller twice after and still couldn't clean it all out. (!) I'm going to try and recreate the problem so I know. Maybe the bug's fixed in the latest Quicktime. I know this is starting to get trivial, but if I figure it out, I'll post the answer to give "closure" to this thread.

Thanks, NBL. It sure doesn't hurt. Looking into this thing I've discovered .pngs weren't properly supported in previous versions of IE, so developers had to look at workarounds to get them to display properly. That's what they're talking about in that link, and it adds to my knowledge. I'm convinced that my problems have to do with permissions/privileges. Either the privileges for certain image types in my limited User Account got corrupted, or some software, in trying to hijack the associations, screwed the privileges up. Else I wouldn't be able to make it work by running IE as an Administrator. Unless the registry association entries are different for each type of account. Hmmmmmmm... I'll have to look into that. Still, thanks to you folks, I know more than I did before. Thanks again, NBL!

Hi, watcher, I stumbled upon this site, maybe it helps finding your answers ?

http://upwithabang.com/articles/png-transparency.html

You're a generous person, Rune, and a smart one, too. There's some great ideas, there! I've been pursuing some of them - that .zip is the registry script I was talking about that won't completely load for everyone - probably a Vista issue. And that Control Panel dialogue was what I was referring to. But, you're suggestions provide me with a lot of food for thought. Some of them dovetail with my own suspicions. (I would say great minds think alike, but that would only cover you.) And there are some things there that would have never occurred to me. Thanks loads!

Yes, I'm on XP. I'd have to be a lot more wasted than I got last night to switch to Vista. Sounds as if you're encountering display problems I began to notice a year or three ago as I became increasingly (rabidly) aggressive about blocking ad servers and other noxious IP addies or domains/subdomains by name - using firewall, hostsman, avast's shields, pesticides. Seems some domains commingle web graphics with ad graphics, meaning one can't just block an IP range, you have to zero in on a specific IP num. If something isn't displaying, maybe you're blocking the address where the graphic is located? Your firewall log might show a call out being blocked.
Also, certain coders don't provide a rollover mechanism that tests to see if a page or whatever hangs if a previous step (attempt to set a cookie, usually) is blocked.
Adobe's introduced a different set of problems with Macromedia. Half the news clips I want to watch (like on BBC and Space.com) won't play and I can't figger out why, but see a lot of others complaining, too.
Also looks as if CSS adds a whole 'nuther layer of difficulty for tracing display problems as well as OS interpretation problems.
Have you skimmed/searched the MS team blogs to see if a "File Extensions Associate Glitch" query has turned up? -
http://blogs.technet.com/default.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/
I presume you've already exhausted Google? Fer instance, File association fixes for Windows Vista

Or the dialogue in this thread that looked promising. (This is just an excerpt.)-

"Actually, you can get the old Windows XP style File Associations dialog. It took me forever to find this out. It's actually quite simple.

Just go to Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Associate filetype or protocol with a program

You can also use "Set your default programs" to change some of the main programs. I had this annoying issue where links I would click from applications I was running, or shortcuts to URL's would open in IE, when my default browser is Firefox. I was able to go in and change those protocols to firefox and now it's working wonderfully.

You can also change AutoPlay setting from here.

The downside is that you can't add and fool with the right-click menu options like you could in XP. You'd probably have to go with 3rd party software or edit the registry for that."

For the record, I blame QuickTime for a lot of file association mischief, and thus won't keep it on my system. Apple's the reason they invented sandboxes. :-)

One last thought and then I've gotta go - came across this blog via MSDN. Maybe you was jacked? (by QT??) Unfortunately, the dated repair utility he offered is only good on WinXP (might help someone who isn't using VISTA) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/imgassofix.htm
So, maybe this PNG_Fix.zip download will help you - PNG's not displayed in IE

Thanks, Rune. Actually, it's worse than I thought. Certain scripted objects aren't showing up, either. I haven't identified exactly what since I don't code. For example, the scripted link symbols for e-mail (an envelope), chat, etc... aren't working on my AT&T homepage. But the links themselves work.(?) The background color doesn't show up, either. But, again, it's process permissions/privileges related. Start IE as Administrator and everything works. Grrr! I may contact AT&T, my provider. They might know something, but I'd say it's 50-50 at best since it's an IE problem and not their problem.

I'm not a big fan of right click associations, either. It's easy to get messed up on a one time only "open with" if you don't uncheck the box. And it doesn't always even give you that option. Typical MS backwardness. I assume you're using XP. They've moved the association menu in Vista. It's not in Folder Options anymore, but in a seperate Control Panel applet called Default Programs. That applet also contains the ability to turn on or off multiple or all default associations for (mostly Windows) programs. They moved Auto-Play to it also.

Thanks, for the links. Enjoyed the fireworks and I appreciate you also sending that picture of you, you handsome devil! Or was that Rudolph the Red Nosed Barfly? Just kidding. Happy New Year!

http://www.opera-usb.com/download.htm

http://my.opera.com/opera-usb/forums/

and Firefox USB all of the harddisk this way you can go IE Firefox or Opera you don't need one to be default browser all for one one for all.

watcher13
Just a quick note before the alcohol begins to affect my reasoning and I start slurring my posts...

Over the past year or more, I've experienced way too many glitches with the Associate process if I opt for the simplified route (right-clicking on a photo, then using that pop up "Open With" window to select a program); however, I have no problem Associating via -
ControlPanel | FolderOptions | FileTypes
The easy way clearly has a problem, not just with Associating a program but even associating the correct ICON. (it inexplicably kept inserting the blasted BMP/paint icon for files associated I've with Photoshop in the file directories)

Never bothered digging as deep as you have, and wonder - have you tried the second method? If you don't already know about it, getting into FileTypes can require some familiarity with code if you want to go beyond simple associations.

Ooooh!
Ahhhh!
hic hic HIC

Quick followup. Tried a freeware developer's tool called Regdrop in place of regsvr32 to register pngflilt.dll and get the same message about not finding the entry point and a standard question: "Are you sure it's a registerable control?" Maybe it isn't.

Suddenly, I can't see any .pngs in IE7. I've done some searching and found a fair amount of stuff from '07. Apparently, this has been a problem for awhile, but I haven't found a good fix, yet. MS might be ignoring this and handling it in IE8, or I've missed the fix. Came here because I saw Mike or Fubar or Whabbit or somebody awhile back talking in the comments section about finally straightening out all their filters after a giveaway screwed them up.

Can tell you this much: it's permission related. Other posts I found pointed out that if you run IE as administrator it works and it does for me. Others have disabled UAC or created a new User account. I definately don't want to run as admin., and my UAC is well trained, so I'd like to keep it on. I might go to the trouble of making a new user account, but don't want to go through any setting migration hassles. And it works in Firefox.

My .pngs are associated with Win. Photo Gallery, and they open fine. Also tried associating them with IE, no luck. That didn't work for others, either. Tried a .reg MIME fix that I found on line that worked for some, but for some, including me, wouldn't completely load and doesn't work. Of course, some are using XP, some Vista, although there's a seperate fix file for both. Some of the keys won't load because the processes are supposedly in use, but I'm not sure of that. One person said that they broke it down into the individual keys and applied them seperately and had to change the process permissions related to some of the keys to get them to overwrite. Another said they verified all the keys manually and all were right in the first place. Also tried re-registering the .png plug-in by executing: regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\pngfilt.dll both in run and in and Admin. Commandprompt. Works for some, but most get a message saying it won't register because the entry-point DLLRegisterServer wasn't found. Then is says to verify that pngfilt.dll is valid. SFC doesn't find it as an error and one person replaced it with no luck.

There's suspicions online that installing another software causes this and the most likely suspects are Firefox and QuickTime. I don't belive Firefox, but QuickTime is a good bet. I installed a version recently, and it might have started happening then. Also, I found the same problem on an Apple board that speculated the problem with IE was a bug in the QT installer. But .png isn't associated with my QuickTime. Checked the QT preferences for that. One person had success by saying they disabled practically all QuickTime preferences, but can't tell if they meant only associations or also other things. Some have fixed it by uninstalling QT, but it didn't work for most.

I can always go exclusively to Firefox, but I'm annoyed because there's likely a simple fix SOMEWHERE. Since there was a mention of damaged filters here (though that may not exactly be my problem) I thought I'd try. Or maybe somebody understands how permissions are involved with this.

If anybody can help, I'd appreciate it.