Problem with IE6

[a*user]

Sounds like some malware if you restart in safe-mode and scan you should catch it. Why is reinstalling not an option? No disk?

I would also check folder c:\I386 for file labeled HOSTS open in notepad and see if there are any entries in their besides the localhost example microsoft gives you. This could have been altered with malware. Always make sure you know what you are doing before changing anything or at least make a backup. Also your IE could be corrupt, reinstall, i don't see the problem but here is the link to the IE homepage you should be able to get more information on updates for the browser at IE home page. Let me know.

[kcore]

lmhosts file.

Look at your lmhosts file as well..

it's like.. in \Windows\drivers\etc\

or something like that. (can't remember the directory, I haven't used Windows in several years.

[a*user]

There are two lmhosts files one is in the same folder as the HOSTS file C:\I386 and the other lmhosts is located in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC.

[rapier57]

The second LMHOSTS is the one that is used. The one in the I386 folder is just a backup or install version.

Also, I looked through your HijackThis log again and two things popped out that seem odd:

O23 - Service: EC2007 Service 1.35 - Unknown - C:\WINDOWS\System32\ec27ser.exe
...
O23 - Service: WLTRYSVC - Unknown - C:\WINDOWS\System32\wltrysvc.exe

Find those two files and right-click on them. Check the Version tab and make sure they are known to you. If the version tab is blank, these are suspect.

Do the same for your explorer.EXE file as listed in the header. Something funny about this. Right-click and check the version information. If it isn't a Microsoft product, delete it.

[tarpi]

Ok the ec27ser.exe is the ENC chart viewer, for marine charts. That is definately not it.

wltrysvc.exe is the wireless tray for dell true mobile wireless cards.

I update the hosts file about once a year, and no there are no redirects nor bad entries in the hosts file.

I believe that failed updates definately has to do with iexplore.exe process not running, or perhaps running within explorer.exe. Attached is the listing for all the modules loaded by explorer.exe. Like I said earlier, the more IE windows I open, the larger the memory consumed by the explorer.exe process.