Internet Explorer opens 50 new windows

[Welty]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can assist me. I purchased a new laptop last week (Toshiba Satellite M115-S3144), and twice now, I've had Internet Explorer 6.0 launch 50 new windows (opening up with default home page). This happened once yesterday when I was switching between three open IE windows and once today as I closed one IE window and left two others open.

In both instances, 50 new IE windows opened up, and upon reaching 50, they all closed simultaneously and only the one window I originally had open was left up and running.

I've run Spybot Search & Destroy, Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spyware Blaster, and McAfee Antivirus. I removed all spyware and adware that was detected and have not had the problem reoccur (so far).

I just want to know if this was probably due to spyware or adware or if there could be a possible issue with the new laptop. The first laptop Circuit City gave me kept blacking out, so they replaced it with a new laptop within the first week (which is the one I'm working with now).

Thanks for your patience as I tried to explain this! - Welty

[SnowDog]

Toshibas are good, reliable machines in my experience (compared to many other makes, and inasmuch as a laptop can be considered reliable compared to a desktop).

Let's face it: multiple Windows opening is either going to be hardware (stuck buttons, for example) or a software problem, but all of them closing down again is probably only down to software.

I've not come across this particular problem as you described it, but lots of spyware, etc. opens multiple Windows. And since you removed spyware and it stopped, well... at this stage the likely cause is fairly clear, isn't it?

See what happens and go from there.

[Welty]

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it. I should have clarified that the "hasn't re-occured so far" had only been one hour or less. Again, appreciate the feedback as I had never seen this before even after seeing spyware and adware on other machines in the past. Thanks!

[SnowDog]

If it does do it again, since it is a new machine this next suggestion is likely to be no problem for you...

If there's anything wrong with it you need to identify that as soon as possible and get it replaced before your period of grace expires (in the UK you have 28 days after purchase during which you can get a replacement or your money back if the machine isn't right).

So. If the problem does recur, use the Toshiba Product Recovery DVD and do a clean reinstall. Then test the machine and if it still does it it is definitely a fault of some kind.