Error Message When Starting Internet Explorer for Macintosh

When you try to start Internet Explorer after downloading a file from the Internet in a previous session, you may receive one of the following error messages: -or-

This problem can occur if the Downloads.html file located in the System Folder:Preferences:Explorer contains a long entry.

To work around this problem, rename the Downloads.html file to Downloads.old and then restart your computer. To do so, click the Downloads.html file name, change the name to Downloads.old, press the RETURN key, and then click Restart on the Special menu in the Finder (desktop).

The Downloads.htm. file contains information about the files you most recently downloaded using Internet Explorer. If the information about a file is too long, you may receive one of these error messages.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.01a for Macintosh. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.