To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. On the File menu, determine whether the Work Offline option is enabled.

Note If this option is enabled, a check mark appears next to Work Offline.

If this option is enabled, go to step 3.

3. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
4. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Connections tab.
5. Make sure that the Never dial a connection option is selected.
6. Click the Advanced tab.
7. Under Browsing, click to clear the Enable offline items to be synchronized on a schedule check box, and then click OK.

I found the above instructions at the link below. HTH.

Terry

Here is a link that might be useful: The Work Offline option in Internet Explorer is unexpectedly enabled on a Windows XP-based computer

Thanks for the suggestion, but that option is not available under the browser tab....I am still at a loss!!!

If your Menu bar isn't visible, click on the Tools drop-down arrow near the upper-right-hand corner of the browser and select Menu bar. A check mark next to an item indicates that the menus are turned on.

If you have an external modem supplied by your ISP, disconnect the power at the back for a few seconds, and then plug it back in. This reboots the modem and often solves such connectivity problems.

I guess I didnt explain very well...I have the menu,,,but under the browser option the thing Im supposed to enable isnt listed....un plugging the modem didnt help either....driving me nuts!!!

Click the check mark next to the "work off line" in the view tab so as to remove the check mark,

Marooma instructions are perfect read them again if you need to, this has nothing to do with the modem it's a setting in the browser.

That is the file tab not the view tab sorry

I get the same message whether the work offline option is checked or not...the part I cant do is this instruction

Under Browsing, click to clear the Enable offline items to be synchronized on a schedule check box, and then click OK.
It isnt listed there....

Your right I do not see it either on mine, IE7 right?

Lets see what else we can come with it that should be an easy fix and so far it isn't it is some setting in the browser..we will try to find it..

You did try to simply reboot right?

Yes, I re booted....this has been a problem for quite awhile...asked on here once before and no one could help. Its not a big deal to just click try again,,,but its just the idea that it never used to say that and it has to be a setting off somewhere!!!Its a nuisance!!! Thanks!!! Hope sopmeone can help. ( I even did system restores,no go)

Yes it has been a problem for many and it has to do with IE7 on xp, system restore was my thinking thanks for telling me that, now I wonder if there was a microsoft fix for it since so many had the issue it maybe worth a trip to windows update but you may have done that, in the mean time I will look and see what I can find.

Caroline do you use Zonealarm as your firewall? If so turn it off and turn on the Microsoft firewall and see if that does the trick for you. We had this on my wife's computer and it became very frustrating for her and worse for me, haha, till I fixed the issue. I now use the free PC Tools firewall on 2 of my computers, my wife's is still on MS till I pluck up the courage to mess with her machine again. She hates changes, which I understand.

Nothing to do with your connection problem but why do you have a Google search box alongside your address bar - which is great. But you also have the active Google toolbar and the active MyWebSearch bar, both cluttering up your valuable screen space and your resources because both are active.

I havent looked at Windows up dates,,,as I am totally ignorant about those. I just install them and have never had a problem in 5 years .I have no clue what to do or not do with them. I see people on here talking about what to keep or not and I jsut might as well be reading Chinese. Thanks for your interest in helping me, I appreciate it!

This is what I would do since I do not see a solution anywhere, I would uninstall IE7, Please see the link and then reinstall it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Uninstall IE7

just guessing...but try this...

Go to start......Connect to....show all connections.........
Local Area Connection...repair.....
I had a similiar problem....this is how I fixed it.....
Worth a try.. :)

I took the My Search off,,,it was only on there shortly...as for the fire wall,I have no clue what mine is or where to change it...Ill go lookk and see if I can find out.

My firewall isWindows...I dont have a Connection setting in my start menu,,,going to look in programs...thanks all..

have you run any good antispyware programs? I would suggest getting and running superantispyware free and malwarebytes free and update them and run them, the fact you had the mywebsearch tool bar and cursor mania and smiley central showing on your screenshot leads me to think you probably have a lot of spyware on your pc. What antivirus program are you running and is it fully updated?

SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to your desktop.

* Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
* At the end, be sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
* If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
* Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.
* When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
* Be sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
* When completed, a log will open in Notepad. Please save it to a convenient location. The log can also be found here: C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Malwarebytes\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\Logs\log-date.txt
Please post contents of that file in your next reply

Owbist...I also have the Googles toolbar..mine looks just like the one the OP has. I know how to make it so the toolbar doesn't how, but should a person get rid of it? I like the spell check feature and auto fill

I keep my computer well maintained,,,that cursor junk was on there for maybe 15 minutes before I removed it. I got it from a screnn saver site ,which I removed immediately. I also run spyware and c cleaner etc, often. I DID re install IE7 and now the problem seems to be solved....

Maybee when I found Google had invited itself on my machine in that fashion I did a right click on a clear part of the top toolbars then removed the check mark beside the Google bar.

Then I went into msconfig - click Start, click Run type msconfig, click OK. Now look at the tabs and near the right side is the startup tab. Click on it to bring the contents up and remove the check mark beside the Google entries, 3 I think.

You will need to reboot to take effect. Caution, during the reboot a strange window appears and may frighten the bejabbers out of you. Place a check mark in the box and click OK and it will not appear again. All it does is offer a caution that you have in fact made changes and are you comfortable with your decision. Be careful of anything else you may consider closing while in msconfig, some are essential.

caroline the thing is that those things actually did get onto your system and when they are able to do that it is already too late because they are notorious for installing some serious spyware along with it. It is excellent that you did get rid of them but unfortunately that does not mean it got rid of the rest of the junk that got added on, so that is why I am suggesting you run those 2 programs, I am not in any way trying to say you do not take good care of the pc even the best of us have things sneak on. Those are 2 of the very best antimalware programs you can run and they are both free so if you do like to keep your pc well maintained they would be the best you can add to your arsenal of protection. I see pcs every day that had those same bad items installed on them and I see the rest of the junk that is left behind.
But it is entirely up to you, I am just letting you know about those programs.

Thanks for the help. What I was trying to get across was that the problem occurred way before I accidently downloaded that stupid My Search thing!! Anyway, re in stalling IE7 seems to have corrected the whole shebang. Thanks all!!