One down, two to go:

1. Does this behavior persist if you start IE7 in No Add-ons mode? To start
IE7 in No Add-ons mode:

=> Right-click on the blue IE desktop icon and select Start without Add-ons;
or

=> Start > (All) Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Internet Explorer
(No add-ons).

More:

Troubleshooting and Internet Explorer’s (No Add-ons) Mode:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/07/25/678113.aspx

2. Does the problem persist if you Reset IE7 Settings (RIES)?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737 <= Read before using!

What anti-virus and/or security suite and/or anti-spyware application(s) are
installed? Running a third-party firewall (e.g., ZA Free; Comodo)?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
> PA Bear wrote:
>> You may have a horked (dirty; bad; flawed) install of IE7. I suggest
>> that
>> you..,
>
> Man, that was a lot of work. I did what you said, uninstalled IE7,
> uninstalled the Google toolbar, turned off auto update, rebooted twice,
> then downloaded and saved the IE7 file from the download site (rather than
> Windows Update). I then installed the software and rebooted twice again,
> reactivated auto update, then installed the updates Windows found. I
> rebooted again, then tried IE7.
> When I logged in as my father, it was as if I had stepped out for a beer
> instead of spending all this time reloading the software. Nothing was
> fixed. Then again, nothing was worse. When I logged on as myself,
> everything worked as it should. In other words, everything now is exactly
> as it was before I did anything.
>
>> 1. Uninstall IE7 (which automatically returns you to IE6) per
>> http://www.ie-vista.com/kbase2.html
>>
>> 2. Uninstall all toolbars and third-party Windows Themes (including
>> Window
>> Blinds).
>>
>> 3. Reinstall IE7 per
>> http://www.ie-vista.com/known_issues.html#pre-install,
>> and using http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.mspx as the
>> installation source, not Automatic/Windows Update.
>>
>> Also see:
>>
>> IEBlog : IE7 (Un)Installation and Anti-Malware Applications
>> http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/200...lications.aspx
>>
>> What's New in Internet Explorer 7
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/e...asp?frame=true
>>
>> George Z. Bush wrote:
>>> I'm visiting my father and fixing the cumulative problems since my last
>>> visit. He's running Windows XP Home SP2 and I installed Internet
>>> Explorer
>>> 7
>>> last night. This is ****ed peculiar:
>>>
>>> We have two users on this machine; him and me. If I log in, I see the
>>> "normal" IE7 just as it exists on my home machine, which runs XP Pro
>>> SP2...
>>> I have three tabs to my home page and all operates as I think it should.
>>>
>>> If my father logs in, as you look across from top left to right, you see
>>> "Favorites Center", then "Add To Faqvorites", then "Home". There are no
>>> tabs; there is no way I can see to open a new tab. Now, there is a
>>> downward pointing arrow just to the immediate right of the "home"
>>> button.
>>> Clicking on it shows the three selections my father wanted to be tabs
>>> for
>>> his home page. If you click on any one of them there is no delay in
>>> opening... so it's as if it were functionally opening a previously
>>> loaded
>>> tab rather than opening a new window. Visually, it's as if you opened
>>> another window.
>>> We share the same firewall (ZoneAlarm Pro), the same anti-virus
>>> (Norton's
>>> Systemworks 2003), the same anti-spy (Windows Defender). For the life
>>> of
>>> me, I don't see why it works properly for one user but not another.
>>> Ideas?