I don't use Displayserver yet, and that's how I keep my Internet Explorer set. Why would I want it to launch my dial-up connection when I launch a program? IE has far too many uses offline to have it autolaunch a connection each time it's started. If I want to go online, I press my ONLINE button next to my system tray (a shortcut to my specific connection file). Or in programs like Agent, for Mail and News, I do have dialup enabled, but to make it activate I press the program's Online button - otherwise I can use it offline.

The setting can also be found in the "Internet Options" control panel (which is exactly the same panel as when pulling the options menu up from IE.)

Of course if IE was smart enough to only try connecting when it can't resolve a domain, or when accessing a domain it knows to be online... Then again, maybe it has this functionality and I just don't know because I keep the option off. If it does, then you'd have to nuke the IE Start Page, or point it to something Offline, to prevent IE launching your dial-up. I would think you should be able to read local HTML files without IE taking you online for instance.

Bruno

/edit/ Sorry I forgot... You can also get rid of your girlfriend. :) YMMV.