IE6 died.Diagnostic "Windows can't connect to internet & to check firewall" How?

Internet Explorer 6 has "died" - Diagnostic says Windows can't connect to internet using HTTP HTTPS and FTP & to check firewall for the 3 ports. No idea where on my Norton contract I find firewall stuff as in all attempts to get help, it automatically opens in.......Internet Explorer which is dead = Catch 22 situation!

 

At same time Flash shockwave plugins seem to stop everything else I do, which is now with Mozilla Firefox.

 

I liked IE6 hence never "upgraded".  So now which one should I choose? How do I check firewall and what is a Flash shockwave plugin?