"Ethan Carter trusts that you have the patience and drive to solve its mysteries."

No, I have a shock auto rifle and venomized machete.

Do you have Norton installed? The linky's a MS thread about this issue, I've only scan read it, but looks like the AV could be getting in the way, though the guy in question seems to have done a windows update and it sorted itself out :/

I don't suppose this is one of those you-would-phone-MS-and-shake-your-fist-as-an-honest-paying-customer-but-it-would-be-a-bit-embarrassing-if-they-called-your-bluff scenarios?

Thanks all for sympathy & ideas.  I managed to sort it out - eff knows how - & updated IE, but it hasn't made a blind difference to Ethan, who remains vanished, at least to me.

On the plus side you may be able to get it for PS4 this month

On the minus side, I don't have a PS4.

I made no assumption that you do. But perhaps now is the time...

Ethan may be better left as a mystery.

I only wish Myst had been.

Eons ago I played a myst-like puzzle game called "The Forgotten". It was pretty good but kind of crashy. Don't think I ever finished it.