My kids recently trashed their computer with spyware and Browser
helper objects. Suffice it to say, we can't connect it to the
internet anymore.

When I start Internet Explorer it starts to find google.com (start
page) and then brings up the "Page Cannot be Displayed" error. What
is weird is that you can ping things outside the network and the pings
work.

A ping to www.microsoft.com worked fine.

An ftp (using dos) to ftp.microsoft.com returned:
"ftp: socket :unknown error number

A tracert to www.microsoft.com worked fine.

Email doesn't work either. No connection to my pop server is the
error I get.

So that tells me that my tcp/ip connection should be OK. I have tried
everything and cannot get a browser connection.

I tried going into Internet Explorer and choosing Tools:Internet
Options:Programs:Reset Web Settings.

I am running Windows XP Pro. I have removed my network card rebooted
and then reinstalled the network card. I have tried to "repair" my
network connection in XP and nothing is working. I would hate to have
to reinstall. There are tons of programs on this thing.

Any advice appreciated, I will try anything. I have no problem
digging into the system or registry or anything. Help!

Hugh Johnson wrote:

> My kids recently trashed their computer with spyware and Browser
> helper objects. Suffice it to say, we can't connect it to the
> internet anymore.
>
> When I start Internet Explorer it starts to find google.com (start
> page) and then brings up the "Page Cannot be Displayed" error. What
> is weird is that you can ping things outside the network and the pings
> work.
>
> A ping to www.microsoft.com worked fine.
>
> An ftp (using dos) to ftp.microsoft.com returned:
> "ftp: socket :unknown error number
>
> A tracert to www.microsoft.com worked fine.
>
> Email doesn't work either. No connection to my pop server is the
> error I get.
>
> So that tells me that my tcp/ip connection should be OK. I have tried
> everything and cannot get a browser connection.
>
> I tried going into Internet Explorer and choosing Tools:Internet
> Options:Programs:Reset Web Settings.
>
> I am running Windows XP Pro. I have removed my network card rebooted
> and then reinstalled the network card. I have tried to "repair" my
> network connection in XP and nothing is working. I would hate to have
> to reinstall. There are tons of programs on this thing.
>
> Any advice appreciated, I will try anything. I have no problem
> digging into the system or registry or anything. Help!

I just went through 2 computers with the same problem so unless you know
what to look for in the registery and what programs to remove you might
just want to format and reinstall because 1 computer took 2.5 hours with
3992 traces of spyware and 1 bigmac.exe virus from Kazaa.
Then when you are done load antivirus, webroot
spysweeper(http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php) sale
price 29 from 39 then the google toolbar to block popups I have been
running Nortons, webroot and google toolbar for over a year now and have a
clean machine.

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