Taking this to a wider format as I've been in the IE 6
newsgroup with no help yet. This problem also occurs in
Netscape!
I can connect to other secure sites but can not open
windows update or email acconts. hotmial just returns a
page cannot be displayed. When trying to access Yahoo
email. i enter user/pass and the inbox link is displayed.
Then aftyer clicking the inbox link again page cannot be
displayed.
I downloaded netscape in hopes of being able to open email
there but to no avail. I also can not post messages in
these newsgroups (using another computer now)
Has anyone heard of any viruses or have any idea what
might be happening???
Sounds like a dns hijack.
Search your entire system drive, including hidden and system folders, for file
"hosts". There is one legit copy, in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\. The
others are bogus, and part (but just part) of the problem. Also, examine the
contents of the legit copy, using Notepad, too.
How current is your virus protection? Try these free online virus scans:
<
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php>
<
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm>
<
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp>
<
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp>
Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional carriers of infection.
First, download LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFIx from <
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>,
and CWShredder from <
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>. All are
free.
Next, close all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, then run CWShredder.
Have it fix all variants.
Now check for, and remove, spyware. Get HijackThis
<
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155> and Spybot S&D
<
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>. Both free.
1) Install and run Spybot. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a
scan ("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and make all recommended deletions.
2) Install and run HijackThis. Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
3) Have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the following
forums (and post it here):
<
http://forums.net-integration.net/>
<
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/>
<
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>
<
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/>
If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some
spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your
network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx.
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
