Cannot access Secure Sites or WIndows Update

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sam
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Sam

My wife's computer's MSIE in Windows XP (sp1) has all of a sudden started
doing strange things. When she accesses a secure site with a login, no
login box appears. There are other sites she can't access at all. We just
tried Windows update and it won't let her do the update, even though we can
see some items that need to be done.

This is what we've done so far. Checked for viruses (full disk scan).
Checked for adware using both AdAware and SpyBot. Checked to be sure that
the security settings within Internet Explorer were set to Medium and that
the security settings were set correctly in Tools/Advanced/Security. We've
emptied all the Internet Explorer Temporary Internet Files and History. We
then deleted C:\Windows\inf\ie.inf to reinstall MSIE. SF /scannow doesn't
work because it kept asking for the Windows Install CD, even when it was
inserted in the drive. Finally when none of this helped, we did a repair
installation of Windows. Still no luck.

To add insult to injury, we went to the Windows update site and it shows
critical updates, but it won't let us access them to install. What are we
missing here?

Thanks.

Sam
 
Sam said:
My wife's computer's MSIE in Windows XP (sp1) has all of a sudden
started doing strange things. When she accesses a secure site with a
login, no login box appears. There are other sites she can't access
at all. We just tried Windows update and it won't let her do the
update, even though we can see some items that need to be done.

This is what we've done so far. Checked for viruses (full disk scan).
Checked for adware using both AdAware and SpyBot. Checked to be sure
that the security settings within Internet Explorer were set to
Medium and that the security settings were set correctly in
Tools/Advanced/Security. We've emptied all the Internet Explorer
Temporary Internet Files and History. We then deleted
C:\Windows\inf\ie.inf to reinstall MSIE. SF /scannow doesn't work
because it kept asking for the Windows Install CD, even when it was
inserted in the drive. Finally when none of this helped, we did a
repair installation of Windows. Still no luck.

To add insult to injury, we went to the Windows update site and it
shows critical updates, but it won't let us access them to install.
What are we missing here?

Thanks.

Sam
Click to expand...

Windows Update Fails:
Disable your anti-virus when obtaining the updates.
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp
If no joy - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/
Troubleshooting Windows Update Connection and Download Problems
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193657
Windows Update Checklist
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/updtcl.htm
This newsgroup is read by MS staff:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsupdate

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
 
Sam said:
My wife's computer's MSIE in Windows XP (sp1) has all of a sudden started
doing strange things. When she accesses a secure site with a log in, no
log in box appears. There are other sites she can't access at all. We just
tried Windows update and it won't let her do the update, even though we
can see some items that need to be done.

This is what we've done so far. Checked for viruses (full disk scan).
Checked for Adware using both AdAware and SpyBoot. Checked to be sure that
the security settings within Internet Explorer were set to Medium and that
the security settings were set correctly in Tools/Advanced/Security. We've
emptied all the Internet Explorer Temporary Internet Files and History. We
then deleted C:\Windows\inf\ie.inf to reinstall MSIE. SF /scannow doesn't
work because it kept asking for the Windows Install CD, even when it was
inserted in the drive. Finally when none of this helped, we did a repair
installation of Windows. Still no luck.

To add insult to injury, we went to the Windows update site and it shows
critical updates, but it won't let us access them to install. What are we
missing here?

Thanks.

Sam
Click to expand...

I had the same troubles in the past: it was due to several errors in my
HOSTS file.
Look for it (start, search for file HOSTS), open it with Notepad, clear all
entries.
Type in 127.0.0.1 localhost just like that.
Close any program like Internet accelerator or Faster web: they wrote those
entries in your HOSTS file.
Reboot and things should be back to normal.
Please reply here with your feedback.
 
Sometime on, or about Tue, 30 Mar 2004 12:20:59 +0200, Stefano Maida
scribbled:
I had the same troubles in the past: it was due to several errors in my
HOSTS file.
Look for it (start, search for file HOSTS), open it with Notepad, clear all
entries.
Type in 127.0.0.1 localhost just like that.
Close any program like Internet accelerator or Faster web: they wrote those
entries in your HOSTS file.
Reboot and things should be back to normal.
Please reply here with your feedback.
Click to expand...

We'd already looked at the Hosts file... we'd tried so many things, that
I'd forgotten to mention it. I've also read a number of MS tech documents
and followed all their instructions... no luck.

We finally gave up and totally re-installed Windows... it now works
perfectly. I find that I usually have to do that about once a year on my
machine... after 12 months of installing and uninstalling software, adding
patches and everything else, Windows just starts to get real weird.

I don't think it has to do with "viruses"... we both run the latest
iteration of Norton AntiVirus (updated constantly), we're behind a router
with NAT, and we run Norton Personal Firewall as well. Neither of us use
Outlook or Outlook Express for email and we know better than to open
executable attachments.

I personally think that a lot of software is written poorly. They also have
un-installer programs that do not clean up after themselves very well. I
use a registry scanner to find all the bits and pieces they leave behind.
<sigh>

Sam
 
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