Cant access certain web sites.

[Dahe H]

Hi,
I installed Norton Internet security 2004 the other day
and ever since there are certain web sites that I cant
visit, even with the damn thing turned off! It wont even
let me visit the symantec website! Not sure if this is
the correct forum but could there be anything thats
changed in explorer etc..

 

[Malke]

Hi,
I installed Norton Internet security 2004 the other day
and ever since there are certain web sites that I cant
visit, even with the damn thing turned off! It wont even
let me visit the symantec website! Not sure if this is
the correct forum but could there be anything thats
changed in explorer etc..

This is probably because of some spyware. Certainly NIS wouldn't prevent
you from reaching its own website. First, check the hosts files as
follows:

1. In XP's Search preferences, set the files and folders handling to
Advanced, and then check the box that will make Search look in hidden
files/folders.

2. Now enter the search term "hosts" without the quotes.

3. You will get several hosts and lmhosts files. Double-click each one
to open it. When you do this, you'll get the Windows dialog box asking
what program to use - choose "select from a list" and select Notepad.
Make sure the box to always use this program to open this type of file
is *not* checked.

4. Now carefully examine the file. Lines that begin with a # are
comments and don't count. Leave them alone. Unless you know you use a
proxy server to get to the Internet or you added entries yourself, the
only uncommented entry that should be there is:

127.0.0.1 localhost

If you see any other entries, delete them and Save the file. Make sure
you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the window if there is a
scrollbar. Do this for each file you found.

Now you should be able to get to Symantec's website. Continue your
cleanup by removing spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org and Ad-aware from www.lavasoftusa.com. Be sure
to update these programs before running them. These programs are free,
so run them both since they complement each other. It is best to run
antivirus and spyware removal tools in Safe Mode.

Malke

 

[Guest]

Malke,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have tried all of the below and as you stated there was
just the one i.p. address in "hosts". I have run spybot
and ad-aware however the problem remains. any further
advise?

Dave

-----Original Message-----


This is probably because of some spyware. Certainly NIS wouldn't prevent
you from reaching its own website. First, check the hosts files as
follows:

1. In XP's Search preferences, set the files and folders handling to
Advanced, and then check the box that will make Search look in hidden
files/folders.

2. Now enter the search term "hosts" without the quotes.

3. You will get several hosts and lmhosts files. Double- click each one
to open it. When you do this, you'll get the Windows dialog box asking
what program to use - choose "select from a list" and select Notepad.
Make sure the box to always use this program to open this type of file
is *not* checked.

4. Now carefully examine the file. Lines that begin with a # are
comments and don't count. Leave them alone. Unless you know you use a
proxy server to get to the Internet or you added entries yourself, the
only uncommented entry that should be there is:

127.0.0.1 localhost

If you see any other entries, delete them and Save the file. Make sure
you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the window if there is a
scrollbar. Do this for each file you found.

Now you should be able to get to Symantec's website. Continue your
cleanup by removing spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org and Ad-aware from

www.lavasoftusa.com. Be sure

 

[Malke]

Malke,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have tried all of the below and as you stated there was
just the one i.p. address in "hosts". I have run spybot
and ad-aware however the problem remains. any further
advise?

Hi, Dave. You probably still have some piece of malware on the system.
Try this: From a clean machine, download the latest virus definitions
for Norton Antivirus from Symantec's site here:

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/download.html

Burn them to a cd-r and see if you can install them on your own machine.
If you can (and I would do this in Safe Mode), do a thorough system
scan, also in Safe Mode.

Post back if you need more help.

Malke