Getting Bogus Error Message When loading web pages

[pinger]

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

Thanks,
pinger

 

[Big_Al]

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

Thanks,
pinger

Is that a typo above. http:: ?? Should be only one :
If its not a type just correct the URL in the shortcut.

 

[Ms. L MS MVP]

Use my free FixIE Tool. Download it here
http://pcbutts1.com/downloads/tools/tools.htm

 

[nass]

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

Thanks,
pinger

Just a guess, you may have a trojan on your system, you mentioned you
scanned for Malware but not for viruses?
http://www.symantec.com/security_response/print_writeup.jsp?docid=2007-062007-0946-99


Try to make another shortcut before we go for more assumptions to see if the
other shortcuts may corrupted!

Unexplained computer behaviour may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Go through these Cleaning steps:
1... First, try to clean up your caches, Internet files and delete cookies
by doing this:
Click Start >> Control Panel >> Double click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options.
On the IE properties windows you will see these Tabs:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs |
Advanced
Under General Tab clear your History, Internet Files and Cookies.
Then click on Advanced tab and scroll down to under the Browsing Option:
[&] Browsing
[ ] Enable Third-Party browser extensions (Req Rest) uncheck this box.
Then click on Programs Tab and click Manage Add-Ons and Disable all non
Verified Add-Ons (You should Renable them later one-by-one and see the
culprit and update it or remove it.
How to manage Add-Ons:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883256

2.... And also for malware from here:
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm?s_cid=sah
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-gb/default.htm

Run a scan from here on-line:
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?productid=symhome&langid=ie&venid=sym
Download Avast Cleaner from here:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html
Lots of tools to download and disinfect your machine:
http://www.bitdefender.co.uk/site/Downloads/browseFreeRemovalTool/

=How to perform a clean boot procedure to prevent background programs from
interfering with a game or a program that you currently use
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796
Run disk clean up and then this command:
sfc /scannow get the XP CD handy it may ask you to insert it in to repair
what it will find.

Download the Hijackthis and run a scan then please send me the log at the
address below:
(http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php)
your log to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html,
http://forums.subratam.org/index.php?showforum=7
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
Reboot when it finishes.
HTH.
nass

 

[Nightowl]

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed
the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

If you use Firefox, see here:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=523670
and scroll down to the post by "jscher2000", > which explains how to fix
it, with helpful screenshots.

 

[pinger]

Big Al: Sorry, yes, typo

Is that a typo above. http:: ?? Should be only one :
If its not a type just correct the URL in the shortcut.

 

[Elmo]

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

Thanks,
pinger

Use the URL, and HTM fixes shown here:

Fix File Associations.
http://dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

[pinger]

Nass: Thanks for the reply. Before I go through all that, let me give you
just a little more info. I've used these sames shortcuts "forever.", but
just re-saved them on a new computer. I get the same warning with a site
specific message on any and all of the shortcuts I click on. When I began to
operate on the new system, before I connected to the outside world the first
thing I loaded was Norton 360 which always runs. I haven't gotten any
warning from that program regarding any issues....fyi. Also, my browser
is......er....ah.....Fffffffirefox, which is the same one I ran on my old
machine. I'll be happy to do all the things you mention, but wanted to
proffer the above information beforehand.

pinger

I’ve got several shortcut icons on my desktop for websites I frequent.
Which I click on them I get a dropdown with the name of the site and the
following script:
“Windows can not find ‘http:://www.xxxxxx.com. Make sure you typed the name
Correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the start button
and then click search.â€
About a half second later, the web site opens without a problem, so the
dropdown is bogus. It require manual closure, so is a nuisanceâ€

I ran a malware search and the system was clean. Any ideas how I make this
pesty thing stop doing what it’s doing?

Thanks,
pinger

Just a guess, you may have a trojan on your system, you mentioned you
scanned for Malware but not for viruses?
http://www.symantec.com/security_response/print_writeup.jsp?docid=2007-062007-0946-99


Try to make another shortcut before we go for more assumptions to see if the
other shortcuts may corrupted!

Unexplained computer behaviour may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Go through these Cleaning steps:
1... First, try to clean up your caches, Internet files and delete cookies
by doing this:
Click Start >> Control Panel >> Double click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options.
On the IE properties windows you will see these Tabs:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs |
Advanced
Under General Tab clear your History, Internet Files and Cookies.
Then click on Advanced tab and scroll down to under the Browsing Option:
[&] Browsing
[ ] Enable Third-Party browser extensions (Req Rest) uncheck this box.
Then click on Programs Tab and click Manage Add-Ons and Disable all non
Verified Add-Ons (You should Renable them later one-by-one and see the
culprit and update it or remove it.
How to manage Add-Ons:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883256

2.... And also for malware from here:
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm?s_cid=sah
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-gb/default.htm

Run a scan from here on-line:
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?productid=symhome&langid=ie&venid=sym
Download Avast Cleaner from here:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html
Lots of tools to download and disinfect your machine:
http://www.bitdefender.co.uk/site/Downloads/browseFreeRemovalTool/

=How to perform a clean boot procedure to prevent background programs from
interfering with a game or a program that you currently use
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796
Run disk clean up and then this command:
sfc /scannow get the XP CD handy it may ask you to insert it in to repair
what it will find.

Download the Hijackthis and run a scan then please send me the log at the
address below:
(http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php)
your log to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html,
http://forums.subratam.org/index.php?showforum=7
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
Reboot when it finishes.
HTH.
nass

 

[pinger]

Nightowl: Bingo. That like nailed it. I reinstalled the version I had on
my old machine and, viola, the issue is gone. I can live with the older
version. I think I'll report the issued to Mozilla so if they want hey can
work on a fix, but for now I'll gladly work with the older version to have
the annoyance of that issue subside.

Thank you to all who offered assistance/ideas to solve.

pinger

 

[Big_Al]

Big Al: Sorry, yes, typo

Dang! Thought this was going to be an easy fix.

 

[HeyBub]

Nass: Thanks for the reply. Before I go through all that, let me
give you just a little more info. I've used these sames shortcuts
"forever.", but just re-saved them on a new computer. I get the same
warning with a site specific message on any and all of the shortcuts
I click on. When I began to operate on the new system, before I
connected to the outside world the first thing I loaded was Norton
360 which always runs. I haven't gotten any warning from that
program regarding any issues....fyi. Also, my browser
is......er....ah.....Fffffffirefox, which is the same one I ran on my
old machine. I'll be happy to do all the things you mention, but
wanted to proffer the above information beforehand.

You know, of course, that Firefox calls home every day and rats you out?

 

[Nightowl]

Nightowl: Bingo. That like nailed it. I reinstalled the version I had on
my old machine and, viola, the issue is gone. I can live with the older
version. I think I'll report the issued to Mozilla so if they want hey can
work on a fix, but for now I'll gladly work with the older version to have
the annoyance of that issue subside.

Thank you to all who offered assistance/ideas to solve.

Glad you've got FF working again, pinger

This bug has been around for a while now but peculiarly doesn't seem to
affect everyone. If you do upgrade and run into the same problem, it's
an easy five-minute fix though.