Can u help me i can connect to the internet but if i try
to go into an account or something similar it comes up
with unable to display page. My daughtert has hotmail but
cannot access this because it comes u p with the same
message. Im pretty computer illiterate and would really
appreciate your help via my email. I just found this site
by accident Penny
Penny,
Asked here, answered here. For everybody's benefit.
There are several common reasons for "unable to display page", if you get this
only for some websites (IOW short of total inability to use the internet).
Define the problem. From your computer:
From a command window:
1) Ping
www.yahoo.com.
2) Ping 66.94.230.33.
Report success / exact text of error messages.
Then from your browser:
3) Browse
www.yahoo.com.
4) Browse 66.94.230.33.
Report success / exact text of error messages.
The first possible cause is DNS resolution.
DNS resolution is affected by the LSP / Winsock subsystem.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=318584
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=811259
Give LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFix <
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>, or WinsockFix
<
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257> a shot.
If XP SP2, Start - Run - "cmd". Type "netsh winsock reset catalog" into the
command window.
If no help yet, reset TCP/IP.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=299357
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "netsh int ip reset c:\netsh.txt" into the command
window.
The second is MTU Size (when you're using PPPoE for service this is important).
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article04-107
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314496
The third is spyware / viruses, hijacking some critical function of your
browser. This part is a lot of work, but you need to check this out. Some
people buy new computers because of spyware problems. No lie.
Search your entire system drive, including hidden and system folders, for file
"hosts". There is one legit copy, in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\ (for
Windows NT/2000/XP, for instance). The others are possibly bogus, and part (but
just part) of the problem.
Examine the contents of each copy of "hosts" found, using Notepad. Scroll to the
end of each Hosts file, by hitting Ctrl-End, then back up to the top, page by
page, before deciding that any "hosts" file is empty. Look out for blank lines
at the beginning and end of the file, after localhost, placed there by an
exploit!
How current is your virus protection? Try one or more of these free online
virus scans, which should complement your current protection:
<
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php>
<
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan>
<
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/>
<
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp>
<
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp>
Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional problems - adware,
crapware, spyware.
Start by downloading each of the following additional free tools:
AdAware <
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/>
CWShredder <
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>
CoolWWWSearch.SmartSearch (v1/v2) MiniRemoval
<
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4113.html>
HijackThis <
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155>
LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFix <
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>
Spybot S&D <
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>
Stinger <
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger>
Create a separate folder for HijackThis, such as C:\HijackThis - copy the
downloaded file there. AdAware and Spybot S&D have install routines - run them.
The other downloaded programs can be copied into, and run from, any convenient
folder.
First, run Stinger. Have it remove any problems found.
Next, close all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, and run
CoolWWWSearch.SmartSearchMiniRemoval, then CWShredder. Have the latter fix all
problems found.
Next, run AdAware. First update it ("Check for updates now"), configure for
full scan (<
http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=5877>), then scan. When
scanning finishes, remove all Critical Objects found.
Next, run Spybot S&D. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a scan
("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and delete everything ("Fix Problems")
that is displayed in Red.
Then, run HijackThis ("Scan"). Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
<
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=227>
<
http://www1.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/prevent.php>
Finally, have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the
following security forums (and please post a link to your forum posts, here):
Aumha: <
http://forum.aumha.org/index.php>
Net-Integration: <
http://forums.net-integration.net/>
Spyware Info: <
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/>
Spyware Warrior: <
http://spywarewarrior.com/index.php>
Tom Coyote: <
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>
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.
Finally, improve your chances for the future.
Harden your browser. There are various websites which will check for
vulnerabilities, here are three which I use.
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/
https://testzone.secunia.com/browser_checker/
Block Internet Explorer ActiveX scripting from hostile websites (Restricted
Zone).
<
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/main.htm> (IE-SpyAd)
Block known dangerous scripts from installing.
<
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html>
Block known spyware from installing.
<
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html>
Make sure that the spyware detection / protection products that you use are
reliable:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
Harden your operating system. Check at least monthly for security updates.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
Block possibly dangerous websites with a Hosts file. Three Hosts file sources I
use:
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
(The third is included, and updated, with Spybot (see above)).
Maintain your Hosts file (merge / eliminate duplicate entries) with:
eDexter <
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html>
Hostess <
http://accs-net.com/hostess/>
Secure your operating system, and applications. Don't use, or leave activated,
any accounts with names or passwords with trivial (guessable) values. Don't use
an account with administrative authority, except when you're intentionally doing
administrative tasks.
Use common sense. Yours. Don't install software based upon advice from unknown
sources. Don't install free software, without researching it carefully. Don't
open email unless you know who it's from, and how and why it was sent.
Educate yourself. Know what the risks are. Stay informed. Read Usenet, and
various web pages that discuss security problems. Check the logs from the
security products that you use regularly, look for things that don't belong, and
take action when necessary.
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
