Help!

[Guest]

When I try to go to several websites, in particular Old Navy & Gap, I get a
message that says "'An error has occurred in Internet Explorer. Internet
Explorer will now close. If you continue to experience problems, please
restart your computer." IE then closes. This has just started and is driving
me nuts. Please help!

 

[Felix]

Sounds like you may have a spyware infection.

Download the free version of AdAware and let it clean your machine.

Yours,
Felix

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP IE/OE]

When I try to go to several websites, in particular Old Navy & Gap, I
get a message that says "'An error has occurred in Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer will now close. If you continue to experience
problems, please restart your computer." IE then closes. This has
just started and is driving me nuts. Please help!

First eliminate any spyware.
What You Should Know About Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/devioussoftware.mspx

CAUTION!!!!! Removing some spyware can damage the Winsock stact. Before
you try to remove spyware using any of these programs , download a copy of
LSP-Fix - a free program to repair damaged Winsock 2 stacks (all Windows
versions)
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
Winsockfix for W95, W98, ME, NT, 2000, XP
http://www.tacktech.com/pub/winsockfix/WinsockFix.zip
Directions here: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257
WinXP:
Get WinSockxpFix
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html
How to Reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357
In WinXP SP2: You can fix Winsock by going to Start | Run and typing
CMD
In the command window type
netsh winsock reset

See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=30 for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.

See this link for information about malware:
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Guest]

Still not able to access certain websites!

First eliminate any spyware.
What You Should Know About Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/devioussoftware.mspx

CAUTION!!!!! Removing some spyware can damage the Winsock stact. Before
you try to remove spyware using any of these programs , download a copy of
LSP-Fix - a free program to repair damaged Winsock 2 stacks (all Windows
versions)
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
Winsockfix for W95, W98, ME, NT, 2000, XP
http://www.tacktech.com/pub/winsockfix/WinsockFix.zip
Directions here: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257
WinXP:
Get WinSockxpFix
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html
How to Reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357
In WinXP SP2: You can fix Winsock by going to Start | Run and typing
CMD
In the command window type
netsh winsock reset

See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=30 for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.

See this link for information about malware:
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP IE/OE]

Still not able to access certain websites!

From http://www.fjsmjs.com/IE/hosts.htm

There is a problem with Web accelerator programs. One of the things just
about all of these programs do is save time questioning the Domain Name
Server to find the IP address by putting the domain name and address on a
line in a file in C:\Windows called Hosts with no extension (not Hosts.sam,
which is just a sample file). This File may be hidden, so in Windows
Explorer go to View | Folder Options and, under Hidden Files, click the
radio button for "Show all files". IE then never does a DNS lookup,
trusting that file. This saves a miniscule amount of time until the IP
address is changed. Then IE cannot find the site any more.

Open HOSTS with Notepad and remove any lines referencing the problem Web
sites.

Uninstall the web accelerator. Then open Hosts with Notepad and remove the
line referring to that site. Better yet, if you are not on a network, rename
Hosts to Hosts.old. If you are on a network there may be other lines in
Hosts necessary to proper functioning of the network.



Also see this article:

Troubleshooting Browsing Error Messages in Microsoft Internet Explorer

http://support.microsoft.com/support/IE/ie5/topics/browse/iebrowseemts.asp

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Guest]

You lost me!

From http://www.fjsmjs.com/IE/hosts.htm

There is a problem with Web accelerator programs. One of the things just
about all of these programs do is save time questioning the Domain Name
Server to find the IP address by putting the domain name and address on a
line in a file in C:\Windows called Hosts with no extension (not Hosts.sam,
which is just a sample file). This File may be hidden, so in Windows
Explorer go to View | Folder Options and, under Hidden Files, click the
radio button for "Show all files". IE then never does a DNS lookup,
trusting that file. This saves a miniscule amount of time until the IP
address is changed. Then IE cannot find the site any more.

Open HOSTS with Notepad and remove any lines referencing the problem Web
sites.

Uninstall the web accelerator. Then open Hosts with Notepad and remove the
line referring to that site. Better yet, if you are not on a network, rename
Hosts to Hosts.old. If you are on a network there may be other lines in
Hosts necessary to proper functioning of the network.



Also see this article:

Troubleshooting Browsing Error Messages in Microsoft Internet Explorer

http://support.microsoft.com/support/IE/ie5/topics/browse/iebrowseemts.asp

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP IE/OE]

I meant to include this, not what did get included:

Check for a file named HOSTS with no extension (not Hosts.sam). It may be a
hidden file. Open it with Notepad and remove any line referencing the site.
Or, rename HOSTS to OLDHOSTS

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/