Hotmail/webmail

[alan]

I am unable to access my hotmail account or webmail
through my system. I run Windows XP and have tried
deleting all my old files etc (as suggested by Hotmail)
but all i get when i try to connect is This page cannot
be displayed.
Does anyone have any ideas????

 

[dglock]

what are you using to connect? outlook, ie.
don

 

[Chuck]

I am unable to access my hotmail account or webmail
through my system. I run Windows XP and have tried
deleting all my old files etc (as suggested by Hotmail)
but all i get when i try to connect is This page cannot
be displayed.
Does anyone have any ideas????

Alan,

You could have a browser or dns hijack.

Search your entire system drive, including hidden and system folders, for file
"hosts". There is one legit copy, in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\. Examine
the contents of the legit copy, carefully, using Notepad.

How current is your virus protection? Try these free online virus scans:
<http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php>
<http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm>
<http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp>
<http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp>

Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional carriers of infection.

First, download LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFIx from <http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>,
and CWShredder from <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>. All are
free.

Next, run CWShredder. Have it fix all variants.

Now check for, and remove, spyware. Get HijackThis
<http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155> and Spybot S&D
<http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>. Both free.
1) Install and run Spybot. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a
scan ("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and make all recommended deletions.
2) Install and run HijackThis. Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
3) Have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the following
forums (and post it here):
<http://forums.net-integration.net/>
<http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/>
<http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>
<http://www.wilderssecurity.com/>

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.

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/

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)).

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Alan]

I'm trying to connect via IE but i can't even get on
through outlook

 

[dglock]

how long have you had the problem? hotmail does have
problems at times. if the problem continues for more the
24 hrs then its time to check other things.
don

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


Alan,

You could have a browser or dns hijack.

Search your entire system drive, including hidden and system folders, for file
"hosts". There is one legit copy, in C:\WINDOWS\system32 \drivers\etc\. Examine
the contents of the legit copy, carefully, using Notepad.

How current is your virus protection? Try these free online virus scans:
<http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php>
<http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_pr incipal.htm>
<http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp>
<http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp>

Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional carriers of infection.

First, download LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFIx from