IE 6.0 Cannot find server of DNS error

[Lynne]

I cannot seem to get onto IE yet I can get on Firefox and receive
email. Does this mean that IE has crashed? I tried to re-install it
from a download at Microsoft and it's saying that there is a newer
version on my computer so it won't. I would appreciate any advice as
I'm thoroughly exhausted as I need to have IE to work on a clients
website program. I had the same issue a couple of weeks ago and somehow
it started working again. Not sure what I did though. Thanks so much in
advance.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

I cannot seem to get onto IE yet I can get on Firefox and receive
email. Does this mean that IE has crashed? I tried to re-install it
from a download at Microsoft and it's saying that there is a newer
version on my computer so it won't. I would appreciate any advice as
I'm thoroughly exhausted as I need to have IE to work on a clients
website program. I had the same issue a couple of weeks ago and somehow
it started working again. Not sure what I did though. Thanks so much in
advance.

Windows version?
IE6 service pack level?

 

[Lynne]

Hi Frank,

I have Windows XP and IE 6.0, SP2

Thank you for your time.

 

[dcsleeper]

I have the same problem. XP Sp2 iE with all updates (auto turned on).
It's not AV, or firewall, or router, or any of those other lamo answers
that might come to mind. I've seen posts from several people with this
same problem, in several different forums, but no resolution.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

I cannot seem to get onto IE yet I can get on Firefox and receive
email. Does this mean that IE has crashed?

Please be more precise when describing your symptoms.
Can you open IE using About:Blank? Then the problem
is not related to getting IE open?

If the problem is strictly a network connectivity issue using IE
you could try tracing requests and responses with FiddlerTool.
E.g. if it detected a problem with your DNS you could get a more
specific symptom than the ambiguous one you're seeing.
Also, you could get more specific information that way about any
differences you are seeing regarding IE and other browsers.

I tried to re-install it from a download at Microsoft
and it's saying that there is a newer version on my computer so it won't.

Correct. Browser functionality (aka IE) is integrated in the OS in XP.
The only time you were allowed to install it separately was in XP base
(before XPsp1) when you could install IE6sp1 as a separate program.
Similarly in XPsp2 you can try the IE7 beta by installing it as a separate
program.

I would appreciate any advice as
I'm thoroughly exhausted as I need to have IE to work on a clients
website program. I had the same issue a couple of weeks ago and somehow
it started working again. Not sure what I did though.

Quite possibly nothing. If your DNS is unreliable you would see
the symptom implied by your Subject. Eventually such problems
get resolved by the network.

Thanks so much in
advance.

HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

 

[Lynne]

Please be more precise when describing your symptoms.
Can you open IE using About:Blank? Then the problem
is not related to getting IE open?

When I open IE I get a message - "The page cannot be displayed." When I
scroll to the bottom of that page I see - "Cannot find server or DNS
Error
Internet Explorer". I cannot get onto any website, yet I can get to
everything just fine with Firefox.

When I try to change the home page of IE - This is what shows in the
address bar for Internet Options -
res://C:\WINDOWS\system32\shdoclc.dll/dnserror.htm.

If the problem is strictly a network connectivity issue using IE
you could try tracing requests and responses with FiddlerTool.
E.g. if it detected a problem with your DNS you could get a more
specific symptom than the ambiguous one you're seeing.
Also, you could get more specific information that way about any
differences you are seeing regarding IE and other browsers.




Correct. Browser functionality (aka IE) is integrated in the OS in XP.
The only time you were allowed to install it separately was in XP base
(before XPsp1) when you could install IE6sp1 as a separate program.
Similarly in XPsp2 you can try the IE7 beta by installing it as a separate
program.

Is there any way that I can uninstall IE and re-install 6?

Quite possibly nothing. If your DNS is unreliable you would see
the symptom implied by your Subject. Eventually such problems
get resolved by the network.

Do you mean that the problem could be with my ISP? I am on dial-up and
tried a different ISP company on Friday and had the same problem so I
don't think the problem is there. I'm definately no expert though.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Robert Aldwinckle wrote:

When I open IE I get a message - "The page cannot be displayed."

That means that there was a connectivity problem with the site
for your Home page. Try, temporarily, changing your Home page
to About:Blank. Keystrokes: Alt-T,O,Alt-B

Is there any way that I can uninstall IE and re-install 6?

As I indicated, the only way to uninstall IE in XP is to uninstall
both XP service packs XPsp2 and XPsp1 to get back to base XP.
Then you could use the procedure given in KB318378
to install IE6sp1. I don't advise this because I think it could be a lot
of work for nothing, at least until you are sure that IE is the cause of
your symptoms, which IMO so far you have no proof of.

Do you mean that the problem could be with my ISP? I am on dial-up and
tried a different ISP company on Friday and had the same problem so I
don't think the problem is there. I'm definately no expert though.

OK. Both symptoms combined then are stronger indications
of the presence of malware or other third-party incompatibilities.
To start testing the idea in XPsp2 you could use its Manage Add-ons
tool to temporarily disable all BHO. Otherwise see others' posts for their
suggestions about how to deal with that problem. Alternatively, if you
haven't tried the FiddlerTool suggestion yet you could get more information
about your symptoms from it.


Good luck

Robert
---

 

[Lynne]

Robert,

You are a genius!! I changed my Home page to About:Blank. That worked!
Four days of mega stress and wasted time, the thought of it drives me
crazy! I'm definately copying this post for future reference. I have a
feeling, it could happen again.

Thank you so very much for your time and assistance. Smooches!!

Lynne

 

[Lynne]

Robert,

My problem is back. It started again last night. I tried the
about:blank again and it didn't seem to reset it.

What I did discover though is that I can access sites that begin with
"https:".

Any ideas?

Lynne