Inability to download with IE6

[Guest]

The setup is this: a desktop and a laptop connected to a router receiving
DSL. Both machines running Windows XP-pro, SP1, updated with all MS security
patches except SP2 (chicken!); both have Norton AV and Ad-Aware SE Personal
(both updated and run frequently); both have identical "Internet Options",
and "Network Settings" and the applications on both computers are virtually
the same. Also, the Windows Firewalls are turned off.

I needed to download a file from Symantec to remedy an NAV update problem on
the laptop. When I attempted to download, the page came up that says the site
could not be connected to. Here is an abbreviated look at that page:

"The page cannot be displayed
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be
experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser
settings..........etc.......
Cannot find server or DNS Error
Internet Explorer "

None of the files listed on that particular page
(http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/files/lu/lu.html) at the Symanatec site
could be accessed by the laptop. (On the desktop, I had no trouble, all went
smoothly.) I tried some other download sites from the laptop. Usually, I
could download, but sometimes I would get the same error page as above, or
the small download warning dialog box would open, but the download "could not
be completed at this time". There seems to be no pattern as to which sites
will download and which won't. Again, all the sites allowed downloads on the
desktop with no problems. I am able to use Outlook Express, Quicken
downloads, etc. on the laptop; only selected sites accessed thru IE failed.

This is what I've done:
1. ran an online Symantec scan for viruses and malware
2. downloaded a McAfee audit tool to scan for the latest malware
3. did a quick-scan from Aumha
4. ran my onboard Norton AV
5. ran Sysclean
6.deleted temp internet folder & files, and history folder & files, all temp
folders, recycle bin
7.ran CWShredder
8.ran Ad-Aware
9.ran Spy-bot
10. ran ipconfig /release, also /renew, also /flushdns
11.ran HijackThis a number of times, submitted to Aumha, and pursued their
suggestions
12. uninstalled and reinstalled IE6 according to Microsoft KB 318378
13. attempted the troubled download with and without the router in the loop
14.disconnected and rebooted all hardware in proper sequence.

All programs are up to date, as are windows security patches, Norton
antivirus and Ad-Aware definitions. According to all the programs run, and
anlayses of HijackThis at Aumha, I am free of any malware. In light of the
sterility of my computers, I feel it is either a configuration or corruption
issue, and not an outside threat.

Can anyone suggest anything?
Hal

 

[PA Bear]

Hey, Hal!

Hal's long, involved tale: http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=9987

Sorry if we'd covered any of the following before in Aumha Forums but...

- Have you checked for firmware updates for the laptop (e.g., drivers,
BIOS)?

- Have you tried disabling NAV's Script Blocking utility?

- Have you looked for any Symantec references in hosts file (or tried
simply renaming 'hosts' to 'oldhosts')?

- Have you tried the commands 'ipconfig /release', 'ipconfig /renew',
and 'ipconfig /flushdns', in that order? See
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sag_tcpip_pro_ping.mspx
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Posting and You
http://www.trials-shack.co.uk/posting.html

 

[Guest]

Hey, Robear, I knew I'd find you here!! Re your present post,
all firmware as well as all other updates are current. (incidently, remember
the inability for NAV to auto-liveupdate? we fixed it, in fact it just
updated during this post!)
negative on the script blocking, i'll do it if i must, but recall that both
the good and bad computers have NAV identically configured, and the good
desktop works OK;
there are no weird entries in "hosts", only: 127.0.0.1 localhost;
did all the ipconfigs as outlined by you and in that order.
don't know what else to do, at this point except live with it. ??? Hal

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

None of the files listed on that particular page

(http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/files/lu/lu.html) at the Symanatec site
could be accessed by the laptop.

The Status bar shows that there are ftp URLs there.
Is FTP the problem?

If so, try using FTP from the command line.
That would at least determine if your "DNS Error" was in fact
a DNS Error or not.

Hmm... I got redirected to ftp.symantec.speedera.net so check
that one too. BTW it looks as if it is not a public site so I hope you
are authorized to use it. I just hit enter at the login prompt.
Normally I would try using anonymous login.

In other incidents of trouble with FTP links I have had luck starting
at the root and drilling down to the correct file. Also sometimes
disabling Passive mode FTP helps performance problems such as
your symptom may be indicating.

I think that you need to refine your symptom description and get
some diagnostics from recreating or simulating the problem.
If you have XP Pro on both machines you could have netcap on both.
That would allow you to capture packet traces on each and then you
would have a trace which showed you how it was supposed to work
and a trace of a failure.

Ethereal could be used to help format the traces but even though the
traces are binary, the FTP protocol is largely character-based, so you
could even get some clues just by browsing the .cap files that netcap
creates. Ethereal can also be used to capture traces but I don't find
it as convenient.

Aha. I just traced what happens when I click on the ReadMe link
in the above page. As I thought anonymous login is used and
in my case Passive mode FTP was done. For that one the .txt
file opened directly in the browser. Try that one?


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle