Microsoft thinks laptop is Macintosh - and other issues

[R Martin]

I have a few issues I would like discussion and specific answers about if
possible.
First, I am tech oriented, so I have done all the obvious things and a few
not so obvious.

I have a sony viao laptop, windows XP home, Norton Internet Security Suite
IE 7 and the usual
programs.

1. I have had Microsofts website AND Adobes website tell me that my Computer
and even my
Internet Explorer is not Microsoft. They think its Macintosh. I can
work around microsofts
update site if I totally disable Nortons Security systems. But I cannot
find what specific setting
dis allows this.

2. Adobes website will not allow me to update to their Flash player 9.0
Again, it thinks its not
microsoft.

3. When downloading a file from an internet site, it times out and displays
this error:
Internet Explorer was not able to open this internet site. The
requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found.
Please try again later.


I have disabled all security, firewall, anti virus, enable all acti-x
controls, set ALL Internet options to enable, enable all cookies, cleaned
out all caches, temp files, junk files, etc.... I have check my system using
various programs and internet
sites that verify system security, and everything else I can think of or
have been told to try.

I have found reason to believe NetBios, TCP/IP, and something to do with DNS
as the possible reason for the internet
downloading issues, but cannot find the specific issue causing this.

I am unwilling to totally wipe my system because, besides all the issues
with re installing things (which would require downloading - and if re
install doesnt fix that...problems!) I have this suspicion that removing
Sonys setup stuff (that
might have been installed before or over microsoft XP in a way I cant
duplicate) might cause me headaches.

There are uncertainies I have in wiping my system, therefore, I seek the
alternative - finding the SPECIFIC issue(s) that
need corrected, file replaced, updated, setting changed , whatever...

Please respond with any detailed information that can address these issues.
Bear in mind I have already done all the
standard things and responses asking if I have defraged my drive are
useless.

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I have a few issues I would like discussion and specific answers
about if possible.
First, I am tech oriented, so I have done all the obvious things and
a few not so obvious.

I have a sony viao laptop, windows XP home, Norton Internet Security
Suite IE 7 and the usual
programs.

1. I have had Microsofts website AND Adobes website tell me that my
Computer and even my
Internet Explorer is not Microsoft. They think its Macintosh. I
can work around microsofts
update site if I totally disable Nortons Security systems. But I
cannot find what specific setting
dis allows this.

2. Adobes website will not allow me to update to their Flash player
9.0 Again, it thinks its not
microsoft.

3. When downloading a file from an internet site, it times out and
displays this error:
Internet Explorer was not able to open this internet site. The
requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found.
Please try again later.
Always?


I have disabled all security, firewall, anti virus, enable all acti-x
controls, set ALL Internet options to enable, enable all cookies,
cleaned out all caches, temp files, junk files, etc.... I have check
my system using various programs and internet
sites that verify system security, and everything else I can think of
or have been told to try.

I have found reason to believe NetBios, TCP/IP, and something to do
with DNS as the possible reason for the internet
downloading issues, but cannot find the specific issue causing this.

Try changing your DNS settings. You could also try running Winsockfix -
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4372.html

I am unwilling to totally wipe my system because, besides all the
issues with re installing things (which would require downloading -
and if re install doesnt fix that...problems!) I have this suspicion
that removing Sonys setup stuff (that
might have been installed before or over microsoft XP in a way I cant
duplicate) might cause me headaches.
Agreed.

There are uncertainies I have in wiping my system, therefore, I seek
the alternative - finding the SPECIFIC issue(s) that
need corrected, file replaced, updated, setting changed , whatever...

Please respond with any detailed information that can address these
issues. Bear in mind I have already done all the
standard things and responses asking if I have defraged my drive are
useless.

scorpioet2@******

You haven't mentioned what you see in your event logs.

I'm wondering whether your Symantec software might be the root of the
problems you're having - and whether there are known compatibility issues
between it and IE7. Personally, I'm not a big fan of their desktop
bloatware. I suggest you check with their support pages to see if you can
get any help there...try uninstalling it entirely and test to see if this is
actually the cause.

Note that it's unwise to post an unmunged email address in usenet; you will
likely get a lot of spam, and possibly viruses.