trouble surfing

[lorne]

hi,
i have an older dell laptop with xp pro on it. i can access the internet
however, i am restricted on many secure websites. i have no firewall.
removed antivirus software, check security settings. everything seems fine.
XP was put in by some friend of a friends friends next door neighbour's dogs
friends dad! in other words, i have no idea how or when xp was installed.
outlook express doesnt work either.

should i format and reinstall or is there some settings i should look at
before giving up!

thanks for all advice

 

[Faizal]

remove proxy, just go to control panel - internet option - connection.

 

[Bruce J. Weiers]

Can you go to "Windows Update" and apply updates?

Is Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed? (If Service Pack 1 cannot be
successfully installed, that is usually because you have a bootleg
installation. If you cannot install SP1, then you should go out and get
a legitimate copy, format and install.)

Security settings and privacy settings can be returned to default values
by going to Control Panel / Internet Settings.

Also, you can go to
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
and use Notepad to open the Hosts file. Remove any ip and address
listed there, except localhost

 

[CS]

hi,
i have an older dell laptop with xp pro on it. i can access the internet
however, i am restricted on many secure websites. i have no firewall.
removed antivirus software, check security settings. everything seems fine.
XP was put in by some friend of a friends friends next door neighbour's dogs
friends dad! in other words, i have no idea how or when xp was installed.
outlook express doesnt work either.

should i format and reinstall or is there some settings i should look at
before giving up!

thanks for all advice

By now you've contracted the Blaster Virus and who knows what else?
The copy of XP may or may not be legal, but who cares about that.....

I would format the machine and start over. AND be sure to run a
firewall and virus software BEFORE getting on the net.

 

[Gary R.]

You cannot surf on a laptop. Or a desktop for that matter, even if you
hollow it out and fill it with foam. Computers are nice, but there is
absolutely nothing you can do on one that is even close to surfing. You
need a wave and an ocean, and usually a surfboard.

Sorry. Personal pet peeve. 8^)

Gary