XP Home can't browse, net but PING and TRACERT work Fine

[Paul in San Diego]

This PC has had a new install of XP Home within a month. Old version of
Norton expired and was uninstalled so that we could put in new registered
version. Ever since, we can't browse the Net with that PC.

It will PING just fine, both IP addresses and domain names. Same for
TRACERT. Both work fine. MSIE cannot however, show any websites!

What I have done:

Uninstalled Internet Exploder (twice) and reinstalled 5.5 and 6.X to no
avail
Downloaded on another PC (this one I'm typing on) Service pack 2 to CD Rom
and installed it on offending PC.
No change.

IPCONFIG/ Renew and Release work fine. Nothing changes though, no matter
how many IP's I get. Tried both the DSL connection and the Cable modem
connection, changeing the settings accordingly each time. No change.

Firewalls are disabled (Both Norton and XP). OS is XP home edition. Dunno
which protocol that Norton uses for updates (HTTP?) but it won't work at
all - so the virus definitions are still what came on the CD ... however, it
shows no virus problem. Can't download spyware program (didnt' think to put
them on the CD that I put the ServicePack 2 on)

Suggestions desperately appreciated.

Thanks and greetings from San Diego.

 

[Ron Martell]

This PC has had a new install of XP Home within a month. Old version of
Norton expired and was uninstalled so that we could put in new registered
version. Ever since, we can't browse the Net with that PC.

It will PING just fine, both IP addresses and domain names. Same for
TRACERT. Both work fine. MSIE cannot however, show any websites!

What I have done:

Uninstalled Internet Exploder (twice) and reinstalled 5.5 and 6.X to no
avail
Downloaded on another PC (this one I'm typing on) Service pack 2 to CD Rom
and installed it on offending PC.
No change.

IPCONFIG/ Renew and Release work fine. Nothing changes though, no matter
how many IP's I get. Tried both the DSL connection and the Cable modem
connection, changeing the settings accordingly each time. No change.

Firewalls are disabled (Both Norton and XP). OS is XP home edition. Dunno
which protocol that Norton uses for updates (HTTP?) but it won't work at
all - so the virus definitions are still what came on the CD ... however, it
shows no virus problem. Can't download spyware program (didnt' think to put
them on the CD that I put the ServicePack 2 on)

Suggestions desperately appreciated.

Thanks and greetings from San Diego.

Your PC has probably been severely infested with viruses and spyware,
especially if it was connected to the Internet without first
installing Windows XP SP2 and/or without having a firewall in place.

Some people say that an unprotected computer will be infected in less
than 20 minutes after connecting to the Internet. I have seen it
happen in less than 20 seconds.

1. Check for a HOSTS file on your computer and rename it to OLDHOSTS
or similar.

2. On a working computer download Stinger (free) from
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger and run it on the problem machine to
check for the most common of the current crop of viruses.

3. Download AdAware SE (free) from www.lavasoft.de on the working
computer, burn it to a CD, and install it on the problem machine.
Also download the latest update for AdAware SE, save it to CD as well,
and follow the instructions on the Lavasoft web site for manually
installing the update. Then do a full scan of the problem machine.

Further cleanup, or at least checking, will probably be needed but
that should get the machine into a usable state.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Deez]

How do figure that?? Spywares don't get on your computer if you
haven't browsed the internet. Oh my goodness, what kind of microsoft
mvp are you?