Can't visit https sites

Hello samiam41,

Delete this item from HJT log:
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Search - http://edits.mywebsearch.com/toolbaredits/menusearch.jhtml?p=ZSzed001YYUS_ZNxmk8 46DRUS

If this site is not one that you added, delete it also with HJT log
O16 - DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} - http://ak.exe.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwebproducts/ei/SmileyCentralFWBIniti alSetup1.0.0.15.exe

If no joy, Troubleshoot Secure Web Sites in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;813444
OR
http://windows-help.net/WindowsXP/troub-10.html

Hope this helps!
war1

Hahahaha!!  What's up war1?  Thanks for the post.  I will look at these now.  

Dave, Good call.  I am trying to uninstall Norton's as it has expired and they disabled the internet security side of it as well, so I will uninstall that and see what happens.  Thank you.

Kind of a long shot but do you have double NAT going on? I had this problem when I did that.

Evidentally this is not limited to https sites.  I asked the tech to bring it in so I could look at it and the laptop can't get to Windows Update site, any bank site (http or https) and times-out on a couple of others.  Oddly enough, the time/date was moved ahead 12 hours, so I fixed that.  Still no luck.

Also, when we tried to uninstall Norton's in safe mode, it said it couldn't.  So we started it up and ran it normally.  When we tried to uninstall it there under the user's credentials, it said he didn't have the right clearance.  So we tried to log in as the local admin which yielded an error stating the domain context was incorrect.

This is just a dell laptop that has xp home and isn't apart of any network.  Any ideas??

I checked the internet settings and found that the "proxy setting" was selected but not configured and the "autodetect proxy settings" was also selected.  I unchecked both with no positive results.

Double-NAT....  How/where would they have done that?  Let me know where to check.  Thanks.

By the way, the error message wasn't "wrong domain context", it was "Unable to log you on b/c of an account restriction".  

Oh sorry, if it were double NAT it wuold just time out with a page ould not be displayed message.
NAT (Network Address Translation) is when you have a single external (WAN/outside/internet) IP address, that can be shared between multiple internal (lan/inside/private) workstations. Basicaly you buy one internet connection, and you can hook up more than one computer to it. Double NAT is if you have a DSL modem that is allready doing NAT plugged into a second router that is allso doning NAT. Double NAT can cause lots o problems.

war1-  sorry for the delay.  we got hammered with snow and ice yesterday and had a quick shutdown of the building.  the two items were removed using hjt and we went through several of the xp recommendations for secure site problems.  i will try the norton tools you provided a link to and post back what happened.  thanks for hanging in there.

indigenus/war1- well, we found the culprit:  Symantec's expired firewall (internet security) app.  the other guy worked on it last night and modified the msconfig fle to prevent symantec from loading and removed it that way.  he probably should have waited until we could review what the experts recommended as i have no idea what could happen now.  

i am going to split the points 50/50 since you both recommended uninstalling symantec.  but the last question i have is why would symantec cause such a problem?  this is the second computer that i have seen with problems relating to an expired symantec app.  i appreciate any ideas both of you could provide and i will award points momentarily.  thanks again!

You guys are incredible!  Thanks for your help and time.  Take care.

-Aaron

samiam41, glad the problem is fixed.

any idea what causes an expired symatec product to act so malicious?

Symantec and Norton antivirus have many hooks.  Even though it expired, it stills locks up your computer in many ways.