No Browser Working Suddenly?

SheharyaarSaahil - Didn't work.  Just downloaded the Winsock fix you suggested in another thread and ran that.  Rebooting now to see if that helped.

not sure about Mozilla, but one thing in IE you might check:

In IE, go to the Tools menu, select Internet Options, click on the General tab and click on the "Settings" button and make sure "check for newer versions of stored pages" is set to automatic.

I should have mentioned that I'm using Windows 2000.  I just saw that that Winsock fix is for XP only.

also are you on dialup or high-speed access? if dialup, sometimes this works:

Tools->Internet Options click on the Connections tab and make sure "always dial my default connection" is set. Don't ask why, but sometimes that worked for me when I couldn't get on websites (even though I was connected to the internet).

a silly thing,,, but are u sure its not set to Offline ?? ;-)

I'm on cable modem.  Definitely not set to offline.  It would have to do with something more global like DNS settings or protocols.  Increasing points.

try pinging a website just to see if you are getting out at all...

go to start->run and type

cmd

then type:

ping www.experts-exchange.com

and let us know if it pings successfully with no loss.

if its the Winsock or DNS issue, then Winsockfix shud have cured it, coz it same for Win2000 also :)
You have rebooted many times,,,, just switch off the system and disconnect and reconnect the modem wires, start again and now check :-?

Try to run this to see if that would help

How to repair network or modem connectivity issues in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837333

My understanding is winsock would work in windows 2000 aswell..

Have you tried to connect your computer directly to the cable modem to see what happens ?

Whichever browser you are using , check for the possibility of proxy settings.. When you changed browser possibly the settings could have been turned ON..

EvanL,

Did you try browsing going to a different user account in the same machine ?

Are you getting "page cannot be displayed " problem ?

Are you trying to view any secure website or even google.com doesnot go through?

Unable to Open Link
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q281679&sd=tech

"The Page Cannot Be Displayed" Error Message When You Try to View Web Page on a Secure Web Site
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303807

Might also look at folder options, file types to see if the changes you made modified the control program for both htm and html files.

I just uninstalled TCP/IP and reinstalled it, and rebooted.

guidway - Good idea.  I CAN ping www.experts-exchange.com.
SheharyaarSaahil - Unplugging everything I don't believe will help (but I'll try it) because I still have email connectivity.
sunray_2003 - I've tried a number of websites, google, cnn, msn, msnbc, foxnews

Other than current Firefox and IE, did you have previous other browser's installed?  Some had similar problems when sharing profiles from other based browsers (netscape), etc. and couldn't connect.  Also if using a router, reset may help.
Which versions?  In case updates may help.  Agree, also had problems when I first unchecked the IE check for default browser item.

EvanL,

Did you try my other suggestions of trying in other user accounts in the same machine ?

astaec - The folder options are not the case, as I can view local HTML files without problems.  Double clicking on an HTML file will open Firefox with the HTML file viewable.  I also did not have any other browser installed.  Just MSIE and Firefox.

I just ran Winsockfix again and rebooted.

sunray_2003 - I checked for proxy settings.  There were none and I'm using the default detection settings, no proxy.

Anyone know how I can increase the points here?  I used to be able to but don't see the controls for it.

sunray_2003 - I don't know how to switch to another user accounts on this machine, if there is one.  How can you do this in Win2k?

>> Anyone know how I can increase the points here?

well maximum points value for a question is 500, and u have already given it :)

You cannot switch in windows 2000 but you can create another one and then log into it to see.

Did you try to connect your computer directly to cable modem and check eventhough your emial works fine.

My thinking on the .htm* thing was to change the htm association back to Internet Explorer and try again to recheck the IE item to check for default item to test.
How to Identify a Damaged User Profile and Create a New Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305506

This is how you create a new user
http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa000611b.htm

SR

Have not connected directly to the cable modem or reset the router yet.  Other computers connected to the router are working fine and can browse any website (which is how I am here).  I'd like to save these for last ditch efforts, as I'm afraid of goofing up my net connection for all computers, then I'm really in the toilet.

Note that even though I can't increase points here, I will award another 500 (to total 1000) for anyone who can assist with this tonight.  I will simply create a new 500 point question and award the person those points.  I've got to get it fixed tonight.

EvanL,
> ave not connected directly to the cable modem or reset the router yet.

Trust me .. Connecting a computer directly to cable modem can explain many things.
It is just one way of troubleshooting the issue. May not solve the issue but think  "what if it solves".

If you are absolutely sure not to do that, then fine .... It is your way of going towards the solution..

In my experience with routers, I donot think or seen any issues before of goofing up other computers in the network just by unplugging them from the router or disconnecting or bypassing router. Again , if you feel it would be totally unnecessary to do that, then it is your way

>> I will award another 500 (to total 1000) for anyone who can assist with this tonight.
That is not allowed and required.... we can try our Best for 500 also :)

anywayz are u using Norton ??

sunray_2003 - Thanks for the help.  I'm trying to connect via dial up modem now.  If I can't browse websites on dial up, it has to be something wrong with the computer, not the router (since I won't be connected to the router).

Have you created a new user or changed to your profile(according to what Asta had given) , and then checked the issue

Okay, I disabled my local lan connection which connects me to the net.  I then used dial up to connect to the net.  Email works fine, but I still can't browse a website.  I'd assume this means the problem is not with the router or cable modem (especially since other computers are using it) but with my computer, settings, protocols, etc.

Evan, i think u missed that i asked if u are using Norton :)

I created a new user in Windows 2000, logged off as myself, logged in as the new user.  Same problem..

SheharyaarSaahil - Norton Internet Security 2002 and AV

hmmmmmm dont u think its norton behind all this.... i think so :)

try resetting its settings back to defaults in the options,,,, and if this fails also then just go and uninstall it and then check if u have ur browsers back again,,,,, once they are back u can reinstall Norton and it shud do well now :)

sunray_2003 - Trying the msconfig idea now and rebooting.

SheharyaarSaahil - The first thing I tried was to disable Norton (both AV and Firewall) and try to connect browser to google.com and cnn.com.  This did not solve the problem.

>> The first thing I tried was to disable Norton

nah, im not asking to disable,,, disabling doesn't reset its deafult settings,,,, im askig to completely remove it and then reinstall it..... only if u want to do it, otherwise u can just avoid my suggestion :)

sunray_2003 - Getting close!  I ran msconfig and unchecked everything but Norton AV and Firewall.  Then rebooted.  It started up automatically with my new user instead of asking me to login like normal.  I checked MSIE under the new user account and it worked!  I connected to Google.com and Cnn.com.

I then logged out of my new user and into my own account.  Tried the same thing and it works!

The startup list had a bunch of junk in it.  Any idea where to proceed?  Some of the startup stuff is necessary, but some can be left unchecked.

EvanL,

one way to solve this is to go to same location in msconfig and enable each application one by one and restart the machine
that way at one pt , you would get the culprit..

If that is a hard case to find out the culprit , do these
first scan for virus

a) Update your virus definitions in your Anti-virus and run it.

b) Download Stinger from here : http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/  and run it.

Once you know you are virus free, download and run Hijackthis.
Download Hijacthis from here http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/10/17/10-17-69.shtml.
Get the log from Hijackthis and save the log and paste it here http://hijackthis.de/index.php?langselect=english to analyze it. The analyser site is used so that you donot gum up the thread with the entire log.

Remove the bad ones that the site reports. If it says unknown process, then use a search engine to check if those are bad ones. If bad remove them , if you still cannot find then post those files alone here.

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