problem solved!

[imported_Mike]

Ok, I just did a fresh reformat of my computer with xp pro. My internet is being very wierd. When I first turn on my computer any given day, to even get to anandtech, I have to first go to pics.bbzzdd.com and find a picture that has a link to a thread on anandtech. If I don't go through pics then AT won't load(times out).

Once anandtech loads from the link I then can type it in the URL and it will go here fine. I can only seem to go to selective sites like google, AT, and pics.bbzzdd.com. MSN times out, gmail times out, modzilla times out(can't DL firefox ), when going to hotmail.com I seem to get redirected to:

www.www.hotmail.com.org

That only happens some of the time and I have never seen that before. I would think browser hijack or something but this is coming off a fresh xp pro install. I dunno what is going on. Any suggestions/anyone seen this before? Thanks.

 

[Zugzwang152]

have you checked your hosts file?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
have you checked your hosts file?

please elaborate for the ignorant(me)

 

[Zugzwang152]

C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

open your hosts file there with a text editor and see if any sites are being redirected. although this probably won't be the problem, because you can access the same site through a link...

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

open your hosts file there with a text editor and see if any sites are being redirected. although this probably won't be the problem, because you can access the same site through a link...

TY, though everything seems normal. Just a bunch of examples, didn't see a url that I might be redirecting to.

 

[DJFuji]

did you scan for spyware? Look at what's running on your PC and google anything you don't recognize.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
did you scan for spyware? Look at what's running on your PC and google anything you don't recognize.

Most of it looks normal but I see a few things that I could do that with...if google will load for me. Now all of a sudden google times out on me...

 

[DJFuji]

you sure its not your connection?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
you sure its not your connection?

This entered my thought process but then why would I be able to browse AT & pics.bbzzdd.com at normal high speeds? I checked everything out(processes running) and nothing is there that isn't supposed to be.

 

[DJFuji]

oooo check for BHOs. There's an app out called BHO Demon that lets you see all your BHOs and verify they should be there. I ran a program once and nothing happened. Bad news. Ran NAV and nothing came up. Ran Spybot and adaware, nothing. Finally loaded BHO demon and found the BHO there ready to cause trouble.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
oooo check for BHOs. There's an app out called BHO Demon that lets you see all your BHOs and verify they should be there. I ran a program once and nothing happened. Bad news. Ran NAV and nothing came up. Ran Spybot and adaware, nothing. Finally loaded BHO demon and found the BHO there ready to cause trouble.

K, Ill have to do that tomorrow as Im too tired and lazy to fire up the other PC. That is the other reason I ruled out connection as my other PC has 0 problems. Tomorrow ill track down the BHO demon and burn it to a CD so I can load it here. Thanks, lmk if you think of anything else.

Would BHO exploits stay through a system restore though?

 

[DJFuji]

no, although they might have gotten in thru a website or maybe an infected piece of sw you've reloaded?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
no, although they might have gotten in thru a website or maybe an infected piece of sw you've reloaded?

This maybe the case as I pulled drivers from a different harddrive that did not get reformatted.

EDIT: Although, they were netgear & nvidia drivers directly DL from the respective websites...none the less, I shall check out the BHO demon.

 

[imported_Mike]

Ok, I installed that BHO demon and couldn't find anything at all.

 

[mechBgon]

Try the Microsoft AntiSpyware beta. Also, what antivirus and firewall are you using? Please be precise, not vague, about the brand and version.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try the Microsoft AntiSpyware beta. Also, what antivirus and firewall are you using? Please be precise, not vague, about the brand and version.

I will dl that and try it. I don't have a firewall and im using Norton 2004

edit: unless there is one built into my router?

 

[mechBgon]

Router's a good start, it'll keep the worm/hack traffic out as long as you don't have an infected system on "your side" of the router. Yeah, see if the Microsoft AntiSpyware spots anything amiss, have it do the full scan.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Router's a good start, it'll keep the worm/hack traffic out as long as you don't have an infected system on "your side" of the router. Yeah, see if the Microsoft AntiSpyware spots anything amiss, have it do the full scan.

TY for the suggestion but ms antispyware beta came up with 0 itmes detected on a full system scan. Seems like a nice program though, might have to keep this one installed.

 

[mechBgon]

What happens if you type anandtech.com in the Address Bar instead of www.anandtech.com? Seems to me I read something about this stuff recently... c'mon brain... *makes coffee, this will help*

 

[mechBgon]

k, try this CheapArse, in Microsoft AntiSpyware, go to Advanced Tools > Browser Restore, and hit "Check All" and then the Restore button. See if that has any effectola.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
What happens if you type anandtech.com in the Address Bar instead of www.anandtech.com? Seems to me I read something about this stuff recently... c'mon brain... *makes coffee, this will help*

without www it times out, but typing it with the www it loads perfectly fine

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
k, try this CheapArse, in Microsoft AntiSpyware, go to Advanced Tools > Browser Restore, and hit "Check All" and then the Restore button. See if that has any effectola.

doesnt seem to, msn, hotmail & gmail still time out.

 

[mechBgon]

Are your DNS servers both responding to pings?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Are your DNS servers both responding to pings?

How would I check such a thing?

 

[mechBgon]

Click Start > Run and type cmd in the Open box, then click OK. Tada, you got a command-prompt box now

Type ipconfig /all in the command-prompt window and it'll tell a variety of things including the IP addresses of your DNS servers. Mine are 66.239.255.15 and 66.239.255.16.

Now you can type ping 66.239.255.15 and likewise for the other one (use your DNS servers' IP addresses for your test), and see if they get replies, or if they time out.