Windows XP Internet troubles

[Bennie]

Hey
I am having trouble with the internet. I can connect to the internet through dialup and broadband and i can go to web sites such as google and others and i can search and all. But i cant up date my antvirus or spyware products and when i go to sign into hotmail, it lets me put my detals in but when u click sign in it say something like page cannot be displayed or server not found.
Please can someone help me. Im sic of using the olds computer.
Thanks

 

[montag451]

Are you using IE?
Have you got the security settings too high? (as if)

Can you log in using opera? for example - free to download and try - easy to setup , and if you don't like, clean to uninstall.
http://www.opera.com/download/get.pl?id=27561

But anyway, back to the problem
Slide that security settings slider back down to medium, or better still, set the settings to default.
Restart IE
Retry.
Post back.

 

[Bennie]

Yeah i checked. They are all on medium, medium low and restricted sites on high. I also cant get onto network aka get files from oter computers. I thought it might be a winsock error so i ran a winsock fix, but that didnt do it

 

[FlyingPenguin]

The fact that you can't update update anti-virus or anti-spyware makes me suspicious. You may have had your HOSTS file compromised.

Next, find your HOSTS file and make sure the ONLY entry is:
127.0.0.1 localhost
(any lines starting with a # sign are just remarks and are ignored).

Your HOSTS file is located here:
Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Win 98\ME = C:\WINDOWS

SCROLL DOWN through the HOSTS file to make sure there are no other entries!!! Many spyware add the entries after a long blank area in the file so you don't see it unless you scroll down.

A simpler way to manage your HOSTS file is to use the HOSTER utility available here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Hoster_d4626.html

If your hosts file is compromised it's probably due to spyware. Even if your HOSTS file is not compromised, you may have some spyware or virus sitting on your TCP/IP stack and blocking access to certain sites.

Please refer to my detailed spyware removal instructions here: http://theflyingpenguin.com/spyware-removal.shtml
Then run a FULL virus scan from SAFEMODE.

Hope this helps...

 

[Bennie]

Thanks, i tried that but it did not work. I still cant connect to update servers or get nto hotmail. Do you have any other ideas.
Thanks

 

[Medea]

Try running an online scanner - Trend Micro (for all browsers)