[ersholt]

Hi there...
For a few weeks I have had problems loading SOME internet sites. It seems like something is blocking only SOME popular internet servers. They either don't load, or it takes ages (10-20 minutes) and even after that they don't load correctly.
For example, I can't open Apple.com (something is blocking the server images.apple.com) or eBay.com (something is blocking the server include.ebaystatic.com), and in hotmail most button images do not load (something is blocking the server gfx2.hotmail.com).
Most other internet sites load without any problems at all, including images. The problem ONLY exists with SOME specific internet sites!!!
I have scanned my computer with an endless number of scanners including AVG and SUPER-AS, everything comes out clean. I have Norton running, and I have also tried disabling it of course, but no change. Disabling Windows Firewall doesn't help either (but again, those programs have been running for a long time without causing any problems).
I have cleaned my computer with ATF-Cleaner (and others), defragmented my disk, and I've even done a file search for those server name strings, but they don't exist in any file on my computer. It is for sure NOT a specific browser problem either because Firefox and IE show exactly the same behavior, started doing so at the same time.
I have found multiple questions about this problem in various forums but they all turn out with no solutions. One guy apparently fixed the problem by completely re-installing his computer, but that's not an option for me (I'd rather buy a new one).
Anyone has any ideas? Is the problem maybe located on the internet itself?
Dan

[ersholt]

Hi, me again
- no-one has any suggestions?
For some reason, yesterday everything suddenly worked, and I took the opportunity to download the new Safari browser from Apple (it sucks, by the way).
But after a couple of hours the problem suddenly came back, blocking the same sites again, both when using Safari, IE and Firefox.
Are there ghosts on the internet at the moment?
Dan

[hewee]

You got a hosts file and or blocking the java script?

Then you said Safari browser was ok seeing the pages but then it also was blocking things.
Did this happen after a reboot.

If not the hosts file or java script then my guess it's your firewall.

[ersholt]

Hi again

Thanks for your kind advice. I have checked my HOSTS file, it is clean as a baby with only Localhost defined. I have also tried disabling both Norton and Windows Firewall, no change.

BUT BUT: TWO times the past few days things suddenly worked. Both times, when I turned on my monitor in the morning, there was a scan result window from XoftSpySE saying that it had found a security risk. I have installed that program among others recently just to try everything possible to solve the problem. I found that it had created a self-starting scheduled task on my computer, so it automatically starts two times a week to perform a scan.

The MYSTERIOUS thing is, that XoftSpySE will NOT remove the found problems unless you purchase the product, which I have NOT done. I just closed the window again, but even then the problem with blocked websites was gone - at least for a while!

NOW my question is: Does XoftSpySE create that problem in order to make me purchase the product to "fix" it? It's just a wild guess, but something is not right. I have now removed the scheduled task and I'm crossing my fingers hoping the problem with blocked websites won't come back

Anybody has any similar experiences with XoftSpySE?

[willyd73]

I recently got a message about a java script issue as well, but the message disappeared and I haven't seen it since...scans turn up nothing, but high traffic sites like myspace, digg etc. have stopped loading properly...it is as if the sites from the top 10000 web sites on the net have the issue but others don't. Have you been able to find any reason for this behavior?

Pictures won't load on MySpace.com , graphic links won't load on another site, yahoo mail had all graphics stripped...I thought they were all isolated events, but seeing your post makes me wonder.

[hollywriter]

I was curious if there were any fixes for this yet as I'm having the same problem. I cannot access most microsoft.com sites including hotmail and msn messenger service or windows updates. Also, Shockwave and various sites won't load. I can access https sites and google mail, even msn.com loads.

I've been on the phone with microsoft tech support for two hours and they can't seem to fix it. We reset all firewall, security settings and even restored to a system restore point prior to when the issue started. No luck. We even renamed the hosts files.

Has anyone identified or fixed this problem? Is it a trojan that's randomly preventing some sites? Is it my network somehow? Firefox won't work with the same pages that won't work with IE7, incidentally. No virus or antispyware has found the problem.

I'm kinda desperate and while there have been several posts on the web with this issue, there's been no solution yet. Any ideas?

[liquidpig]

I'm having the exact same problem you are, down to a T. I've tried several things and nothing seems to make a difference. I've scoured the internet for help, but nothing works. I hope someone finds a solution soon!

[jenny81]

having the same problem only since setting up my wirless network neither my pc or laptop will connect to hotmail, microsoft sites, myspace, bebo ect also my msn messenger wont sign in
very frustrating

[hollywriter]

I should have mentioned that I'm on a wireless network as well. When I got to a computer on the same network, it seems to work.

Microsoft Windows and Virus tech support have no clue how to fix this issue either...I've seen some suggestions it's a DNS problem, but again...not something I changed on my machine. The only things I've done recently is install a quicktime update, which i have uninstalled, and my virus scanner found js/SpaceStalk and deleted it. Looking into that, it was a myspace borne trojan that shouldn't have had an impact, but I have no idea...

[willyd73]

you have to change the settings from obtain dns servers automatically to specific ones that your isp can give you. (In tcp/ip settings in your internet connection). This worked for me. Hopefully it can work for someone else. Also, google dhcp and linksys routers for additional resources.

[Spaz Munky]

Originally Posted by willyd73

you have to change the settings from obtain dns servers automatically to specific ones that your isp can give you. (In tcp/ip settings in your internet connection). This worked for me. Hopefully it can work for someone else. Also, google dhcp and linksys routers for additional resources.

could you err..post a tutorial on this perhaps?

[bicycle bill]

Thought i would throw this out.

SOME SITES DO NOT RECOGNIZE IE 7 AS LATEST BROWSER

Some web sites are disigned to identify internet Explorer 6 as the latest version of IE. WHen you use IE7 to visit these Web sites,the Web sites incorrectly identify it as an outdated version.
There is a free tool to work around this. The tool creates a browser window that emulates IE6,tricking the Web site into playing nice. Free here. go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=70356To use it,double-click the User Agent string Utility icon. C Lick "just change my settings." click "change setings".

[hollywriter]

Is it some sick irony that microsoft sites won't recognize IE7? I find I can't reach most microsoft sites, msn messenger, windows update, and outlook express won't even access the mail servers, so whatever the problem is reaches beyond IE as well I think.

Can't hurt to try that though!

Thanks for all the responses. I'll try to get the dns addresses.

any ideas why it was working and then stopped working? Wayport, the service providing the wireless access for my hotel, says they hadn't changed anything with their network. I'm assuming it's something I installed (quicktime update was all I installed and then uninstalled).

[coppes4]

I too am having this problem now as well. I can surf some sites no problem but a lot of my favs aren't coming up. And my isp isn't any help at all.

[hollywriter]

I got the dns addresses from my ISP and that didn't work either. He also watched my connection and network activity when I tried surfing to web sites. He couldn't see any issues and had no problem connecting to the sites through the same wireless access point.

I tried the IE 6 emulator and that didn't work.

I will have to wait to this weekend when I will actually use a cable connection to see if I can get access...at least then I'll know if it's a software or maybe even a hardware issue. I really wish I knew what happened. The fact that creating a restore point doesn't fix it is really really frustrating!