[Resolved] page cannot be displayed

[byron]

This is a tough one and driving me nutz. All of a sudden I cannot load certain pages.
I get messages like "the page cannot be displayed" and a message at the bottom saying "cannot find server or DNS error"
Also I note that on many pages the banners that would normally appear do not appear, instead I get the message where the banner would normally be "the page cannot be displayed"
My settings are correct for IE6. Using Netscape 6.1 and get this message "the page cannot be contacted" Using Opera nothing happens it just sits there.
I believe this problem has nothing to do with the Browser(s) and wonder if something else in W98 is corrupted. I have run the latest Virus Scanners which reveal nothing although I was hit by the badtrans virus a few days ago (now cleared)
For gawds sake someone help me as two of the sites involved I really need to visit daily.

 

[Max19]

What are the sites? Could they just be down? Did you try refreshing the page?

 

[Rollin' Rog]

It rather sounds like either your wsock32.dll is corrupt or there have been some changes to your winsock vxd's in the registry. These can occur from the installation of so called "legitimate" programs as well as virus infections. Some "legit" programs which do it are webhancer, new.net and web3000. Run msconfig and look in your startup group to see if you have any of those.

Replacing your wsock32.dll would be a good step.

See the link below about restoring the registry winsock keys.

You may also be having a problem with your ISP access number, try a different one if you can.

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q241344

http://www.claymania.com/wsock32-extraction.html

When these issues tend to occur on specific sites but not on others, and when they are not due to the site itself, the problem may be due to the existence of a HOSTS file in windows. Not Hosts.sam, but one with no extension. If you find one, rename it "GHOSTS" and try your connection.

 

[byron]

I love you and I want to have your Baby
I tried the easiest option first, looked for 'hosts' without an extension, sure enough there it was. I renamed it 'ghosts'
lo and behold, everything worked again.
Thanks a thousandfold.
Just one thing, any ideas how it could have got there?

 

[Rollin' Rog]

It's occasionally used by some ISPs to provide accelerated DNS resolution. Some 3rd party web accelerators use it also. Problem is when the IPs in the HOSTS file get changed then you get a "page cannot be displayed" error.

I was kinda doubting it was the problem since I wasn't sure if all browsers used it. But evidently they do. Anyway glad I included that in my mention of possible causes.

We'll have to wait on the baby stuff, I don't think science has advanced that far yet