Solved: None of my browsers will go to certain websites. Please help, I beg you.

Here's the deal. Around Tuesday, (this is Sunday) all of my web browsers stopped goin to some of my favorite websites. The sites include www.dvdtalk.com, www.fatwallet.com, and www.columbiahouse.com . I have no idea what's causing this and it's really starting to irritate me. Please help. I've gotten great advice from the members of this site before, and I could really use some now.

I should elaborate. When I try to type in these URL's or link to them from another site, I get the "cannot find server" or the "page not available" screen. I know it's not a problem with my connection, because we have another computer hooked up to this same connection, and that machine can get to all of the sites.

I'm running Win98, and using IE6, Netscape 5.x, and Opera6. I use Zonealarm pro as a software firewall. I have a cable modem connection.

I've tried deleting all of my cookies, and everything in the temporary internet files. I've uninstalled IE 5.5 and d/l'd IE 6.0. I don't have a proxy setup.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
green.

 

My advice is go to housecalls & run the free online virus scanner.
Click here to do so!

for a free virus scanner you can add to your system( if you need one )... go get AVG. Click here to download AVG

and to protect yourself from hackers etc... Get Zone Alarm
Click here the free version is fine


then there is spyware ... go get Ad-Aware
Click here to download it


this should get & keep you in pretty good shape. if not... let us know

Savvy

PS I just tried your links... unless you made an error ... only one is working. ( Columbia )

 

Thanks. I ran Norton antivirus and it said my system was free of viruses. I already have Zonealarm pro installed, and also have ad-aware. I ran all of those and everything was fine. I know www.dvdtalk.com is working because i was on it tonight at a friend's house and on our second computer. I can say for sure if www.fatwallet.com is working, as I haven't been able to get to it and all.

Thanks for your suggestions, any others?

green

 

i got 'bad gateway' messages for the first two, now they work fine
columbia worked fine all along.

strange - maybe they were just temporarily down when you tried

 

Do a Find Files search for HOSTS, if you find it, it will be in the Windows directory and have no extension (not Hosts.sam).

This is a file that is used by web accelerators and some ISPs for faster DNS resolution by associating domain names with IPs. When the IPs change you can get the kinds of errors you are receiving.

If you have the file, just rename it GHOSTS -- or you can open it in Notepad and manually edit it to reflect the proper IPs if you know what they should be.

 

I think the server was down last night. Im able to get to them now.
Savvy

 

Rollin' Rog,

Changing the filename from HOSTS to GHOSTS worked!!! THANK YOU!!

I will now name my first born son Rollin' Rog!!

Seriously, I've been trying to figure this out since tuesday, so thank you very much.

green.

 

Super, that particular file is the first thing I think of when people suddenly start having problems getting to specific sites which they have confirmed are available using other systems. At least half the time -- there it is!