Windows XP Can anyone PLEASE HELP....??

[investx]

I've been able to access certain websites with no problem at all for a while, then all of a sudden - I cannot access a couple of sites.

One site - was the Internet Explorer page which was set as the homepage when IE starts. This won't load. It was the support page for the computer company from whom I bought the PC.

This isn't really a problem - I never use that page anyway.

I do know that there is a virus / Trojan that attacks your IE homepage and hijacks it, taking you to other sites - but this doesn't take me anywhere - just get an error that says Cannot Load Webpage.

The main problem is another website which will no longer load.

I try it as www.
I try it as http://
I try is as http://www.
I even try it as the IP address http://XX.XXX.XX.XX

NOTHING

Page Cannot be Displayed.

If I just use the www - I get a DNS Error message via MSN.

But I know for a fact that the DNS is working correct, the nameservers are correct, the DNS has propagated correctly, the site has been successfully PINGED.

Even if I try to access the Cpanel - no luck.
www.SITENAME.com/cpanel
http://www.SITENAME.com/cpanel
http://SITENAME.com/cpanel
http://XX.XXX.XX.XXX/cpanel

NOTHING????

I have checked with Tech Support at the network host - no problems at their side.

I CAN load the website on other PC's - just not the one at home anymore??

PLUS - this gets me as well - the email addresses for the website are programmed into my Outlook Express for collection / downloading - and the email WAS getting through - but now Outlook Express tries, and fails - telling me it cannot find the host????

I have ran 3 separate Virus Scans - clean. I run Pc-cillin antivirus 24/7.
I have ran Spyware software - again - runs 24/7
I have firewall running 24/7.

I have the latest Windows Updates installed.
I have reset Internet Settings.
I have Reset Homepage.
I have rebooted time and again.

I assume that I have done something to screw up something on the PC - some registry mess has happened somewhere??

Do you have any suggestions or ideas??

Cheers

Hope this makes sense!

 

[Me__2001]

what virus/spyware/adaware scanners do you have? are they up to date and when did you last scan ?

 

[Ian]

Your ISP may be having some connectivity problems with certain sites - try using http://www.alertra.com/ to see if the webpage is running

 

[investx]

Hi

I'm using the latest version of PC-cillin, fully updated (from Trend Micro)

I also ran other virus checks to make sure.

Thanks

 

[investx]

Hi

Thanks for the tip re http://www.alertra.com - I will remember that in the future!

I ran the test - all results were OK.

Looks like it's just my PC.

 

[Stevecook]

I assume you looked in Internet Options - Security - Restricted Sites, although how the sites could get there is a mistery.
Another place to look is in the Windows\System 32\drivers\etc\hosts file, just maybe one of your spyware programs thought they were spyware and blocked them this way.

 

[investx]

Hi Steve

I checked the restricted sites - all clear - nothing there.

I checked windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts file - apart from TEXT only - there is one line of code - an IP address (not the site) and 'localhost'.