cannot access microsoft.com website

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob

For the past two weeks I cannot gain access to the
microsoft.com website. I am using IE 6.0 on my home
computer via a broadband connection. I am getting
the "The page cannot be displayed." error message
regardles of when I try to access microsoft.com from
home. I am able to access any other site that I try. I
can access microsoft.com from my office computer - also
using IE 6.0 via a T-3 / LAN connection.

Any ideas?
 
Look for a file named HOSTS with no extension (not Hosts.sam). If you find
it rename it to HOSTS.OLD
 
-----Original Message-----
For the past two weeks I cannot gain access to the
microsoft.com website. I am using IE 6.0 on my home
computer via a broadband connection. I am getting
the "The page cannot be displayed." error message
regardles of when I try to access microsoft.com from
home. I am able to access any other site that I try. I
can access microsoft.com from my office computer - also
using IE 6.0 via a T-3 / LAN connection.

Any ideas?

.
Hi Bob I too have the exact same problem.I went into the
Click to expand...
hosts file and deleted everything I could find related to
Microsoft.That allowed me access to microsoft's main page
but still no support or windows update.I found while
surfing other forum's if you type in the ENTIRE URL you
can gain access as in
http://www.support.microsoft.com/newsgroups

Put the www. in front of support.Thats how I got to the
forums on this computer.Can access it just fine on the
other computer on the network.The working one has XP Pro
and the screwed up one XP Home.Both are connected to the
net via cable and a D-Link 2.4 ghz router.I'll keep my
eyes open for a fix a post it here if I fine it....good
luck!!!!
 
Frank-
Thanks, this worked and I was able to get most recent
Windows updates. Susequent attempts to access microsoft
site failed and I found that the HOSTS file had been
regenerated. I assigned a different extension to this
new file and could again access the site(s) for one or
two times.

Will I need to go through this process whwnever I need to
access microsoft sites?

Bob
 
How about "Alexa" ?

-----Original Message-----
Bob - something is writing to your hosts file, and I
Click to expand...
would suspect spyware/malware or a trojan.
Usually they're placed there by spyware/malware that's
Click to expand...
gotten installed on your system. Use Ad-Aware or Spybot
Search & Destroy to remove it.
Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Spybot: http://security.kolla.de/
(Good site on how to install and use Spybot - http://www.tomcoyote.org/SPYBOT/)

More information here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ - runs a little script
Click to expand...
when loading page to check for common parasites
If no joy, in IE go to Tools...Internet
Click to expand...
Options...Advanced tab, Browsing section, uncheck "Enable
third-party browser extensions", click Apply, click Okay,
reboot. If that solves your problem, then more
troubleshooting is needed to find out exactly which
program, or Browser Helper Object (BHO) is causing this
problem. You don't want to leave it at that, as some
BHOs are useful or necessary - like Adobe Acrobat for
reading .pdf files or an essential component of Norton
AV. Get BHODemon -
http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm - read
all about BHOs. Disable all items, and then gradually
replace one or two at a time to narrow down the culprit.
 
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