Strange ad blocking

[Guest]

Suddenly now when I go into legitimate web sites with ads, like Washington
Post, Huff Post etc, some of the ads struggle to load and then I get the "I
Page cannot be displayed" screen in the space where the ad should be. The
content part of the page does load but very slowly. It can take minutes.
During that time it appears to be trying to access a doubleclick.net url.
This is making it impossible to enjoy these sites. I have disabled pop-up
blocker, done two different types of adware scans and there is nothing
unusual showing in hijackthis. I never thought I would say this but how do I
get the ads back so the pages will load fast again.

 

[Malke]

Suddenly now when I go into legitimate web sites with ads, like Washington
Post, Huff Post etc, some of the ads struggle to load and then I get the "I
Page cannot be displayed" screen in the space where the ad should be. The
content part of the page does load but very slowly. It can take minutes.
During that time it appears to be trying to access a doubleclick.net url.
This is making it impossible to enjoy these sites. I have disabled pop-up
blocker, done two different types of adware scans and there is nothing
unusual showing in hijackthis. I never thought I would say this but how do I
get the ads back so the pages will load fast again.

1. What browser are you using?
2. Since this happened suddenly, what changed between the time it worked
and the time it didn't?
3. What other security software do you have in place? Norton or McAfee
products? Other antispyware product?


Malke

 

[PA Bear]

Sounds like you're using a custom hosts file.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for responding; I use IE6 and have zone alarm and mcafee. Nothing
special happened but one adware got through my firewall and I deleted it.
Next day I had this mess. It sometimes says it is trying to get to
192.178.200.3

 

[Guest]

What is a custom hosts file?

Sounds like you're using a custom hosts file.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.org/

 

[HeyBub]

What is a custom hosts file?

:

A HOSTS file that's been customized. The HOSTS file normally does not exist
but can be created and populated with IP addressess that are verbotten.

 

[Poprivet]

What is a custom hosts file?

It means a HOSTS file you've somehow added/deleted items from. You can
learn more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file

If the sites are in the HOSTS (no extension) file, ads should just be
bypassed and forgotten, with the notice you mentioned. Check your HOSTS
file to see that the 127... reference is correct.

It's located at:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

HTH

Pop`