browser problem

[Francesca]

I am nearly certain this is unrelated to a hijacking as my browser is not redirecting. For some reason about 50% of the sites I regularly check (including ebay and a family website) are either all coincidently down or else my browser is unable to view them/find them.. I am not sure. I have cable modem and this is not a time out issue (I get the "This page cannot be displayed...") message after a long attempt at loading the page. I have not changed my security settings since I last checked these sites yesterday. I have just run ad-aware, Win Doctor and Nortons scans ...nothing. Any ideas on what the problem is..... I need to check ebay as I have auctions running.... I don't believe they are down but my browser can't locate the page. I am running XP and using explorer and did install the service pack 2 a few weeks ago........................ Additionally should I try another browser and if so any recommendations?????

Thanks in advance. Last time I had a problem and posted it here I got more useful responses than i did on all the tech support sites i posted to combined... I love you people!!!!!!!!

[Berserker]

1. Have you tried this

Tech Support site?
http://forums.techguy.org/

[Paradise]

2. i'm getting ebay. n/t

[Maestro]

3. It could be your ISP having some problems

or is your firewall having issues all of a sudden closing ports? However since you installed SP2 I would just go into Add/Remove programs and remove SP2. If you can browse afterwards then you know that SP2 was trying to close ports, dynamically, which I have never heard of, or for some reason SP2 wasn't wanting to allow access. I had to uninstall SP2 on my father's computer becasue he could connect to the Internet but couldn't browse.

Alternatively, you could figure via your firewall what port SP2 is using and just manually open it and tell it to never close.

[coreystone]

5. I had a big problem with SP2.....

I was attempting to link to the live stream of The Guy James Show about a month ago. I had just viewed a Bill Moyer's documentary only hours before. I couldn't get on Guy's stream. I contacted MS, and, eventually I was walked through the process of removing SP2 from my computer. It worked! I don't why it was interferring with only Guy's stream, when I could get everything else, but, I think my problem had to do with the "extension" (file type?) being not recognized by SP2. I really don't know!

Good Luck!

:-)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. When you get a "not responding" message...

...can you go to another site (not one of the 50% you're having a problem with) and connect at your usual speed?

The reason I ask is that a couple of months ago I had a problem that ended up being something wrong on my ISP's end, that...after almost a month...they fixed.

I would get a message at the bottom of the screen "Resolving host..." and the name of the site I was trying to access. Eventually, it would "time-out" When this happened, I couldn't get ANY site to load.

Sometimes the "This page cannot be displayed..." message is because it has been moved on the host site's servers, other times it can be due to high traffic to the site or a number of other issues. It can also be the result of a connection problem that you are having.

A browser hijacking will re-direct you or feed you unwanted pop-ups, but I don't know of a situation in which you selectively can't access sites.

When / if it happens again, you'll want to go to your bookmarks and see if you can get ANY site to load. Clean your cache first...you want it to load from the server site, not your hard drive. If you freeze up on one or two sites but can quickly load others at cable modem speed, you've narrowed down the problem.

[Francesca]

6. I have no problem going to CNN, yahoo

this site, my local news channel and my own website. They load fine. I agree this is not a hijacking as I am not redirecting only after a long delay getting the message that the "Page cannot be displayed...check your settings." etc. The problem with ebay is obviously on my end as some one here just told me they were able to get to them. I just reset my security settings on explorer to defaults and this did nothing for me.......

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. In that case, I agree with Maestro...time to check your firewall settings

I use Zone Alarm Pro, which had zero "after-effects" following the Windows XP Service Pack 2 update.

Second option, check the sites you are having problems with in a different browser. Same problem in multiple browsers and you can load other pages, then:

1). Firewall issue

2). Site issue (includes heavy traffic to site): unlikely if others can access with no problem

[Francesca]

9. Thanks for the suggestions

Very kind of you and I will try working on the firewall issue.

[izzie]

7. All this talk is to much for me.

Some of the words are starting to ring a bell so maybe I am also ill.