[pandemoniumreigns]

Tech help needed, browsers will not open any site but google...

This is a dell optiplex , p-4, 1900 meg w/256 meg of ram running windows xp pro...It is connected via ethernet to a cable modem.

isp ping- 4 packets sent, 4 packets received, none lost.

Here's the background...

After being on one of the canteens the other night, I left the computer running and went to bed (my bad, I know). The next morning I roused the computer and scanned the rest of the page then hit the next page...nothing. I tried to open numerous other of my regular sites and got nothing til I hit google, bam there it was. When I put anything in the search box, the correct results page pops but none of the links will load. Same goes for image search.

I have run adaware, symantec and a trojan hunter. they found very little and there was no change. I installed firefox, nothing...

BTW I was running opera at the time and tried IE, all with and without the firewall on...

This is a home network and the host works fine.

HELP MEEEEEE>>>>

[knittnmom]

Have you tried rebooting? (9 out of 10 times, that’ll resolve quirky things.)

[Mr. K]

then how did you get on here?

[kevkrom]

Sounds like maybe DNS is down, and only the cached address of Google is available to your system.

[knittnmom]

You also may wish to turn off (or unplug) your router for several minutes (which should clear the buffer) and then try again. Good luck.

[Non-Sequitur]

The google screen is probably from cache. Sounds like problems with your internet connection. Recycle your modem by disconnecting the power and waiting about 5 minutes. Then plug it back in, wait for a few seconds, and then give it a try. If that doesn’t work call your internet service provider.

[Non-Sequitur]

You realize that this is probably the only computer help desk in existence not staffed exclusively in Mumbai?

[keat]

This could be part of google’s strategy to drive revenue. It’s pretty brilliant actually.

[bedolido]

(if using a PC)

go into:

1) programs
2) accessories
3) system tools
4) disk cleanup

this will clear out your cache and unneeded files.

[tall_tex]

Simular thing happened to my wife's computer a couple of weeks ago. Tech said the browser was hijacked. He had to reinstall XP Home. Norton didn't catch it. In fact it took over Norton. Working fine now. Good luck.

[Spiff]

It sounds like a DNS problem. You said that you know how to do a ping, so I assume that you can open a command line and enter commands. Do this:

Enter ipconfig /all

Look at the IP addresses of the DNS servers.

Try pinging them.

What do you get?

[jdm]

In the future, I would recommend SuperAntiSpyware. One of the best I've encountered. Not that AdAware and Spybot stink, but they're like sooooooooooooo 2004. :O)

[knittnmom]

Have you tried using the “go back” feature from XP? http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx

[jdm]

Is there anyway you can try to log on via phone line, using a 56K modem, just in order to try something like LSPFix and see if that fixes the problem?

[Redcloak]

Do you know if you have automatic updates enabled? If you do, there’s a chance that good ol’ MSFT broke something. You can try doing a roll back. From the Start menu, go to Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, then choose System Restore. Choose a system checkpoint from a day when the box was a happy camper and see what happens.

You could also try installing Firefox. Since it won’t have been around when whatever the badness was happened, it may not be affected. (You’d be installing it over the top of whatever it is that screwing things up.)