Perplexing browser problem "Page not available" errors on good links <vanity>

self

[HairOfTheDog]

I have problem that is about to make me snap. There is a demon somewhere and I pray we can find it. It isn't all that easy to explain, but I shall try.

When browsing web pages and clicking links within web pages… I can be going along just fine for much of the day, and then suddenly my browser will begin to "act up" and rather than opening the desired page… it begins sending me to some other place in never never land instead. It isn't directing me to good sites from advertisers, like I have a sneaky adware file hidden somewhere... I am redirected to broken and non-existent sites... 404/405/408 "Page Not Available" pages.

Examples below are all from here at Free Republic for discussion purposes… but it is not only Free Republic that does this.

When I click to "My Comments" (or "Post reply" or "preview" or "Latest Posts" – in other words, any link, or even trying to refresh the thread):

Browser will take me instead to some other page, not always the same one, with the correct url displayed in the address bar, but not the right page.

A page that says for example:

Not Found

The requested URL /focus/fr/involved was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an
ErrorDocument to handle the request.

______________________________________________________________
Apache/1.3.22 Server at www.earthfiles.com Port 80

OR

HTTP Error 404

404 Not Found

The Web server cannot find the file or script you asked for. Please check the URL to ensure that the path is correct.

Please contact the server's administrator if this problem persists.

OR an error message from some other place (i.e. not a clean page) I was not really trying to go to, some really bizarre pages that I am quite sure I have never been to… Occasionally I get the Cannot Find Server or DNS error (When FR is not really down!) and occasionally it will just load a blank page.

A click to Preview a response may take me to a 404 "Page Not Available" page at USA Today or Webshots or TheOneRing.Net or The New York Times. It seems completely random...

System description:

- Dell Dimension
- Windows XP – all released patches are installed as soon as I receive the notifications
- IE 6 (Office 2000)
- (Note… Windows 98/Office 2000 was originally loaded with the machine… and I DID have this problem before upgrading also.)
- AT&T Broadband Cable internet… RCA Cable modem provided by the ISP
- XP Firewall on
- PC-Cillan in use, and kept updated.

What I have already done about it:

- Called tech support at my ISP many times, and been sent up through "tier 2 and tier 3".
- They think it is my browser.
…They have also blamed my firewall… no matter which one I was using.
…They have told me to call Dell

- I also have searched the MS Knowledge base without success, although I am not sure I am searching the right place, because I am not even sure what to call this problem.

- I have called my brother Ramius, who is an IS manager, and complained about it. He has given me the fixes I list below.

- I have gotten mad.

What I do to fix it when it happens

- Simply close the browser and reopen it… Sometimes it is fine afterwards… Often times not.
- Clear the DNS cache
- Run the "Repair" function in XP's Local Area Connection tools…
- Clear out my Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), shut off my modem, reboot, reset the IP.

Some or all of these things sometimes fixes the problem, or at least the problem stops for awhile, or it at least keeps me occupied. Sometimes I can go many days without trouble, and sometimes, I can't go two minutes without it recurring, no matter which fixes I do.

I am almost at my wit's end, and looking to find someone who has even heard of this trouble. There is nothing more frustrating to me than trying to post a reply in a good discussion, and after composing a reply, being sent to USA Today when I click Preview.

Just to give fair warning about my own bias, I am not going to buy a Mac, and I am not going to install Linux. My computer works wonderfully in every other way, is better than average, and is not old.

And I am a driver, not a mechanic, … I don't understand a lot about this, you will need to use basic terms with me…

And, I am not going to reformat my hard-drive as the first response unless you can tell me absolutely what the problem was in the first place, and why reformatting is the only way. I think reformatting is an extreme measure.

I know that many thousands of others use my Software and my ISP without this trouble… so neither is inherently flawed, at least not in this way. This has to be a particular bug that I have… Am I the first and only one to have it? Will the bug be named after me?

Can anyone help?

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks in advance for your time and help.... By the way... I have attempted to post this thread several times now, it previews fine, but "Post" is sent me to the Philadelphia Zoo webpage the first time, The Antique Tractor Shed the second time, and some other places I can't identify, with generic 404 errors on other attempts. I am trying to remain composed.

FRegards!

[HairOfTheDog]

FYI...

By the way, when trying to post this reply I got this lovely error:

HTTP/1.0 404 Az objektum nem található.

[HairOfTheDog]

It is funny when it isn't you, I can see that potential...

I hope someone here has an answer too! It is particularly bad today... Replying to you the first time I tried redirected me to the US food and Drug Administration...

I blew out my IP stack and rebooted again and so far so good.

[HairOfTheDog]

Pinging some folk from computer threads... is there a ping list for stuff like this?

[HairOfTheDog]

Boy what a freudian slip... I tried to ping you above, and you are the one I meant to ping... had to search to remember MS users on all those computer threads... Got the name confused.

Plea for help ping!

[HairOfTheDog]

Ping!

[HairOfTheDog]

John, is there a ping list or a more complete set of Keywords for technical stuff like this?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

If you are going to run repairs in XP, don't forget to disable the System Restore feature before doing so. Risky in case the repair doesn't work, but if you don't, then the repair won't "stick", if you know what I mean. On XP boxes I work on, I leave System Restore disabled for good. What about running IE repair (Add/Remove programs, Installed Programs, select IE and then Advanced...)? Has that worked?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

indexed

[HairOfTheDog]

I haven't done IE repair.... I didn't know about it.

What is the risk really with System Restore disabled? That the system won't restore if the whole system collapses? Would I be worried that only the repair wont be restored or that my whole show is gonna explode when I run the repair... Is it risky? I am willing to play good odds.

Shall I go run the IE repair or do you have any other warnings I should know about?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Lets use Fr mail...you got a message coming.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks!

[fnord]

Some ideas to try and pin down the problem:

- Have you tried another browser on this computer?

- Have you hooked up another computer to this connection?

- Have you hooked up this computer to another connection?

- Have you tried another modem?

Appears to be a DNS problem, but could be your computer, your browser, your connection, or somewhere upstream.

Good luck.

[Uncle Sausage]

You may indeed have an adware/spyware problem. Go to www.langa.com and use the site's search engine and search for 'adware'. The Langa List, both the free one and the pay site, is a user level bi-weekly news letter about hadrware, software and browsing problems.

[HairOfTheDog]

I have not run a lot of those tests to isolate the problem, because I only have one of each... the only thing I could do is use my emergency dialup account to see if I have the problem outside of my cable connection, but my lines are so bad I don't have the patience....

Thanks for your suggestions... I may bring a laptop home from work and see if it breaks when connected....

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks for the site... I will check it out... I don't think that is why I am broken, but it never hurts to look.

Curiously enough, after running the IE repair RBA recommended this afternoon, it has been behaving, but it has behaved for a time before....

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Wow, after reading the full description of the problem, I'll admit it's a real puzzler. I've discussed it with my Rose (she works tech support for Dell) but no obvious solution suggests itself. I'm pinging her so she can find this tomorrow; she's going to ask at work and see if anyone there has any ideas. Meanwhile, I'll do some thinking out loud....

The troubleshooting ideas suggested by fnord were all good ones. A few additional questions... did you upgrade to XP, or reformat and install XP? Have you always used the same firewall, or has the problem existed while using different firewalls? Have you tried running without the firewall? (Dangerous, I know...)

If you can download one of the freeware/shareware browsers and have it ready, then start it when IE starts acting up, this will tell you something... if the other browser works while IE is messing up, then you know the problem is IE; if both browsers screw up, then the problem is elsewhere... OS or network connection, most likely.

If you can bring home a laptop and hook it up to your cable modem, or run your home system on a dial-up link for a while, that will tell you if the problem is in your OS or your network connection. Once you know that, you'll know what steps to take to fix the problem.

That's all I can think of tonight... how's that for a start?

[Rose in RoseBear]

Hair ...

If you haven't already reformatted your HDD, I have a few alternatives for you. I'm typing them up, and hope to post 'em tomorrow. Right now, I have to go to bed!

Take care!

[HairOfTheDog]

I am not going to reformat my Hard Drive! - Was never part of the plan.... I have a little bug, not a terminal cancer. Thanks for thinking about me... look forward to your suggestions.