Browser Problems in XP

[Vortex]

Hello! I've been having similar issues, except not just with firefox. Opera, IE, Firefox, Chrome... None of them can access certain sites. Currently the problem is limited to facebook.com and kingdomofloathing.com

 

There real kicker is this, though: If I even run a search engine with the words "facebook" or "kingdom of loathing" in it, I get the EXACT SAME error message,

 

 

Connection Interrupted

The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading

The network link was interrupted while negotiating a connection. Please try again.

 

 

I get a message similar to this on my other browsers. They all say the the page is temporarily unavailable. I have XP professional, SP2, and am running Norton 360 version 2. I don't think this is a firewall issue, though. I've shut my firewall off and turned off any other "protections" provided by my antivirus and still get the same errors.

 

This problem is limited to my laptop. None of the other computers in my house have this issue.

[BeeCeeBee]

It sounds like a malware issue to me Vortex, but try to do a system restore back to before this happened and see if it cures the problem. I have my doubts but it is worth a try.

 

Just go to program files then accessories then system tools and finally system restore. The instructions are pretty simple to follow from there.

[Vortex]

Okay, I restored it, but still have the same error. If it's malware, why isn't Norton picking it up?

[BeeCeeBee]

There are a number of reasons why this may be malware.

 

We have had 3 virtually identical issues posted within a 24 hour period.

 

It is attacking your ability to reach certain sites but not others.

 

Your pc is running with Service Pack 2 which can leave it more vulnerable and suggests that you may not have been downloading and installing other updates as well.

 

You mention only Norton and no antimalware programs or firewall.

 

It is unlikely that you altered the settings on every browser that you mentioned.

 

I would suggest that you follow our disinfection procedure that follows and let us know how you get on.

 

I would then suggest that you take a serious look at how best to protect your pc in the future. We will be glad to help you with that.

 

Your computer maybe infected with Malware. Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. It is a combination of the words malicious and software. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

 

It is in your best interest to note the following:

1. Please disable your resident security applications (such as AVG, Spybot, WinPatrol, etc.) before performing the below procedure so that they do not interfere with the process.
   
2. Perform all the steps in the order listed to avoid any conflicts.
   
3. If unsure, please stop and voice your doubts.
   
4. You might be required to go offline during the disinfection process. Therefore, it is recommended to print off the instructions below for ease of reference.
   

If you stick to the above guidelines, all should go smoothly.

 

================================================

STEP 1

1. Download ATF-Cleaner by Atribune.
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click on the file to run the program.
   
4. On the Main tab, check the Select All button.
   
5. Next, click on the Firefox tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button.
    
   Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Firefox, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
   
6. Now, click on the Opera tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button.
    
   Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Opera, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
   
7. Press the Empty Selected button and click OK to acknowledge the corresponding prompt.
   
8. Click on the Exit button to quit the program.
   

================================================

STEP 2

1. Please click here to download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
   
4. At the end, make sure a check mark is placed next to:
   
   1. 
      
   2. Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
      
   3. Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
      

 

[*] Click Finish.

[*] The program will download and update itself if it finds the necessity to do so. Please allow this.

[*] Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.

 

Note: Depending on your computer specifications, the scan may take some time to complete. Please wait patiently and do not interrupt the process.

[*] When the scan is complete, click OK, and then Show Results to view the results.

[*] Make sure that every entry is selected, and click Remove Selected.

[*] Restart your computer.

================================================

STEP 3

1. Please click here to download SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version).
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
   
4. Open SUPERAntiSpyware.
   
5. Under Configuration and Preferences, click the Preferences button.
   
6. Click the Scanning Control tab.
   
7. Under Scanner Options make sure the following fields checked:
   

    

   [*] Click the Close button to leave the control center screen.

   [*] On the main screen, under Scan for Harmful Software click Scan your computer.

   [*] On the left, make sure you check mark C:\Fixed Drive.

   [*] On the right, under Complete Scan, choose Perform Complete Scan.

   [*] Click Next to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer.

   [*] After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click OK.

   [*] Make sure every entry has a check mark next to it and click Next.

   [*] A notification will appear that Quarantine and Removal is Complete. Click OK and then Finish to return to the main menu.

   [*] Restart your computer.

   ================================================

   STEP 4
   1. Please visit the ESET Online Scanner, using Internet Explorer to initiate the scan.
       
      Note: If you are running Windows Vista, then you will need Administrative privileges to complete the latter part of the procedure. To do so, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Start Menu and select the Run As Administrator option in the shell context menu.
      
   2. Check mark the YES, I accept the Terms of Use box.
      
   3. Click the Start button.
      
   4. Click the Install button on the following screen.
      
   5. Click Start. This will will initialize and update the scanner engine.
      
   6. Check mark the box beside Remove found threats.
      
   7. Click the Scan button. This will start the scan. Please be patient while it is in progress.
      
   8. Restart your computer.
      

   ================================================

   STEP 5
   1. Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and select System Restore.
      
   2. Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen and click Next. Give the restore point a name then click Create. The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a note of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
      
   3. Next, click on Start > Run, type Cleanmgr and click on OK.
      
   4. Click on the More Options tab.
      
   5. Click the Clean Up button in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the most recent one.
      

   This will remove any infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in "System Restore" are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only foolproof way to ensure the deletion of those files.

    

   Note: Please don't use it on a regular basis as this will clear all previous restore points. The feature might be very useful to revert your computer to working condition if something goes wrong.

    

   Re-enable all your security applications and please return here and tell us how the computer seems to be operating.

    

   Happy Safe Computing! http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/../images/additional-smilies/thumb.gif

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