IE restricting internet access

nigelclose

Internet Explorer will not allow me to acess the synmantec.com homepage. I seem to always receive the page "cannot find server" and "this page cannot be displayed". I have a broadband connection and I seem to be able to view any web page except for this one. I need access to this page to run a live update on my Norton 2004 antivirus software. Can anyone help????
Its driving me NUTSS!!!!!

Godders

Erm - the homepage is https://www.symantec.com but I suspect this was just a spelling mistake (synmantec) while posting.

Can you get to https://www.symantec.co.uk or securityresponse.symantec.com?

Are you navigating using Internet Explorer to Symantec.com or running liveupdate itself (and it is failing to contact the site during the update process)?

Try checking your hosts file for an entry for symantec.com (in XP the file is in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc) - edit it in notepad and look for an entry for symantec along the lines of:

https://www.symantec.com 127.0.0.1

if there is one there then delete the whole line.

There are more tests you can do to make sure your PC is getting the right address for symantec if none of this helps.

wirm

I have the same problem

Godders

All the time or just recently?

I can get through just fine to all of them (and have have refreshed the page so it is not cached!

***Added***

I have been browsing for this problem, you may have been hit by a virus which modifies your hosts file (as per my first post) to prevent you from getting to Anti Virus Vendors sites.  Please check this first - note that the virus may have put a ton of blank lines in so make sure you scroll all the way down! You can also try going to a command prompt and type

ping https://www.symantec.com

See what it resolves to (it shouldn't be 127.0.0.1).

More info here:

http://www.ariejan.net/content/view/43/2/

sweep9

Reset your hosts.txt file. To do this, go into notepad...

Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad

... and straight away click ...

File > Save

... and navigate to the windows directory (normally Local disk c: and then windows). Change the file name to save to 'hosts.txt' and click save.

To protect yourself from further changes, find the file hosts.txt and right click using the right hand mouse button. Then click on properties. Finally click the box that says read only.

Godders

Couple of small things, the file used by windows for name resolution is called 'hosts' (no extension)  not 'hosts.txt', and where it is kept depends on which version of windows you are using.

Windows 95/98 etc keep it in C:\Windows
Windows NT, XP keep it in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc

However, marking it as read only is a good tip (which I had not heard of before) as long as it does not break anything (and offhand I can't think anything it would break)

wirm

OK loads of people have posted different things but can someone post step by step what I need to do!

Cheers,

wirm

Fran

Hi Wirm,

I see you're looking for another browser - good idea as you should be able to get to the security websites to sort out your problem. Mozilla download

Fran

Wirm,

If you are having difficulty sorting this out (I had so many things popping up literally every minute so kept losing track when I had trojan problems) - post on this forum Spywareinfo Forum. You will need to post a copy of Hijackthis log which you can download from here. Save a copy first after scanning with hijackthis & post it to the forum.

Godders

Wirm

Your problem may be less serious than Fran's was.  

1st check to see if you have had your hosts file hijacked:

1.  Navigate in explorer to C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc (if you are using XP) or c:\windows (if you are using windows 95/98)

2.  Double click on the file 'hosts' and when you are asked what to use to open it choose notepad.

3.  Look for an entry for symantec along the lines of:

127.0.0.1    https://www.symantec.com    

(I put these the wrong way round originally - sorry)

if there is one there then delete the whole line.  In fact, unless you have put anything in there yourself the only one that belongs there is

127.0.0.1   localhost

2nd  Update your antivirus and it should find the virus responsible.

More information can be found at

http://www.ariejan.net/content/view/43/2/



Fran,

FYI if wirm cannot get to Symantec through IE and it is due to a hijacked hosts file, no browser at all will work.  I have just tested this by adding the entry

127.0.0.1   https://www.symantec.com

to my own hosts file and it kills both browsers.

wirm

Ok I can get into the website using Mozilla Firefox!

In the folder you said, I have got two hosts files

1. Hosts (Format: File)
2. Hosts (Format: ICS)