Search engines not working

carefulnow100

Firstly if this is in the wrong place apologies!

Im having some trouble loading a search engine on the house comp (hc)!! Now everything is ok on my lappie but when I load google on the hc I get a message on screen saying 'cannot connect to this address'.
Iv tried it in firefox aswell as IE(7) but nothing seems to be working! Yet when I type in any other address like PP or Boards into the address bar the page will open. The only sites so far I cant seem to get up are yahoo, google and bing. When on msn using search I can get msn but when i search I get the 'cannot connect' message again!

Any ideas?

watty

Check your hosts file for malware injected stuff.
usually in
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\

and called
hosts
(no file ending). YOu may need to change explorer to show all files and not hide endings so you can see if notepad is renaming it.

looks like

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
#    127.0.0.1       localhost
#    ::1             localhost

or
mine

127.0.0.1	localhost
192.168.0.121	magrat
192.168.0.3	glenarm

It should NOT have the names of bing, google, yahoo or AV vendors in it. Adding a name with 127.0.0.1 or a wrong IP will block your PC from that name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_%28file%29
http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/hosts.htm

Also try...
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

tricky D

You could also replace the hosts file with a 'mvps hosts' version which gives a ertain level of protection from dodgy sites.

Search engine redirection can be due to malware. If your system is also running a bit sluggish you might read the "I think I have a virus" - Please Read & Try BEFORE Posting (Updated 12/02/2010) sticky and carry out as many of the instructions in that thread, then post the relevant logs in a new thread in the Virus and Malware Removal Forum. Someone (probably ASJ112) will be along to help but only once you do those tasks.

carefulnow100

watty wrote: »

Check your hosts file for malware injected stuff.
usually in
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\

and called
hosts
(no file ending). YOu may need to change explorer to show all files and not hide endings so you can see if notepad is renaming it.

looks like

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host
 
# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
#    127.0.0.1       localhost
[B][U][SIZE=4]#    ::1             localhost[/SIZE][/U][/B]

or
mine

127.0.0.1    localhost
192.168.0.121    magrat
192.168.0.3    glenarm

It should NOT have the names of bing, google, yahoo or AV vendors in it. Adding a name with 127.0.0.1 or a wrong IP will block your PC from that name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_%28file%29
http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/hosts.htm

Also try...
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

Mine is the exact same except for the part highlighted there!? I dont have the highlighted part at all!

carefulnow100

Problem solved!! thanks for the replies!:D

watty

carefulnow100 wrote: »

Mine is the exact same except for the part highlighted there!? I dont have the highlighted part at all!

The highlighted part is IP v6, not there if you never installed IP6. If you don't know what IP6 is you don't need it.

What was the problem?

carefulnow100

I ran MBAM and it showed up some sort of threat! once it was dealt with everything came up fine! running faster too.

watty

tricky D wrote: »

Search engine redirection can be due to malware. If your system is also running a bit sluggish you might read the "I think I have a virus" - Please Read & Try BEFORE Posting (Updated 12/02/2010) sticky and carry out as many of the instructions in that thread, then post the relevant logs in a new thread in the Virus and Malware Removal Forum. Someone (probably ASJ112) will be along to help but only once you do those tasks.

My more general recent comment: http://www.techtir.ie/blog/watty/waledac
Some prevention and removal advice included. Never knew there was a Malware forum here. I did about 8 years IT support. Oddly all the computers I have removed malware from also had AV software. Education rather than Complacency is needed.

vibe666

social engineering was always the biggest hurdle.

watty

Erm.. It so easy. Offer people choclate and claim you are doing a survey and they will give you their passwords. Assuming they ever changed it from default (router drive by DNS poisonings) or even set one (Windows Logon).

http://www.enterpriseitplanet.com/security/news/article.php/3342871/Low-Tech-Password-Cracker-Chocolate.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3639679.stm

Then there people who use SAME user name and password for everything!
Buy a €2 address book. Give everything a different password like hY27napG, use different user names. In Address book put name of site (use the alphabetic cut out at side), the email address you used to signup (in case THEY reset the password), user name and password.

Put your server, pc, wifi Key, router and email names/passwords in it or a separate book locked away.

Never store the password "address book" in the laptop bag.

Never let the browser store password for paypal, bank, credit card etc... Letting it store password for places like boards is likely OK if you set a master password.

Never use real words, phrases or substitute numbers for letters. Those are all easily automatically cracked.

Also physical security is important. If someone has a suitable CD/USB key they can boot you PC/Laptop from that and reset the admin password for almost ANY OS, or at least read the disk.

lorf

thanks for useful information....

watty

Why did Devore, Regi, Cloud, Vexorg etc setup Boards?

vibe666

watty wrote: »

Why did Devore, Regi, Cloud etc setup Boards?

that's the REAL question right there!