Internet Browsers Stopped Working

[indyjones]

Hi all

Was hoping someone could help. Problem is the web browsers (Firefox and IE7) have stopped working on their PC (XPSP2).
This effects both dialup and when its connected to my Lan 🙁
The weird thing is Avast still updates, emails download but everytime I open firefox I get "connection was reset" and that its not connected. The same thing happens in IE7. Checked it not in "offline mode" and that there are no weird setting under the network connection settings.
Basically I am just stumped 🙂

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

IJ

 

[saeltmarae2k]

First, check and make sure that something hasn't changed your proxy settings in FF and IE. Some crap program did that to one of my machines last year...

 

[indyjones]

Just checked that and nothing is wrong there 🙁

 

[indyjones]

Anyone? would like to avoid reinstalling windows if I can help it, but I am just stumped 🙁

 

[kcnychief]

I would check your hosts file to see if something injected itself into that. Also, post a Hijackthis log please.

Hosts file can be viewed with notepad and found here:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

 

[falconguard]

Go to a cmd line and type "netsh winsock reset" and then reboot.

 

[indyjones]

I would check your hosts file to see if something injected itself into that. Also, post a Hijackthis log please.

Hosts file can be viewed with notepad and found here:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

Checked the hosts file against the one on my working system no difference.
In the end I formatted the PC as its my parents and they were giving me grief 🙂
Intstalled all the same stuff again but this time it was all fine! Guess we shall never know what caused the problem. Thanks for all your suggestions though they are appreciated 🙂