unavailable web pages

Win XP home, Toshiba Laptop A15 Cel 2.2gb, 512 mb 40gb HD

antivirus and spyware: NOD 32 antivirus, Aluria Spyware, Spybot, Ad-aware SE. CWShredder.

Certain websites cannot be viewed. An error page with either "Cannot view this page" or Server has taken too much time. These include pages inside my ISP and they have no answer for me.

A second computer, same account, connected to the same ISP does not have this problem.

I have run many, many scans with no results.

K L. Hancey
khancey2001@yahoo.co.nz

 

I have also had pages that are down, however, I have two computers in my home and can reach a non responsive page on the second machine seconds after leaving the site. This action is very repetive. The pages that I cannot reach are always the same any time of day or night.

I have looked considered re-formatting my HDD, but as I have never done this before, I am not sure about that move. I have looked over Major Attitude's procedure of "Read Me First" cleaning with various spyware and it looks a lot safer if it could solve the problem.

I have spent hours with my ISP setting and resetting various items. They have given up, stating is is in my computer and my problem.

How much time does it take to go through the "READ AND RUN ME FIRST"

Thanks

K Hancey

 

Could those pages be blocked by the hosts file?

 

Thanks for the response.

I am not familiar with HOSTS as a file. ( Novice) I searched the files and found several. Windows\system32\drivers\etc was one. I got one of them to open and saw a long list of web sites etc.

I would like to know what and how I am supposed with it.

Any directions available?

K Hancey

 

The links below should explain the "hosts" file for you.If you have many entries in there some security software has probably placed them.

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm

 

Thank you to Franklin. Hosts file proved the prolem.

Thank you

K Hancey