WindowsXP IE - will not search

I've been cleaning up my desktop of malware and other files (have used CCleaner, Malwarebytes, Super Defrag, Super Antispyware, etc, and have just updated to IE8.) I was getting an 'expired certificate' message when I logged into the internet. That is gone. Now I cannot go to www.google.com or www.bing.com or search.yahoo.com directly from Mozilla or IE. None of the search engines I've tried work. What do I need to do to make my search engines work again? Any suggestions?

 

Might try going to Control Panel\Internet Options and check security settings and set them to default and see if it helps!

 

Thanks for the suggestion. The default is Google. Alternate is Bing Live search. Search still doesn't work, though. I get an 'internet explorer cannot display the web page' and a Diagnose Connection Problems button. Connection is good.

 

Security setting is the second tab at the top when you open internet properties. I have the same settings as you in the first one which is general.

 

Via IE8 Tools, I reset security to default. The computer will still not go to www.google.com, www.bing.com, or search.yahoo.com from either IE8 or Mozilla. From Google desk top I can start a search and I can select sites from the quick list that pops up but if I wait for it to finish, where it should open the web site and show the complete list, it times out.

Maybe I should uninstall IE8 and reinstall IE7? Maybe I am missing a key from the registry? I ran CCleaner and it found a lot of stuff to get rid of. Searching the internet from my [vista] laptop I saw a note about a hidden google virus but was unable to locate the HOSTS file it referenced.

I am running 32 bit Windows XP sp2. Auto updates wanted to install SP3 today and I cancelled it.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
:confused

 

Try this and see if it helps! http://www.majorgeeks.com/Dial-a-fix_d4899.html.