Internet connection but no browsers will work

[cparky]

I have a Win98 machine 256 Meg 30 Gig HD ... I can get a connection to my ISP ... but I am pretty sure some trojan or spyware altered the settings for how IE communicates with the Internet... after fruitless attempts to fix it I downloaded Opera and that worked for a while.... then didn't ... after several months of inactivity (I have another computer I can use) I have downloaded Firefox ... but that would not work at all. All browsers basically give the same message that the URL is not obtainable. ..

Are there any sequential steps and tests that I can perform to identify, isolate and fix the source of the problem?

Thanks in advance for any help provided... Chris

[Cain]

how is your internet connection setup? do you use a hub for the two machines?
Has network (LAN) arcitechture changed since you were last able to use? what
is the output of ipconfig? (windows command line, for both machines specify
which one works) can you do a nslookup www.google.com
with results from command line? start-->run-->cmd <OK>

more info would be great for a quick fix

[cparky]

how is your internet connection setup? do you use a hub for the two machines?
Has network (LAN) arcitechture changed since you were last able to use? what
is the output of ipconfig? (windows command line, for both machines specify
which one works) can you do a nslookup www.google.com
with results from command line? start-->run-->cmd <OK>

more info would be great for a quick fix

It is a single user machine... not networked at all.. will try the command line test as soon as I can.. I have to switch the internet connection over manually...

[Cain]

machine -> DSL/CABLE modem -> INTERNET
---LAN-------------|----------WAN------|

this is a network contrary to popular belief
your machine has a mac address, default route, IP all of the goodies Im sure.

[cparky]

machine -> DSL/CABLE modem -> INTERNET
---LAN-------------|----------WAN------|

this is a network contrary to popular belief
your machine has a mac address, default route, IP all of the goodies Im sure.

I think you meant to sent this to someone else :)

I did the checks at the Run prompt as you said and got the following message:

Cannot find file 'nslookup' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available.

I tried it with nslookup www.google.com and also did it separately for cmd. Got the same message each time. Am I entering what you say correctly and in the right place?

Is it the libraries that have been corrupted?

[caperjack]

You say you can connect to your ISP ,does it open to a start page or just a error message !!

Try ,start /run /winipcfg/ pick you network card from the drop down ,then hit release all and then Renew all .see what happens

[Cain]

I think you meant to sent this to someone else :)

I did the checks at the Run prompt as you said and got the following message:

Cannot find file 'nslookup' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available.

I tried it with nslookup www.google.com and also did it separately for cmd. Got the same message each time. Am I entering what you say correctly and in the right place?

Is it the libraries that have been corrupted?

hehe.. go to the run prompt and type either 'cmd' or 'command' without the quotes.. then click on the 'okay' button at the bottom
a window will pop up then type nslookup..
let us know what you get.

and i sent it to the right place.

[cparky]

You say you can connect to your ISP ,does it open to a start page or just a error message !!

Try ,start /run /winipcfg/ pick you network card from the drop down ,then hit release all and then Renew all .see what happens

My broadband connection uses an Alcatel Speedtouch modem and, when activated, then shows an icon on the running programs list which shows the Connection status as connected - so I assume a basic connection has been established?

I connect before trying to fire up IE .... IE opens but says it cannot find the Home Page I use

I did what you suggested using winipcfg and got an IP Configuration Error for both Adapters listed ... PPP Adapter and VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter (I assume mine is the first?) ... the error message was:

DHCP Server Unavailable: Renewing Adapter ''''

Is all this helpful?

[cparky]

hehe.. go to the run prompt and type either 'cmd' or 'command' without the quotes.. then click on the 'okay' button at the bottom
a window will pop up then type nslookup..
let us know what you get.

and i sent it to the right place.

The respose to nslookup at the C:\ prompt in the MS-DOS window is:

Bad command or file name

And I see what you were saying about the networks :)

Thanks for the help you are giving

Chris

[cparky]

I should also point out that I have reinstalled W98 ... but not a format C: complete reinstall - and this changes nothing. All the above problems still exist. Presumeably because it has reinstalled all the exisiting ini files etc?

[caperjack]

Time to go over to this thread.and read the info at the top and post a hijackthis log and see whats going on .
Viruses and other nasties.

[Cain]

The respose to nslookup at the C:\ prompt in the MS-DOS window is:

Bad command or file name

And I see what you were saying about the networks :)

Thanks for the help you are giving

Chris

sorry about that.. i was spread a bit too thin & gave you the wrong command.
nslookup should have been ipconfig

[Thong_Ispector]

Quick question,
How are you reinstalling?
Are you deleting everything on C or just reinstalling over the top of an existing installation
I seem to remember something about a Hosts file that would kill the browsers ability to do a DNS lookup.
Can you type in the IP of a site and get the browser to find it?
Will Ad-Aware connect and update ?
Will Spybot connect and update?

[cparky]

Thanks for all the help but it just seemed easier to format the C drive and reinstall W98 completely afresh... I have done that... unfortunately I didnt make a note of the drivers for sound and graphics and now have no idea how to find what I have... it just says there are conflicts on PCI devices... so I have no sound and the screen display is very basic... any ideas how to find out how I can find the correct driver for sound and display/video?

[caperjack]

Thanks for all the help but it just seemed easier to format the C drive and reinstall W98 completely afresh... I have done that... unfortunately I didnt make a note of the drivers for sound and graphics and now have no idea how to find what I have... it just says there are conflicts on PCI devices... so I have no sound and the screen display is very basic... any ideas how to find out how I can find the correct driver for sound and display/video?

Download this free version tool to tell you everything that is installe on you computer ,may even gige links to manufactore site to download drivers .great tool !
http://www.lavalys.com/products/download.php?pid=1&lang=en

[Thong_Ispector]

Caperjack,
I downloaded that program and it is cool.. but...
I used it on the machine I am on right now and it says my OS in Linux running Lindows?? WTF?
I am running 98se

[caperjack]

Caperjack,
I downloaded that program and it is cool.. but...
I used it on the machine I am on right now and it says my OS in Linux running Lindows?? WTF?
I am running 98se

Now theres a bug to report to the makers