First, I am a complete novice so please be gentle.
My browser is IE. Operating System XP. ISP BTBroadband
Last week for some reason I was unable to access my hotmail account and messenger. Also I am unable to get into my bank accounts and access my freeserve account - although I can get into freeserve - see my inbox messages but am unable to open them - Page not found comes up. I do not have problems accessing the internet for other sites and can nothing is wrong with my outlook which I have my btinternet emails downloaded into.
I have not changed any of my settings. Although I noticed my browser kept directing me to different searches.
I have run Spybot and X clean which brought up lots of probs which were fixed except for the DSO Exploit 5 entries (which I gather is not a prob just a nuisance) which I get Spybot to fix but it keeps coming back. Am still unable to get into hotmail account - Cannot find server or DSN error Internet Explorer. I have run Spybot updates. I have run windows updates
I have now in desperation downloaded Opera browser which I must say I like. I can now at least get into my hotmail account and my freeserve account. It is also running more quickly. However, I am still unable to access messenger. Says Password User name is incorrect or cant be found. I know I have entered them correctly. I can use it on other pcs connected to the same network. Is MSN messenger dependent on IE and that I cannot access it through my Opera browser? In any case I should at least get the IE prob fixed.
On my internet settings I cannot find anything which shows Java although it was on my pc before. What I get now is NET Framework reliant component/Run components not signed with Authenticode (Enabled) and Run with signed Authenticode (Enabled) - Has this superseded Java - I do not know - my other pcs have Java VM Permissions. I have uninstalled messenger and then installed it - still problems but now I have two icons on my task bar - one Windows Messenger and one MSN Messenger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I tried to download SunJava - it said your security settings prevent Activex. I have also tried to download a new IE. But all the settings remain the same. I have checked that my security settings are set to Medium or Medium Low.
I have now exhausted all my known options. It is probably a very simple thing to rectify. I have read through similar posts on here but none seem to have my specific problem.
Please can someone help!!!!!!!!