# Can't use internet in any browser except IE



## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

About 3 or 4 days ago, I noticed pages weren't loading in Firefox. I initially thought something was wrong with my connection, but then I realized Pidgin (my IM client) was still working just fine.

I decided to try IE, and it was also working fine.

I restarted my computer. Firefox still doesn't work.

I uninstalled Firefox, deleted its directory on disk, then reinstalled. Still didn't work.

I tried installing Google Chrome, Opera, and Apple Safari. None of these worked.

I can also ping websites just fine.

I tried to install Spybot Search and Destroy to see if it was a spyware problem, but it connects to the internet for part of the install and the internet didn't work in this case either.

I then installed AdAware, did a scan, and got no meaningful results.

I ran a Norton scan as well, no results.

So in a nutshell:

-Internet Explorer, Pidgin, and pinging are working fine.
-Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Apple Safari, and connecting to the internet during an install of Spybot are not working.
-No viruses or spyware found by Norton Antivirus or AdAware.
-Reinstallation and restarting were no help.

Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem here could be and/or how to fix it?


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, and welcome to the forums, my first thoughts are Firewall. You will need to configure it to allow these browsers through. Also what is the status of the Vista inbuilt firewall?


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

Thank you!

Sorry, I should have mentioned that I thought of Windows Firewall as well, and I tried disabling it entirely but that didn't make any difference.

Also, it doesn't really make much sense as an explanation anyway because I've never messed around with any settings, the internet just suddenly stopped working.


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## Slapshot (Feb 3, 2008)

You didn't edit any proxy settings or mess with ipconfig did you? Have you recently installed something like the TOR plugin for Firefox? Do you have any other Firewalls running?


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

No, no, and no

I swear, I'm on the verge of reformatting or something...


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

Any other ideas, anyone?


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## Copypasta (Sep 29, 2008)

Start Firefox.
*Tools -> Options -> Advanced tab -> Connection -> Settings...*
Check that it's set to *No Proxy*.

That is, unless you're using a proxy.


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## Slapshot (Feb 3, 2008)

Have you tried a system restore?


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

It's already set to no proxy (trust me, I really haven't made any weird connection settings changes, and even if I had, keep in mind that this is happening in 4 different browsers, not just Firefox).

No, I haven't tried a System Restore, I'll try that now, thanks.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

Sorry, forgot to post the results.

I system restored to over a week ago, and it didn't do anything.


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## dionne (Sep 30, 2008)

I have Mozilla and for some reason that's the only internet I can get. I can't get to IE. I'm not the best computer person in the world but I think some one wiped it off my computer. I can't check hotmail or do any kind of messengers. Do you possibly have any ideas. I'm so desperate...


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

@*lkjhgfdsa*

Remove Norton and any other product containing a 3rd party firewall. Make sure that you have only 1 a/v installed - in-install all others.

Norton can always be re-installed if this turns out not to be the problem.

Click on the Norton Removal Tool link - Norton RT - in my sig area, download it and SAVE it to your desktop. Close all Windows, then RIGHT-click on the NRT icon and run as administrator. When complete - re-boot.

Now reset the Windows Firewall to its default settings - 
START | type FirewallSettings.exe into the start search box | click on FirewallSettings.exe above | select the Advanced Tab | click on "Restore Defaults" | Click Apply (if hi-lighted) | Click OK

Now reset IE7 -
START | type inetcpl.cpl into the start search box and hit enter | select the Advanced tab | Click on Reset (bottom-right) | Click OK (if hi-lighted) | Click OK

I do not under any cirmstances advise fooling with ports. There is no need to.

Please let me know how you make out.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

I actually have Symantec Antivirus (didn't know there was a difference between that and Norton, sorry for being unclear), it doesn't have a firewall at all

Thanks for your help


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi. . .

I'd like a Vista System Health report in HTML format. Please do the following:
START | type cmd.exe into the start search box | right-click on cmd.exe | select Run as Administrator | the black cmd prompt (DOS) screen will appear - type the following:

```
[size=3]perfmon /report[/size]
```
It will take about a minute to run... and will open in an IE7 screen - save it as an HTML file.

Please zip it up and attach to your next post.

Regards. . . 

jcgriff2

.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

View attachment report.zip


^ Report

Only problem seems to be I don't have User Account Control enabled, which I disabled a long time ago (long before this problem happened) because I found it extremely bothersome.


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi. . .

I don't see why this would make a difference, but.. Have you tried connecting your system to your router via Ethernet? I saw this in the health report (the bandwidth line):










All 7 Vista systems here show 54m for bandwidth.

Also, have you tried to boot into SAFEMODE w/Networking and tried Internet connections there?

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

I tried with ethernet yesterday, and the exact same things were all happening (IE works, Pidgin works, no non-IE browser does, etc.). 

I booted in Safe Mode with Networking, and I couldn't connect to my university's network wirelessly or with ethernet at all. (I know I was in the "with Networking" mode, I did it twice to make sure.) When I tried to connect, under the network it said "Connected with limited access" or "limited connectivity," something to that effect, but that limited connectivity was, in this case, no connectivity at all.

I also installed Ubuntu, and while I haven't exactly gotten wireless to work due to issues with connecting to a secure network (my university's network), ethernet works perfectly in Firefox and every other app.

Thanks for all your help, jcgriff. It's okay if you're just stumped at this point, haha. I realize this is a pretty abnormal problem...


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi. . .

Well, stumped is one way to label it... I guess that I prefer pre-stumped or maybe in a state of a "raw product" or "semi-finished good" - but not yet a "finished good". You may have heard of these terms; if not you will in Economics class.

Still a few tricks up my sleeve here - let's run the Vista System File Checker - sfc - 

START | type cmd.exe into the start search box | right-click on cmd.exe | select run as Administrator | the black command prompt ("DOS") screen will appear | type the following:

```
[b][size=3]sfc /scannow[/b][/size]
```
Let it run - there is no min/max time - may be 10 min, it may be an hour or two. Then re-boot and test again.

Does your university require the installation of any security software in order to access their network? If so, please describe it to me. Better yet - if you can provide me a link to that information, I will be glad to take a look at it to see how/if it fits in here.

If I may ask - are you a college student? What is your major (if declared)? No lectures... but I will say that you will never regret your education whether you ultimately end up in your major field or another. Your degree will be of benefit to you for life. So keep at it!

Regards. . . 

jcgriff2

.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

I ran the SFC, it said it found corrupt files or areas or something, but "some of them could not be fixed". Rebooted, no difference (with regards to this problem).

They don't REQUIRE software to connect to wireless, but you do have to go through some manual configuration steps ( https://management.pna.utexas.edu/static/faqs/dot1x/dot1x-vista.html ) if you don't download it, which I assume is exactly what the software is doing automatically.

Yeah, I am a student, a computer science major (so I should know how to deal with this problem myself, right? Apparently not...). Thanks for the advice, I've always been planning on sticking to it.


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi. . .


No, I don't think that you should know all about this issue - does anyone one person really? Some will tell you yes. But not really.

Computer Science... a great area these days. I was pure Accounting and Finance and remained so since college 20 years ago - until a BSOD hit last year and I looked into it and never looked back to Corporate Finance. So you never know where you will end up regardless of the discipline of your degree.

I read the attachment. What I see as a possibility is the first part of that document - 




```
If you use your UT EID and password to log into your computer												
												
1. Open the Network and Sharing Center:												
From the Start menu, select Connect to, and click Open the Network and Sharing Center.												
Select the Network Connections system tray icon and click Open the Network and Sharing Center.												
2. Select Manage Wireless Networks.												
3. Click Profile types.												
4. Select the option to Use all-user and per-user profiles.												
												
Ignore the warning that Windows Vista has for this option. If you do not select this option and you log out, the computer continues to try to connect using the machine login information. You will be unable to connect to the wireless network after a time because of too many failed login attempts and will have to talk to the Help Desk to resolve the problem.												
												
5. Click Save and then close this window.												
6. Select Connect to a Network.												
7. Select 'restricted.utexas.edu from the list of available wireless networks.												
8. Click Connect.												
9. Click "Enter/select additional log on information."												
10. Windows displays a pop-up window listing the certificate for the network, Thawte Premium Server CA. Click OK. Your computer then tries to connect to the network.												
11. Windows displays two checkboxes, "Save this network" and "Start this connection automatically." Make sure both options are selected and click Close.
```


The first part of that is as follows:

START | Connect To | @ bottom of screen - Network & Sharing Center | On left side of screen - Manage Wireless Networks | Profile Types - middle-top of screen - you will come to the following screen - is the 2nd option checked as in this screen shot? - 










.

You need the 2nd one checked for your school. If you don't, it says this will happen - 



> . .. If you do not select this option and you log out, the computer continues to try to connect using the machine login information. You will be unable to connect to the wireless network after a time because of too many failed login attempts and will have to talk to the Help Desk to resolve the problem.


Does this describe the problem?

Regards. . .

JC

.


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## lkjhgfdsa (Sep 27, 2008)

I actually did have the wrong setting there, but changing it didn't do anything, even after a restart (and I made sure the setting stayed correct after the restart) =\


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

jcgriff2 said:


> You need the 2nd one checked for your school. If you don't, it says this will happen -
> 
> 
> > . .. If you do not select this option and you log out, the computer continues to try to connect using the machine login information. You will be unable to connect to the wireless network after a time because of too many failed login attempts and will have to talk to the Help Desk to resolve the problem.
> ...



Hi. . .

It sounds to me what has happened here is that your school's security is blocking the other browsers somehow. This is rather bizarre if true since you can connect at all. It does and doesn't really make much sense as it is usually IE7 that has the trouble and not Firefox. However at the same time, it is also logical b/c IE7 is more security conscience than Firefox.

Per the above quote from the school, have you contacted their help desk - they may have to simply reset your account now that you have the correct setting.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## peterpunn (Feb 6, 2009)

Not sure if anyone solved this issue but I just ran into this very same problem. I generally only use Firefox, and a couple of days I started getting "page not found" errors for every url. Tried all the usual suspects - cable modem, wireless router, etc. but nothing worked. Today I noticed that the all pages are loading great in IE. Then tried Chrome - same result as Firefox - no pages loading. What the hell? Is this some new Microsoft trick?


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## UrbanAce116 (Mar 23, 2009)

I also am having the exact same problem. Nothing is connecting to the internet except IE7. I've made no changes since having unlimited access. My beloved Firefox just stopped working. I could still get on skype up until about a week ago and Comodo internet security can't update at all either. I've tried the tcp/ip tweaks and disabling firewalls and everything else I've seen so far. Hopefully somebody can get to the bottom of it. I have a computer with windows XP sitting right next to this vista machine that has unlimited access and much of the same software. Only it connects using Netgear wireless manager instead of Windows Vista's wireless manager. Meanwhile, I'm without the ability to use whatever browser I want along with most other internet functionality. And the results repeat themselves when I connect to other wireless networks as well. Still no mozilla. Maybe peterpunn is right about this Microsoft conspiracy LOL:4-thatsba! I don't know. Hopefully we can all get this resolved.


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