I have a problem that's been driving me nuts for days, and keeps getting more complicated.

It started with being unable to access hotmail. Neither Firefox 3 nor IE7 would load. It would timeout and act as if I had no connection. As far as I know, my firewall isn't blocking them (Zonealarm Security Sweet, newest version) and my host file is fine. (Only one entry, local host, 127.0.0.1, I think.) Clearing the cache and cookies did nothing.

I ran many scans with ZA antivirus/spyware, also SUPERantispyware, Malwarebytes Antimalware, and a Symantec online scan. A lot of stuff got picked up and removed, including some Vundo I never knew I had. Repeated recent scans seem fine. (Oh, and Microsoft Malicious Software Removal tool was run, too.)

I also found I couldn't run Windows update. I'd get errors that were consistent with being unable to connect to the site, and after trying some fixes based on a Knowledge Base article (that involve messing with Cryptographic Services and renaming Catroot2 folder) I'd get partially able to run updates, and got as far as being able to sorta install SP3, but it'd crap out on me and give me errors which I could not get details for through the site....

Incidentally, I also can't access geekstogo.com. I'm able to connect to all the sites that I can't on other systems and other networks, so I know it's just the one PC, and not that the sites are down. Almost all other web-browsing and internet activities work.

Where should I start to troubleshoot this?

Hello, YinXaoKim.

With this kind of trouble, I would not try to install SP3.

Run ATF-Cleaner.
Get it here-

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?a...amp;showfile=21

Go to your internet options in control panel and set the security settings to default.
Open the Advanced tab and click Restore advanced settings and the Reset buttons.

Open My Computer, right click drive C and click properties.
Click tools, click Check Now, click yes on the pop-up.
Restart the computer.

See if that helps and post results please.

Got as far as checking drive C, didn't get a popup, but a progress bar that went from phase 1 to phase 2, hung up after 2 bars and then a message that the check couldn't be completed. There were options to automatically fix errors that I left unchecked.

Yes, check automatically fix errors.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that one.
That's why it didn't want to restart to perform the operation.

Do the check C drive and auto fix errors then restart computer.
Then it will perform the check before windows fully loads.

Sorry for the delay in my reply, I'm a bit busy in the daytime and haven't been able to devote as much time as I want to handling just this, but thanks very much for the replies so far.

I went through that disk check upon rebooting, nothing odd seemed to occur. (If any errors were fixed I don't recall getting messages about it....)

So far, doesn't seem to be an improvement. Just to let you know, the closest I had come on my own to getting something working was when windows update started to respond after renaming the Catroot2 folder in windows/system32/. Nothing else I've done seems to make a dent in the hotmail or other website issues. With hotmail specifically, I can get to msn.com, can get to the live login page and input an account/password, but mail itself times out.

What should I look at next?

Look at the internet connection and compare it with your computer that does work properly.

That's about all I can come up with.
Perhaps we will get some more input from others.

But at this point it must be the actual connection. imo...

What the....... I didn't know what else to do, so I thought power cycling/resetting the router I'm using would help....

All I did was unplug it for 40 seconds, and viola.... hotmail, this forum and windows update all seem to magically work again...

Seems this issue is resolved for now.

I thought about that, but I thought all the working computers were connected to the same router.

I guess if they were it's possible for one to have a problem.

Unplugging the power and waiting a bit then plugging it in refreshes the settings and clears the router. Something I have to do on a fairly regular basis.

Glad you are up and running again!