I have started getting DNS error page not available ONLY on Yahoo, Google, and Excite. There may be others that I've not yet come across. If I close down I.E. browser and clear temporary internet files, then re-open the browser (without disconnecting from my ISP),they become accessible. However, if I open a new page, or log on again from new, I get the error messages again, and have to clear the temporary files to access the aforementioned sites. Can anyone help?
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DNS errors on SOME sites.
- Thread starter bountybar
- Start date
I'm sorry I can't help but I am posting a reply because I have a very similar problem (2, actually) and perhaps someone can help both of us at the same time.
1. I have one site that I know is up (Hewlett-Packard: for which I always get a "The Page Cannot be Displayed" error. I don't have this problem with any other site. What is causing this and how do I fix it?
2. I can't seem to use IP addresses in the address bar. whenever I try to access a site using I always get a "The Page Cannot be Displayed" error.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. I have one site that I know is up (Hewlett-Packard: for which I always get a "The Page Cannot be Displayed" error. I don't have this problem with any other site. What is causing this and how do I fix it?
2. I can't seem to use IP addresses in the address bar. whenever I try to access a site using I always get a "The Page Cannot be Displayed" error.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the suggestions. I have done a thorough virus scan that showed no problems.
Re: Repairing IE6. The instructions say to uninstall it and re-install it. My concern is that my computer did not have a previous IE on it. I'm concerned that if I uninstall it, I won't be able to browse the Microsoft site to download a reinstall (I don't have the program on CD). The microsoft site doesn't download the IE6 program, just an install file that then downloads off the Internet. Don't know how to get access to the actual program file.
Further suggetions appreciated.
Re: Repairing IE6. The instructions say to uninstall it and re-install it. My concern is that my computer did not have a previous IE on it. I'm concerned that if I uninstall it, I won't be able to browse the Microsoft site to download a reinstall (I don't have the program on CD). The microsoft site doesn't download the IE6 program, just an install file that then downloads off the Internet. Don't know how to get access to the actual program file.
Further suggetions appreciated.
Just go to Microsoft's site and download the 500KB .exe file for IE 6 and save it to your hard drive. Then uninstall your current browser and all you need to do is make sure you either have a dial-up account setup or any other method you use for the Internet and run the executable file which will install IE6 for you.
Thanks forhelping me with this. I'm now in a quandry because IE is nowhere to be found in the list under Add/Remove Programs! And.. there doesn't seem to be an uninstall executable in the IE folders. There is a folder called Uninstall Information, but none of the files in it launch the uninstall.
I can delete all the IE folders and then all IE stuff from the register (I've done this before with other programs) and then reinstall. Any other advice before I go for it?
Thanks again.
I can delete all the IE folders and then all IE stuff from the register (I've done this before with other programs) and then reinstall. Any other advice before I go for it?
Thanks again.
Yadwen
You could try IERADICATOR
or
WindowsUpdate, Product Updates, Install History, see if there is an [uninstall] option.
GL smitee
You could try IERADICATOR
or
WindowsUpdate, Product Updates, Install History, see if there is an [uninstall] option.
GL smitee
dogviticus
ISP
Attn Yadwen
I'll start with question 2 first. anyone would get a page cannot be displayed error typing in the IP as you show it there.
Try just
also just entering the IP with nothing else should work
with most computers.
As for the first question, can you ping the hp site?
Can you trace route to it? from a DOS Prompt or
command line type without the quotes....
"ping "tracert
What happens?
As for 'bountybar' I'm not sure what is going on there,
very strange symptoms those.....
I'll start with question 2 first. anyone would get a page cannot be displayed error typing in the IP as you show it there.
Try just
also just entering the IP with nothing else should work
with most computers.
As for the first question, can you ping the hp site?
Can you trace route to it? from a DOS Prompt or
command line type without the quotes....
"ping "tracert
What happens?
As for 'bountybar' I'm not sure what is going on there,
very strange symptoms those.....
Thanks for helping.
I have tried entering the IP address correctly and still get the error (
The ping appears to be good ... all four pings successful and no packets lost.
The trace goes through 15 hops and ends up at (156.153.255.242). So appears OK.
However when I enter either the IP address or URL in IE6 address bar I still get the error. So far, this is the only site where I have this problem. I've contacted HP but have not received an answer yet.
Thanks again... any other ideas?
I have tried entering the IP address correctly and still get the error (
The ping appears to be good ... all four pings successful and no packets lost.
The trace goes through 15 hops and ends up at (156.153.255.242). So appears OK.
However when I enter either the IP address or URL in IE6 address bar I still get the error. So far, this is the only site where I have this problem. I've contacted HP but have not received an answer yet.
Thanks again... any other ideas?
RE: IE connection to hp.com problem. OK THE PROBLEM IS FIXED! Thanks to all who helped think this through.
Here's the solution in case it might be valuable to others.
I'm running XP Professional and IE6.
My computer had two "hosts" files (C:/windows/ and C:/windows/system32/drivers/) Note that these are files with no extensions, not folders. Use Notepad to open them if you want to see what is in them. In these files there were a list of IP addresses with their corresponding URLs. I tried accessing the sites on this list and found that for many of them I received a Page Cannot be Displayed error and for some I didn't. It seems like these hosts files were interferring with the DNS translation somewhere else in the process.
I didn't think these files were supposed to be part of my existing system ... I think they are holdovers from a previous operating system from which I upgraded to XP (Me) that are getting in the way of the DNS translation process.
To test this, I disabled the entries for which I could not connect (put a # symbol in front of the line) and found that I could then connect to all of the sites I couldn't connect to before. (note: it is the host file in c:/windows/system32/drivers/ that is the "active" one. Changing the c:/windows/ one had no effect).
So, I disabled the hosts files and now I have no connection problems and no apparent other consequences from not having these files installed.
My guess is that anyone having these types of sporadic connect problems can fix the problem by dealing with the hosts file.
Again, thanks to everyone who helped.
Here's the solution in case it might be valuable to others.
I'm running XP Professional and IE6.
My computer had two "hosts" files (C:/windows/ and C:/windows/system32/drivers/) Note that these are files with no extensions, not folders. Use Notepad to open them if you want to see what is in them. In these files there were a list of IP addresses with their corresponding URLs. I tried accessing the sites on this list and found that for many of them I received a Page Cannot be Displayed error and for some I didn't. It seems like these hosts files were interferring with the DNS translation somewhere else in the process.
I didn't think these files were supposed to be part of my existing system ... I think they are holdovers from a previous operating system from which I upgraded to XP (Me) that are getting in the way of the DNS translation process.
To test this, I disabled the entries for which I could not connect (put a # symbol in front of the line) and found that I could then connect to all of the sites I couldn't connect to before. (note: it is the host file in c:/windows/system32/drivers/ that is the "active" one. Changing the c:/windows/ one had no effect).
So, I disabled the hosts files and now I have no connection problems and no apparent other consequences from not having these files installed.
My guess is that anyone having these types of sporadic connect problems can fix the problem by dealing with the hosts file.
Again, thanks to everyone who helped.
- Thread starter
- #11
I have tried everything above without success. I have re-installed my system completely, but still have the same problem! I upgraded to IE 6, and that has had no effect. I am running Windows ME, and have come across reports from other people with the same problem. Alas, they are still seeking a solution. The hosts files mentioned by Yadwen are not present in my ME setup, so I cannot try that. I will plod on, and if I find a solution, I will certainly post it in this excellent forum.
Bountybar
Bountybar
This may be off target a little, but I have noticed that with ME if the system restore points or files are corrupted in any way or damaged, you may experience unusual behavior.
Since you are open to suggestions, I would turn off the system restore through Properties in My Computer, so that when you reboot all of the files are completely refreshed, which would take care of any virus infection or corruption.
Since you are open to suggestions, I would turn off the system restore through Properties in My Computer, so that when you reboot all of the files are completely refreshed, which would take care of any virus infection or corruption.
To: Bountybar
You might try searching your C drive for hosts files. They may be hidden so you won't see them if you just look in their folders. I've found that sometimes files that are hidden will be found when doing a search. Just a thought, but worth a try.
You might try searching your C drive for hosts files. They may be hidden so you won't see them if you just look in their folders. I've found that sometimes files that are hidden will be found when doing a search. Just a thought, but worth a try.
- Thread starter
- #14
The actual file name is "hosts" (no quotes) and it does not have an extension. The actual file icon looks a lot like a folder but it is a file. You can open it and read it with Notepad.
The hosts files I found on my machine were located in the following folders:
C:/windows/
C:/windows/system32/drivers/
The hosts files I found on my machine were located in the following folders:
C:/windows/
C:/windows/system32/drivers/
- Thread starter
- #17
I think I've solved it, thanks to all your sugggestions. I couldn't find the "hosts" file. I did find a file called "hosts.sam", but that contained nothing similar to that mentioned by Yadwen. I decide to try the suggestion by Bgauntt, disabled System Restore, deleted temp. internet files(all offline content, deleted all cookies, and rebooted the computer. All was well for a day, so I re-enabled System Restore, and it's been fine for two days now (crossed fingers). Thanks for the help, what a brilliant site!
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