internet explorer refuses to show microsoft sites

[RealBoogie]

since a few weeks my internet explorer 6 doesn't show any microsoft sites anymore. even if i type in the ip adress i still get a 404 in return. every other site you can think of works, but if there is a microsoft in the url it won't be found.
Can anybody help me?

 

[smitee]

RealBoogie

try these
[1]
check for a hosts file other than hosts.sam or Hosts Folder (BlackIce)
[2]
Cipher Strength Appears as 0-Bit in Internet Explorer (Q261328)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q261328&ID=KB;EN-US;Q261328

[3]
Use Security and Privacy Features in Internet Explorer 6

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/security/ie6.asp

[4]
Cannot Gain Access to Certain Secure Web Sites

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q246/7/25.ASP

smitee

 

[RealBoogie]

Thanks Smitee,
i did find a file named hosts, i renamed it and there the microsoft sites where.
Do you know what this host file did or those files do? And what does hosts.sam do?

Boogie

 

[smitee]

boogie

The HOSTS.SAM is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP stack for Windows98. Open it with notepad and there is some info there.

The hosts file can be used to help speed your access to the sites listed within it. For example, you could make an entry such as
123.45.678

www.wherever.com

where 123.45.678 is the site's correct IP address. By creating this entry, your browser will not have to query an outside source to determine the IP address for

www.wherever.com

since it will check the hosts file first and you have told it the IP address. This method can be very effective for sites you frequently visit.

An additional benifit of the hosts file is that it can also be used to block unwanted sites or servers. This can be accomplished by creating an entry such as
127.0.0.1 ads.somewhere.net
or
0.0.0.0 ads.somewhere.net
What the above two entries will do, is whenever your computer tries to contact "ads.somewhere.net", it will be directed to the IP address of 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0 (whichever one you choose to use) which in simple terms, is your own computer. So, whatever the connection attempt to "ads.somewhere.net" is trying to retrieve, whether it is an ad or a cookie or whatever, it will not work since it will be looking for it on your computer and not the ad servers. Therefore, effectively blocking the connection to this site.

more

http://www.smartin-designs.com/

Additionally there is a LMHOSTS.SAM file (sample file), and you may have a LMHOSTS file/folder.
Read more about it here.
LMHOSTS File Information and Predefined Keywords (Q102725)

[URL unfurl="true"]http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q102725[/URL]

smitee