I cannot download anything over the internet(files or attach

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Re: I cannot download

by Kees Bakker May 17, 2006 11:00PM PDT

Download by means of a browser is quite something else than opening an attachment in a pop3-client like Outlook Express (but i might be the same as opening an attachment in a webbased mail like yahoo or hotmail). So without more information on the mail part of the problem, I'll skip that.

Do you use any runtime security other than zonealarm? Like Norton Internet Security or McAfee antivirus. You mention AVG and Avast, but it's not clear if you have both of them active as real-time scanners. That would be a bad idea anyway, because they might interfere.

No error messages? Just nothing happens if you click on download or run from current location?
A missing file or dll will cause an error message. It's either a (security?) setting, an erroneous registry entry, (despite all your searches) some malware or - on the contrary - some overly active security software.

Your 'anything' seems to mean 'any exe-file'. To see if it's some security software issue, try to download a pdf-file, for example. Most security software will let it pass. Type windows filetype:pdf in google, and you've got plenty (about 35 million) files to choose from. Any other subject than windows will do, so if you are more interested in trees than in windows that would work perfectly. Other file types to try: txt and jpg.

If you can find some place to download firefox from www.mozilla.org and burn it to CD, you can install this browser on your computer to see if it's an IE issue (than Firefox might work) or an issue deeper in Windows.

So there are several lines of troubleshooting this.

Kees

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(NT) (NT) correction: filetype:pdf (forum makes a smiley)

by Kees Bakker May 17, 2006 11:01PM PDT

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Sorry

by bigdeniro May 17, 2006 11:37PM PDT

Ok,cannot download/view attachments on either type of email.I have avg(only) running.I just double-check it with avast.
I cannot download any pdf files either or pps files.I have removed and re-installed adobe.I can,however,view any previously downloaded pdf files on my laptop.Just cannot downlaod/view any new ones I try to download.
Also tried repairing IE and then removing,then re-installing the newer version(not IE7-rather IE6).
Hope this helps?
Do not know what security settings to look for,that you mentioned.
Thanks again-George

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Security settings.

by Kees Bakker May 18, 2006 5:30AM PDT

Tools>Internet Options>Security. Choose Internet zone and edit/modify. Roll down to 'download file' (about 1/3 down) and see if it is enabled or disabled.
It's described in http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/howto/security/setup.mspx

Just a possibility, of course; not necessarily the cause.

If it doesn't help consider switching to Firefox/Thunderbird as your main browser and email-program (or the combined version: Seamonkey).

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Settings

by bigdeniro May 18, 2006 9:16AM PDT

are all set to enable for downloading.Any other ideas? Thanks Kees for all your help-George

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Ideas left.

by Kees Bakker May 18, 2006 9:24PM PDT

- Some software blocking the download (could be security software or malware). Disable all browser helper objects, close all other programs (using the normal procedures or Task manager) and try again.
- Repair IE from Config Panel Add/Remove.
- Use another browser, like Firefox.
- Format and reinstall OS.

Kees

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I was hoping for an easier fix?

by bigdeniro May 19, 2006 12:36AM PDT

I tried disabling all BHOs and closed all but systray and explorer.Didn't work. I have already tried to repair IE. Didn't fix it. I really do not want to use another browser. I was hoping that I would be able to find another solution to the problem.
Thanks anyway for all your help! I will keep hunting and pecking away,until either A: I find a solution on my own,or B: Someone else comes up with a fix.-George

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cannot download anything

by mp3maniac21 May 19, 2006 2:47PM PDT

I don't know if this will help, but have you tried to completely disable your internet security or Firewall for a few minutes , the attempt to download something. If it works then you will have to check Your security or firewall configuration.Or sometimes you may even have to uninstall your Security software, then reinstall it.

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Will download with....

by bigdeniro May 20, 2006 1:29AM PDT

Free download manager,but Windows will not download without the Free download manager.-George

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Can't download anything either...

by Mykahel Dec 17, 2007 4:29AM PST

I seem to be having the exact same problem. Certain updates for programs will download almost all the way but they will not save. Any picture from the internet, using Mozilla, can only be saved as a JPEG and even then it will not show up in the folder that it was saved to. I have also turned off my firewalls and security software (including Avast) and tried to get these files to download and save but no luck. I'll post again if I find something that helps me out because I'm betting we are having the same exact problem. Mine just happened randomly one day.

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WINDOWS 7 - Windows VISTA - WinXP SPx - DOWNLOAD DEFECT

by KenFromMS Aug 8, 2011 10:22AM PDT

The appears to be a Windows Defect from days of old. Looks like it goes back to the WinXp SP days.
Doesn't appear to be any solution other than to format the drive and install a different operating system. How does one check for Administrator Download Rights ?

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I see this Windows Defect has been around for some time now.

by KenFromMS Aug 8, 2011 10:13AM PDT

I see this Windows Defect has been around for some time now. It is now Aug 2011 and I am experienced this Windows DEFECT for about 3 months now. NO DOWNLOAD CAPABILITY. Have heard talk about NonActivated Windows installation. Not sure how to check for this. I purchased Windows and Activated it several times. Heard talk about going to a previous backUp ... and loose all data saved over the past 3 months ? This is like telling someone to format their hard drive and start over. Hopefully I will get some tech support otherwise, I will have to advise everybody to avoid Windows Vista and Windows 7 like the plague.

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Unable to download files

by Grisorider Jun 29, 2015 8:47AM PDT

I think it's potentially not any of these issues/suggested fixes.
I was trying to download my phone bill from BT's website and couldn't.
This was on my Macbook Air.
BT suggested trying a PC, so I did and it still wouldn't download.
I rang them again, and they logged into my BT account at their end and were able to download it.
I tried other pdf and jpg files and an xls file from Hotmail's file viewer. All failed.
This was using Google Chrome browser.
I switched to IE and downloaded the bill OK, then successfully downloaded an invoice I wanted to download from Amazon, which wouldn't download on Chrome.

So, Apple's Safari and Google Chrome on different computers would not perform downloads, but Internet Explorer on the same pc as Chrome will.

This tells me it's unlikely to be a Security setting problem, because on the pc I get different results with different browsers, and on the Mac I don't use Bitdefender and it's obviously an entirely different OS.

I am not very technically minded, so have no idea what the issue is, but thought this addditional info might be of help.

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try this

by James Denison Jun 29, 2015 10:41AM PDT

use the add-on for "Agent Switcher" and on sites like that, set it to report you as using some latest version of IE, and suddenly you find it works. Some webpages, even here at CNET, check for IE versions which comes to them in the referer line, and the Agent Switcher spoofs for other browsers as if it's IE instead of Firefox or Chrome.

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