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General discussion

Win 98 problem with Internet Explorer

Nov 23, 2003 1:45PM PST

I'm having a problem with a computer that runs Windows 98 . It seems that Internet Explorer will not show any webpages. When you type a web address in the address bar it thinks for a while before spitting up the "this page cannot be displayed" page. However, if you go into the MSDOS prompt, the computer can successfully ping websites. You can even run AOL instant messanger.

I have attempted to reinstall Internet Explorer, we even tried a virus scan.

It is connected to the internet via ethernet at a university campus.

Anybody have any ideas how to fix it? Any help would be great.

Discussion is locked

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Re:Win 98 problem with Internet Explorer
Nov 23, 2003 4:21PM PST

This could be a DNS-problem. That's easy to check:
first type www.google.com in the address bar, and you'll get an error message
then type 216.239.57.99 in the address bar (the IP-address of www.google.com)

If the IP-address works, it's a DNS-problem. First see if you have a file named 'hosts' (without any extension) in the Windows folder. If so, rename it and try again. If no such file exists, check the settings of the DNS in the TCP-IP-properties. They should be what the helpdesk of your provider (the university) says.

If the IP-address doesn't work either, it's a different problem. Easy to check: the proxy-settings in Internet Explorer, Extra, Internet-options. They should also be what your helpdesk says.

If that's OK also, please post again with more details (like error number?). The next thing to try, I should say, is download Mozilla to see if it is an IE problem or a deeper problem in Windows 98. And if it's the last then you can try to uninstall and reinstall the TCP-IP protocop. But before doing any of those, post back your results and wait for more help.


Kees

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Re:Re:Win 98 problem with Internet Explorer
Nov 23, 2003 11:46PM PST

I tried both google using the web address and IP address, but it still doesn't work. The DNS properties are set how the university has told us to set them up.

When I try it I get the "This page cannot be displayed" error page. I don't know if this will help, but the web address bar says "http://?%20www.google.com" when the error page comes up.

Thank you for your help.

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Re:Re:Re:Win 98 problem with Internet Explorer
Nov 24, 2003 4:58AM PST

I am running Win98se

I have a special interest in neurology and used to visit a university site called: The theory of mind : that had a special section of free online papers. For no apparent reason I could only access about 10% of the papers and got an error message for the rest. I still have not found out why this is so.

You may already know this but although some sites on google cannot be accessed by clicking on the heading, clicking on cached will get the required result.

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Re:Re:Re:Win 98 problem with Internet Explorer
Nov 24, 2003 6:46AM PST

The ?%20 (which is ? followed by space) is very strange indeed. It should be the normal web address as you see on another PC.

I don't think the error is in the proxy server, but you'd better check the settings (Tools, Internet-options, Connection, LAN-settings) and compare them with what it should be.

Then it's time to try another browser. Find a friend with a PC with a cd writer and let him download Mozilla or Mozilla Firebird from www.mozilla.org. Mozilla has a setup program, I think. Firebird comes as just a zip file which you can unzip to a new folder in Program Files; then run the exe-file.
Maybe the helpdesk has the program on CD for you. Netscape would be OK too, of course.

Post again with your experiences with Mozilla. They should be good (it's a nice program, and it works quite satisfactory for most sites, including this one). The next step then is an eradicate of IE and a download (or install from any CD) of a correctly working version. But let's go step by step.

Waiting to hear from you.

Kees