FAO Frank

[Gal]

Sorry to be a nuisance. My laptop is throwing a wobbly - I am online but can't open any pages. I don't understand what's happened it was fine till yesterday.


I'm on the tablet ATM but that's driving me batty, tap tap tap lol!

You know I'm a computer illiterate so words of one syllable please. I've tried a different browser makes no difference

X

[Kaz]

Tell me to bog off for stating the bl**ding obvious but have you turned it off, then on again? It's just that's the first thing M always asks

[Gal]

I have indeed Kaz, several times, also switched the router off and on again

[Kaz]

[Suff]

Hi Gal, which operating system are you running?

In windows press the windows key and the R key together

In the Run box type cmd.

type in nslookup and press enter

type in http://www.google.co.uk and press enter.

mine looks like this.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>nslookup
Default Server: livebox.home
Address: 192.168.1.1

> http://www.google.co.uk
Server: livebox.home
Address: 192.168.1.1

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: http://www.google.co.uk
Addresses: 2a00:1450:400c:c04::5e
74.125.206.94

You can type exit to get out or just close the CMD window.

When multiple browsers are having the same problem, then it's normally the underlying operating system which is at fault or the internet provider.

If you see server timed out or you don't see the addresses come up, as it does in mine, then your operating system can't resolve the names and so won't bring back web pages.

If you are running windows it might be best to do a system restore to an earlier point. That's the fastest way out of most problems. I don't use it as I have it switched off, but Frank can talk you through that.

If it is your ISP that can be diagnosed too but will take a few more checks.

[edit]

Brain just woke up. If your tablet works it's not the router or the ISP. It's the Laptop.

So we should get that fixed.

[Workingman]

Sorry Gal, just seen this. As an alternative to Suff's suggestions it could be that your ISP DNS servers have gone down, but.....

If it is not yet fixed try the simple things:

* If you are wired into your router check the ethernet cable is plugged in properly at both ends.

* Right click on the TV icon or WiFi bars on the system tray at bottom right and Open Network and sharing Centre.

* On the new screen check that whatever you are using Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection is enabled. You can try disabling and re-enabling to see if that works. Also if using LAN change to WiFi and vice versa.

* If still not working Right click on whichever adaptor is being used. Go to Properties then right click to highlight (TCP/IPv4) then Properties again. In the new screen Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically are probably both highlighted.

Change the DNS servers to "Use the following...." then in Preferred type 8.8.8.8 and in Alternate type 8.8.4.4 these are google's open DNS servers and are usually open 27/7 forever.

You can do all this without continuously opening and closing things just OK any changes and go back to your browser(s) and see if things are working. If not reset the DNS back to its original setting and please get back here.

As an aside: TalkTalk servers are always falling over so I use the "Use the following DNS server addresses" option all the time.

PS It looks more complicated than it is.

[Gal]

I'm not sure I follow any of that from bullet point 2 onwards. Sorry

The message I get when I try to open a page on the internet is

This site can't be reached. The connection was reset. Try checking the connection
Checking the proxy and the firewall
Running windows network diagnostics

So I did but its not showing anything. Its a job for Stuart my PC doctor I think. I haven't got the confidence to mess about with it, its only 2 months since he rebuilt it for me.

I'm using the tablet again so its nothing to do with the WiFi otherwise I wouldn't be on here either.

Sigh, thanks both for your help. I wish I was more computer savvy.

I did have some updates this week, it was working fine on Monday before the update. Might that have caused the issue?

[Suff]

[Sorry that www.google.co.uk was wrong]

Gal

Can I make this easier

press Winkey and R
The run box will pop up

Type nslookup and press enter

A black windows command prompt will pop up

Type www.google.co.uk and press enter

That's the easiest part, you've pressed two keys and typed two words and pressed enter twice.

The slightly more difficult part is.

In the same window press CTRL and A

press CTRL and C

Come to the reply to this post and press CTRL and V

That will paste in what you saw in the small black window with nslookup. You can then close the window by clicking on the X in the top right corner.

In pictures.

Winkey+R and nslookup



entering http://www.google.co.uk and pressing enter



Ctrl A plus CTRL -C to copy



CTRL -V to paste it into a VV post. i.e. this one..

[Gal]

I got Stuart on the case, but thanks guys you're very kind (and patient!)

What he discovered was

A notice for Ransomware!!

Firefox was downloaded in Russian (I don't even use it but it was on my desktop screen)

Google Chrome was not running correctly

Office was corrupted (odd writing)

So - he re-loaded Windows 10 and re-installed Office pack, and Avast and advised me not to use Chrome or Firefox, only IE in future.

Ultimately though I am looking at a new machine - this one is almost 7 years old and has a Celeron processor, and was originally configured to Windows 7. Stuart said it wasn't really built for 10 so he's now looking for a new one for me. I think it may have a bit to do with my updated router (high speed fibre BB) from TalkTalk as apparently the password is weak but I don't know what to do about that

[Suff]

Hi Gal,

It sounds to me like Avast does not protect Chrome or Firefox. Even then it should detect when either of those go rouge and block it. It's hard finding out that IE and Edge are actually better at protecting you from these kind of malware attacks than Chrome or Firefox especially when sites are now starting not to work well with IE.

For your TalkTalk is it the Wireless password which is weak? Or the login to the router? Or both? You can change both but it depends on what is supposed to be at fault. We can give you easy step by step instructions for that.

However the biggest issue you have, as I see it, is that you are restricting your Antivirus to meet the needs of your hardware. Rather than replacing the hardware to run fully up to date AV suites.