Firefox 3.0.1 not connecting with selected web sites

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Thank you for taking the time to reply, Stu.

 

Cache cleared, but no change in performance.

This week I extended my subscription to AntiVirus, downloaded and installed 2008 version and used it for two days without problem. My operating system is Windows XP.

 

Yesterday I installed the new Firefox 3.0.1 update and since then I have been unable to connect with some websites, especially two that I use quite often, google and yahoo. Other websites are easily accessible. This problem persists in IE. I have done the following to try and clear up the problem, but so far without success:

 

Run Live Update and install all new updates

Turn off Windows Firewall

Turn off all Norton firewall protection (email and worm)

Uninstall Firefox 3.0.1 and reinstall Version 2

 

I hope you can advise me on what to do next to resolve this issue. Over the same network, I am running the new Firefox 3.0.1 on Vista using Kaspesrky with (so far) no difficulty.

 

Thank you for your attention to this issue.

 

 

I found a thread at Mozilla support that described a similar problem. 

 

http://support.mozilla.com/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?locale=en-US&comments_parentId=50581&forumId=1

 

 

Downloaded the Vundo removal tool and ran it twice. 

 

http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2004-112210-3747-99

 

 

Both times clean.

I recevied a private reply from Symantec in which I was told to do what I had already done.  Nevertheless, I did it again. The problem perists.

 

I have also tried creating a new profile in Firefox.  Problem persists for both Firefox and Explorer.  Might this be a router problem?

 

 

JayEl,

 

I don't think it is a router issue since you state that you are able to connect to some websites and that another computer on your network has no problems.

 

Have you checked the "Privacy" and "Security" settings in both IE and Firefox to be sure they are not set too high so as to block some websites?

Hello, Phil, and thanks for jumping into try and help.  I checked the privacy settings, but the problem perists.

 

I got a follow-up private message from Norton asking me to do the following:

 

=======================

- Run LiveUpdate.
- Disable Third party Browser Add-Ons.

To do this, please perform the following steps:

- Run LiveUpdate.

1.  Start your Norton 2008 product.
2.  In the lower left corner of the window, click Run LiveUpdate.
3.  After the LiveUpdate session is complete, exit your Web browser.
4.  Start the Web browser and try to access the Web site.

After running the LiveUpdate, please disable the party browser Add-ons. To do this, please perform the following steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Go to Tools Menu and Select the Manage Add-on.
3. Select Enable - Disable Add-ons.
4. In the Add-on windows, select the following items and disable them.

Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, or AOL Tool bar.

5. Clik Ok.

 

===================================

 

This time, yahoo loaded on IE start-up (it is set as my default/home page).  However, clicking on links on the yahoo page produces no results; IE again stops functioning.  Trying to reload the page has the same resut.

Followed the same instructions for Firefox.  The problem persists.  Nothing at yahoo or google will load, other websites will.  

 

JL

 

I  missed some instructions in the previous private message from Norton, which went on to explain:

 

==================

If the issue persists, the please restart your computer with Symantec and Microsoft Services and check for the issue.

To start your computer with Symantec and Microsoft services, please refer the following online help document link provided below:

Title: 'How to start your computer with only Symantec and Microsoft services loading'
Document ID: 2005110811012639

> Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005110811012639

Now, check for the issue.

=========================

 

And that did the trick!  All three browswers - IE, FF, Opera - are functioning properly.  Now I just have to find out how to fix the problem, becasue as soon as I restart under typical conditions it will be back.

 

JL

 

 

 

 

I believe it will be a process of elimination as you add items back to the startup list. 

 

Keep us advised of your results.

Message Edited by Phil_D on 08-30-2008 10:56 PM

Just curious to know. What happens if you totally uninstall Norton? Is it the same or is it gone?

Still haven't solved the problem and it seems my contact at Symantec is going off in an unlreated direction. 

 

  @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -On August 31 I restarted my computer with only Symantec and Microsoft Services loading (as described here: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005110811012639 ). After rebooting under these conditions, I found all three browsers - IE, FF, and Opera - operating normally. ( I described this in my last post to this thread.)

 

I presume, however, that the computer should not be left in this mode, but returned to its normal start-up mode, in which case I am back to where I began. Which is in fact what happened.

 

After receiving an email from Symantec on September 1, I returned to starting my computer with only Symantec and Microsoft Services loading. I then went to Start>Run>msconfig>Start Up tab and selected the following two items, both of which pointed to Symantec folders:

ccApp
osCheck

 

I then navigated back to the General tab, where Selective radio button is on, and under that button Load System Services and Load Service Items are both checked. I restarted the computer and the problem returned.

 

It seems to me the conflict is somewhere here in these two Start Up items. I reported this to Symantec but didn't hear back.   It seems they thought the problem was resolved. I wrote abgain after a few days to let them know I was waiting for a  follow-up and the next day I recevied instructions that seem to be going off in another direction:

 

==============================

This issue can occur possibly due to conflicts. To resolve this issue, please start your computer in Clean Boot  and check for the issue.

Note: In Clean Boot, your computer will only load with the minimal operating system related files. Other program will not load during this time.

To start your computer in Clean Boot, please click on the following Web URL:

Title: 'Links to clean boot documents'
Document ID: 2002040815531039

> Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2002040815531039

 

==============================

 

 

 If anyone reading this can help, I would greatly appreciate it.  As I will be leaving home on the 16th for an extended overseas stay, and as my wife will need to use this computer and may not be able manage this problem on her own, I need to clear up this problem this week.

 

 JL

 

JayEl,

 

Regarding the Startup tab in msconfig, do you have more than ccApp and osCheck running at startup? If so, could you list the items?

 

By the way ccApp is the core component for Norton, so that should remain checked. In the past, I have unchecked "osCheck" and have not experienced any issues. I believe it is only checking to see if you are running Vista.

 

Let me know so we can get you back in order before you have to leave.

Hi, Phil. and thank you for your kind attention to this issue.

 

I unselect everything in the start-up tab and then select only those two items.  When the computer reboots and I go back to the tab, I find one other item checked, sngwtgxg.  

 

JL

 

 

 

 

JayEl,

 

From the Startup tab can you tell me the command and location for the entry "sngwtgxg"? I'm not familiar with it.

 

Thanks.

 

 

PS: "...extended overseas stay"  - Military?

Too old for the militray now, unless things get desperate and they start accepting 40 year olds with bad eyesight!  Off to Nepal to study painting, actually.

 

As for that sngwtgxg:

 

Locaton:  HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Command:  Rundll32.exe"C:\WINDOWS\system32\sngwtgxg.dll",s

JayEl,

 

I'm not familiar with that entry are you able to uncheck it in msconfig and have it stay off or does it return on restart?

 

While we're at it, let's check your Firewall Settings. Open the main Norton Window. Click on Settings, then Click on Norton Internet Security Options.  From the left panel, select Personal Firewall and then select Program Control. Scroll down the list until you see Firefox. It should be marked as "Custom" or "Allow". If not, change it in the drop down box. Do the same for Microsoft Internet Explorer.

 

Let me know how you do.

Thank you for being so helpful, Phil.

 

Talking a look at the one item under the Start-Up tab, I went back and reset everything to restart my computer with only Symantec and Microsoft Services loading (as described here: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005110811012639 ). 

 

That particular item didn't show up checked again.  However, now my original problem seems to be back, not being able to load yahoo or google (though other pages load just fine).  I'm about at wit's end here.  I think perhaps I might have to call on someone local to come in and have a look.  

 

I did take a look to make sure Firefox was allowed under the Firewall settings and it was.  IE was not listed, so I added it.

 

JL

Hi JayEl,

Since this is specific to those two sites, the first area I’d look into would be to see what IP addresses www.yahoo.com and www.google.com resolve to.  To do so:

1) Open up a command prompt

2) type “nslookup www.google.com” and hit return.  For example, from here, I get the addresses:

          74.125.19.104
          74.125.19.147
          74.125.19.99
          74.125.19.103

    (Your results may differ because of differing DNS lookups)

3) You can then try browsing to each individual address (ie: http://74.125.19.104), and see if you get their webpage.  Try all of them and see if they work.  If any of them do, then at least you know the route from your computer to Google is ok.  If not, then we’ll have to try a different direction… Some other things to check:

4) Open up the “hosts” file (at %WINDOWS%\system32\drivers\etc) with notepad.  Check if there are any entries dealing with yahoo or google.  If so, note the IP addresses they are pointing to. I can’t think of many legitimate reasons why there would be entries here with respect to those two sites.  If there are, it could be signs of tampering from malware, either currently or previously.  If there are, you can try commenting each entry out by putting a “#” symbols at the front.  Then retry the connection.

5) In the NAV settings, goto: Settings -> Internet Settings -> Intrustion Autoblock.  Make sure there are no entries in the Autoblock address list (specifically IP addresses of Yahoo or Google servers)

6) sngwtgxg sounds kind of suspicious as a google search on that returned no hits.  Keep an eye out for any other random-sounding name that may appear in the Run key or startup tab.

7) One last thing I can think of right now is to check installed LSPs.  Open up a command prompt and type “netsh winsock show catalog”.  On my clean XP system, there are only two DLLs referenced: mswsock.dll, rsvpsp.dll.  Let me know if you see any suspicious looking providers there.

Give those few things a try and please report back the results.

Thanks,

/Chester

Sometimes clearing the cache will help. Please try that