Windows 98 & ME - socket issue.ping by IP but not by URL.HELP

On Wed, 26 May 2004 11:10:07 -0700, "RAQ"
wrote:

I cannot get connection on the Internet since 3 month ago.
I spoken to my ISP and seems like socket Issue: My PC
pings by IP Address but not by URL so cannot
communicate ...Please if u can help...

Raq

Raq,

This sounds like a dns hijack to me.

Search your entire system drive, including hidden and system folders, for file
"hosts". There is one legit copy, in C:\WINDOWS. The others are possibly
bogus, and part (but just part) of the problem. Examine the contents of each
copy found, using Notepad. (HINT: Scroll to the end of each Hosts file, by
hitting Ctrl-End, then back up to the top, page by page, before deciding that
the file is empty. Look out for blank lines at the beginning and end of the
file, after localhost, placed there by an exploit!)

How current is your virus protection? Try one or more of these free online
virus scans:
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional carriers of infection.
Have you downloaded these programs before? Download them again, as many are
revised frequently, to keep up with the current level of malware being attempted
constantly - get the absolutely most current version of each product listed.
They're all free - and most pretty small, so they download quickly enough.

First, download LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFIx from http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm,
and CWShredder from http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html. All are
free.

Next, close all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, then run CWShredder.
Have it fix all variants.

Now check for, and remove, spyware. Get HijackThis
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155 and Spybot S&D
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download. Both free.
1) Install and run Spybot. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a
scan ("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and make all recommended deletions.
2) Install and run HijackThis. Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
3) Have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the following
forums (and post it, or a link to your forum post, here):
http://forums.net-integration.net/
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/

If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some
spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your
network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.