Really odd IE / Mozilla issue!

[PretoriaSillyperson]

Cripes this is a tricky one and I work as an IT security consultant!

Right then! All internet traffic OK – MSN, Skype, POP3/SMTP – alles. BUT IE and Mozilla totally dead! Ethereal shows traffic going out and returning but nowt on the screen. Have run HijackThis et al but to no avail. I just get "Cannot connect to server." I have a Fortigate unit in transparent mode and have removed it so I’m going straight out/in. Thing is, my laptop - connected to the same router – works 100% A1! Odd indeed. Spyware seems the only culprit but I’ve not found anything at all.

Any ideas, fellow keyboard clickers?

PS No proxy. DOCSIS cable modem.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Any ideas, fellow keyboard clickers?

How about posting the Ethereal trace somewhere we can look at it?

[Superpilot]

Corrupt Winsock.dll?

Repair it (http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winsock.htm)

[Saab Dastard]

Changed your proxy server recently?

SD

[PretoriaSillyperson]

Solved - it was installing £$%$£%ing IE7 wot dun it!!! It actually knacked Mozilla too! Stumped me for a good few days. God I hate Microsoft - and I used to be an MCT.

Thanks everyone!

Richard
Sussex

[rotorcraig]

My Dad had a similar problem - the MS IE7 download trashed his connectivity. Never quite worked out how we fixed it - lots of reloading and checking options to no avail then it suddenly started working again :bored:

RC

[Mr Grumps]

IE7 managed to kill my MS updates and even the restore facility in XP. Some bits have come back but earliest restore point is only a few days ago. IE 7 was installed initially about a month ago. A real pain in the ar$3. :ugh:

[PretoriaSillyperson]

I used CCLeaner (Cr4p Cleaner) to sort the problem in the end after "uninstalling" IE7. Great piece of (free) software.