# Computer question: cannot find server... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354 "2003-08-01T13:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/1 "2003-08-01T13:57:18Z")
I’m not sure how to put enough info into the subject to be less vague. Here’s the problem. On my computer at work, I am occasionally unable to load the SDMB site and google. I get the usual “cannot find server” page offering for me to reload, etc. If I restart my computer, I am able to access these sites. Running IE 6.0.28 on Win 98 OS. Happens only occasionally and after shutting down computer correctly. Very few programs running at start up. What could be causing this and how do I keep it from happening again. I tried the knowledge base but could not refine my question enough to find an answer. Thanks in advance. H ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/2 "2003-08-01T14:30:00Z")
I would guess your network card drivers (or the card itself, or possibly the switch, etc.) are kind of flaky. Do you have a support person or team who could troubleshoot this? Is it just SDMB and google, or all websites? Running Windows 98 at work. . .you have my deepest symapthies 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/3 "2003-08-01T14:33:34Z")
No help from the Helpless desk and I’m in an office by msyelf nine days out of ten. I only use the one computer regularly so I don’t know if it’s just the card in my computer or not. SDMB and google are the only two that I’ve found that are a problem and that’s not always. As for Win 98, for what I need to do here, it’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/4 "2003-08-01T14:43:48Z")
Well, I routinely have problems loading the SDMB page, so welcome to the club. I’ve never had problems with Google at all, so I’d still say something’s a little fishy, you might try holding down the shift key while clicking the reload button (to force it to retry from the server instead of your local cache). ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/5 "2003-08-01T14:51:19Z")
I routinely have trouble loading the SDMB page also. When I do I check google and if that doesn’t load either, I know it’s time for a reboot. I have IE set to check for a newer version of pages automatically but I’ll try the shift reload and see if that helps. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/6 "2003-08-01T15:15:03Z")
Hobie the One, did you try loading [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) instead of the forums? Try that next time. Sometimes the board is just slow but the main page should load, [straightdope.com](http://straightdope.com) ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/7 "2003-08-01T15:17:24Z")
**Handy** , yep. [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) does load just fine when this occurs and if I try to follow the link to the boards, I get the “cannot find server…” page. Weird, Huh? Like I said, so far it’s just the SDMB and google that go kerflooey on me. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/8 "2003-08-01T15:19:08Z")
I often have trouble with the SDMB page. I presume it is because the [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) server is overloaded and cannot handle the request in time. It used to happen on a different message board I visited until they upgraded servers. ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/9 "2003-08-01T15:36:33Z")
This isn’t a problem with the SDMB site (unless they are secretly subverting [google.com](http://google.com) too…). There’s something going on with my computer and I would imagine it is hardware related since the same things load on a cold start as a reboot, right? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/10 "2003-08-01T15:48:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hobie the One \* > \*\*There’s something going on with my computer and I would imagine it is hardware related since the same things load on a cold start as a reboot, right? \*\* I will sometimes have trouble with the SDMB not replying, and then 2 or 3 minutes later (about the time it would take for a reboot), it will reply just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/11 "2003-08-01T16:07:39Z")
> [@](#): > > I will sometimes have trouble with the SDMB not replying, and then 2 or 3 minutes later (about the time it would take for a reboot), it will reply just fine. Nope. As I said, it isn’t a problem with the SDMB. Here’s what happened this morning: Start up computer. Log in to Intranet site. Opened new window. Typed [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) in address line of IE. Got “cannot find server…” page immediately. Typed [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) in address line of IE, got “cannot…” page immediately. Restarted Windows. Repeated first three steps and lo and behold: The SDMB! Like I said, if the SDMB doesn’t load, I try google. If both don’t load, it’s time for a reboot. It doesn’t always happen and I don’t know why or what to do about it. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/12 "2003-08-01T17:40:19Z")
When the sites don’t load in IE, try this: Start/Run/dosprmpt Then at the command prompt, type: C:>ping [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) and C:>ping [google.com](http://google.com) What response do you get ? This could help eliminate the browser angle. ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/13 "2003-08-01T18:16:53Z")
I’ll have to wait to try that. It’s working now. I’ll resurrect this if I have the trouble next week and give you further information. Thanks for the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/14 "2003-08-01T22:41:07Z")
xash, maybe you should beam this over to the ATMB forum? Might be some better tech asst. there. ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-cannot-find-server/192354/15 "2003-08-05T12:18:11Z")
Okay, it happened again this morning. I tried pinging both the SDMB and google. All four packets were lost. It said request timed out four times and then gave the stats. Just to see, I tried pinging [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) also and got the same results although it loads in IE. I rebooted and was able to load all the above sites but got no results by pinging. Now what?