# Maddening problem with Internet access **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512 "2002-03-22T11:21:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/1 "2002-03-22T11:21:34Z")
I use “bluelight” as an Internet browser; it was installed on the computer hardware my brother gave me. Frequently when I try to get onto an Internet address I get that maddening “this-page-cannot-be-displayed” notice; I’ve ascribed this variously to impingement by AOL, heavy Internet traffic, or an impotent server. The “help” menu suggested downloading a file called “MSDUN13.EXE,” which I did–it took something like 15 minutes. It’s on my hard drive, but the procedure for “Add/Remove Programs” requires that a floppy or CD be inserted with this program. I contacted my brother, who suggested that I choose a different local access number, which I am tempted to do; I’d still like to know if the program I downloaded can be installed, or whether it is already installed; or I’ve done something wrong… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/2 "2002-03-22T11:35:43Z")
just a guess, but I think MSDUN is probably something to do with Windows Dial-Up Networking; have you got this installed? - if not, dig out your Windows install disk, hit _Start/settings/Control panel/add and remove/windows setup_ and add it. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/3 "2002-03-22T17:53:04Z")
" but the procedure for “Add/Remove Programs” requires that a floppy or CD be inserted with this program." Not necessarily. When it asks you to locate it on the floppy disk it should give you an option to specify a location, e.g., your HD. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/4 "2002-03-23T05:06:48Z")
Thanks to both; I’ll try it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AZCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@AZCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZCowboy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/5 "2002-03-23T05:30:55Z")
MSDUN13.EXE is Microsoft Dial-Up Networking version 1.3. See [this](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q191494) for more information. You can just double click the file to install it, no need to go through add/remove programs. Is your operating system Windows 95? All operating systems beyond early Win95 already included this update. By the way, I have never heard of “Bluelight”, but I did find this blurb: > [@](#): > > _[(from this site)](http://www.perfectlyprivate.com/appraise_2.asp)_ > Steer clear of Bluelight ISP Service. This service is provided through multiple partners, and the amount of personal information you will share is extensive. Besides the usual stuff, these third parties will collect your occupation, number of people in your household under 18, your marital status, whether you own your residence, your education level, your income and much more. These ISP third parties will also use cookies to identify you and to record your Web surfing habits. We vote against this one. So, if I understand that, you don’t use BlueLight as an Internet Browser, but as your Internet Service Provider. If you can afford it, get a _real_ ISP. Which would mean AOL is innocent as well. Your “this-page-cannot-be-displayed” error is probably due to links pointing to a page that simply no longer exists. With all the dotcom failures and out of date webpages, this is all too common these days. And a new local access number is highly unlikely to help (at least from the same ISP, in the same city). Good Luck. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/6 "2002-03-23T06:04:36Z")
> [@](#): > > ## By the way, I have never heard of “Bluelight”, but I did find this blurb: quote: > > ## Unfortunately, the Add/Remove dialog box only lists programs I already have on the hard drive. I don’t have a Windows install disk; my brother sent the hardware to me with windows 98 Plus! already installed on it. _Originally posted by AZCowboy_(from this site) Steer clear of Bluelight ISP Service. This service is provided through multiple partners, and the amount of personal information you will share is extensive. Besides the usual stuff, these third parties will collect your occupation, number of people in your household under 18, your marital status, whether you own your residence, your education level, your income and much more. These ISP third parties will also use cookies to identify you and to record your Web surfing habits. We vote against this one. > > So, if I understand that, you don’t use BlueLight as an Internet Browser, but as your Internet Service Provider. If you can afford it, get a real ISP. Which would mean AOL is innocent as well. > Your “this-page-cannot-be-displayed” error is probably due to links pointing to a page that simply no longer exists. With all the dotcom failures and out of date webpages, this is all too common these days. And a new local access number is highly unlikely to help (at least from the same ISP, in the same city). > Good Luck. My brother had assured me that Blue Light is a better choice than AOL, which I uninstalled after it kept screwing things up on my computer–downloading so many Internet files I kept getting a message that the hard drive was full. (It’s maddening to have to delete 1,500 files!) He has no trouble with Bluelight, and told me Netscape is more trouble to install than it’s worth. Bluelight has _not_ encroached on my personal information. The sites I’ve tried to access that I get the error message on are my most common ones–Straight Dope, Hotmail, Snopes, and Amiright (misheard lyrics). ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/7 "2002-03-23T07:07:01Z")
blue [light.com](http://light.com) is a promotional venture with k-mart it was originally supposed to be a free isp with k-mart deals and ads and such i tried to load it up once but it never worked so i ditched it The original service provider K-mart used went out of business in the dot com crash I think it was called bigfoot or soemthing Now you get maybe 10 hours free a month and you can buy more ---
**Author:** ![AZCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@AZCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZCowboy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/8 "2002-03-23T15:40:40Z")
Well, I would never accuse AOL of being a _real_ ISP, in fact, AOL is Online Service Provider, which happens to gateway access to the Internet. While even _real_ ISPs may want to install software on your computer, it isn’t necessary. As long as you have a browser (IE, Netscape, etc), and a mail client (MS Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, etc), then you really don’t need their software, just a username/password to establish the dial-up connection. And if you are getting that error on known good pages, then your provider is either clueless or severely oversubscribed. Certainly, you can get messages like that when the server is hosed (as as been the case here quite frequently, recently). But that should be the exception, not the pattern. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/9 "2002-03-27T05:44:16Z")
It’s all well and good to have MSDUN13.EXE on the hard drive. Unfortunately, when I double-click the program name, or the icon, I get a dialog box with this message: “Setup has detected that you are running a version of Windows which includes the Dial-Up Networking 1.3 support. Please use the Add/Remove programs control panel to install the Dial-Up Networking and Virtual Private Networking Options.” I even got that message when I tried to follow the suggestion given by AZ Cowboy and the download was finished. The very same dialog box appeared, and–since I don’t have a Windows install disk–the computer was sent to me with this stuff already on it–I have no clue as to what to do next. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/10 "2002-03-27T06:04:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dougie\_monty \* > My brother had assured me that Blue Light is a better choice than AOL, which I uninstalled after it kept screwing things up on my computer–downloading so many Internet files I kept getting a message that the hard drive was full. (It’s maddening to have to delete 1,500 files!) I hope you FDisked your hard drive and reinstalled Windows in order to get rid of AOL, for your sake. It’s the only way to truly release your computer from the hairy tentacles of AOL. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/11 "2002-03-27T06:23:25Z")
_Originally posted by Duckster_ > [@](#): > > I hope you FDisked your hard drive and reinstalled Windows in order to get rid of AOL, for your sake. It’s the only way to truly release your computer from the hairy tentacles of AOL.😃 “FDisked”? How do I do that? There actually was an obscure icon and file name with AOL on it after I uninstalled the program from my computer. I right-clicked on it and then deleted it with the pop-up menu. From what you say, however, it sounds as if I haven’t rooted it all out… ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/12 "2002-03-27T15:15:26Z")
Why not try one of the free web ISPs first & see if they work right? [Juno.com](http://Juno.com) is one. I think there are some others. Also, in my opinion, don’t use Fdisk. It’ll take all your HD data with it. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/13 "2002-03-27T17:27:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duckster \* > I hope you FDisked your hard drive and reinstalled Windows in order to get rid of AOL, for your sake. It’s the only way to truly release your computer from the hairy tentacles of AOL. 😃 That is totally unnecessary. The most he needs to do is FORMAT. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/14 "2002-03-27T18:18:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Urban Ranger \* > \*\* > > That is totally unnecessary. The most he needs to do is FORMAT. \*\* Brain fart. You are correct. I had just sent an email to someone asking for assistance on FDisk and my brain was still in that mode. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maddening-problem-with-internet-access/99512/15 "2002-03-27T19:37:42Z")
My guess is that the “Bluefart” browser is just IE or netscape adapted to that service. I have never, and would never, install and ISP’s software. I have my browseer and all I want from the ISP is that they PISS (Provide Internet Service Securely).