# Web-sites that fail to open? (I want my Onion!)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-sites-that-fail-to-open-i-want-my-onion/249297>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 8, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-sites-that-fail-to-open-i-want-my-onion/249297 "2004-06-08T16:55:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-sites-that-fail-to-open-i-want-my-onion/249297/1 "2004-06-08T16:55:55Z")

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Lately I’ve been encountering a problem on my computer in which websites that used to open fine now fail to. Most prominently, I haven’t been able to access [www.theonion.com](http://www.theonion.com) for weeks. I get the standard “The page cannot be displayed” error with Internet Explorer, and the alternatate browser Mozilla Firebird reports “Page contains no data.” It seems that my computer isn’t even trying to open them, and my friends say that they can open the same sites without a problem, so its a problem on my end.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-sites-that-fail-to-open-i-want-my-onion/249297/2 "2004-06-08T17:10:34Z")

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It could be a bunch of things.  
Perhaps you need to fix your [Winsock](http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm)  
If you are using AOL or CompuServe, there may be parental control restrictions applied to the account.  
Incorrectly configured firewall or proxy software.  
An incorrect entry in a Hosts file.

When’s the last time you deleted your temporary Internet files and cookies?  
All you Critical Windows Updates done?

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-sites-that-fail-to-open-i-want-my-onion/249297/3 "2004-06-08T17:15:37Z")

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Oh, and it goes without saying, that spyware causes a lot of problems as well.  
Download and run [Adaware](http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10045910.html?legacy=cnet). Set it up like [this.](http://www.zerosrealm.com/scanning.php). Once the scan is done… put a check mark beside everything …and let it rid you of the spyware it finds.