Why am I suddenly unable to get to certain bookmarked sites in IE?

Factual Questions
1

When I turned on my computer this morning, I discovered that IE will no longer allow me to get to a number of sites that I have bookmarked. When I click on the bookmark link in the personal toolbar (or when I select the link from the Favorites menu), I get the standard “This page cannot be displayed” message.

I can get to all of the sites I’m having trouble with on IE via Netscape (SDMB is one of the sites I’m having trouble with in IE, btw…horror!!).

I’ve done everything I can think of to sort of “reset” IE…I’ve deleted all temp files, cleared cookies, cleared history. I’ve disabled Zone Alarm, I even downloaded the most current IE6 service pack from Microsoft and reinstalled my browser. Still nothing.

It’s clearly not my ISP (I have DSL), since I can get everywhere with no problem on Netscape. I hate Netscape. I want to go back to my nice, comfy IE. ::sob::

Does anyone know what the problem is here?

2

Have you checked for spyware with Spybot or Ad-aware?

Do you use any pop-up blockers or web filtering software?

You might want to go to Tools|Internet Options|Connections|LAN Settings in IE and make sure that none of the boxes are checked.

3

I just resolved the exact same problem thanks to help from the SDMB. I had picked up some spyware that was causing the problem, running Spybot fixed everything. Good luck!

4

Number, I did run both Spybot and Ad-Aware…sorry for not mentioning it earlier. Both found minor problems (like the presence of that Doubleclick cookie), but nothing changed after I did the recommended cleaning.

My LAN Settings in IE has the box checked next to “Automatically detect settings” under Automatic Configuration. It has always been this way to my knowledge…if I uncheck it, my browser won’t go anywhere, it says:

Opening page res://C:\windows\system\shdoclc.dll/dsensor.htm…

I changed it back.

I don’t use any pop-up blockers or web filtering software. I do use Zone Alarm as my firewall, but I’ve tried disabling that as well as upgrading it…still no dice.

Anything else I can check?

5

I’m using NetZero and windows98. Twice now in the last 6 months I’ve gone WEEKS without being able to GOOGLE, get other other search engines or even get The Straight Dope. But I’ve been able to get a lot of everything else. I’ve contacted NetZero many times with no resolution, deleted files, reinstalled NetZero. Reset settings as best I could…all with no result. It’s working now (obviously) but if you figure this out, could you tell me.
I’m glad someone else has had this problem, I keep thinking it is something wrong with my computer…but don’t know what it is.

6

Sigene (this doesn’t apply to the OP’s problem) -

I’ve seen this happen with Netzero from time to time, and it seems to be some sort of DNS problem, though the Netzero folks would rather be boiled alive than admit it. When it’s happened to me (and it hasn’t in quite a while, thankfully), I’ve been able to cure the problem simply by choosing a different dial-in number/location. So, if there are a few numbers listed for your home town, but you can make free local calls to a neighboring town, and there are a few numbers listed for that town, use one of the numbers for that town.