# why does my computer hate yahoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051 "2003-03-17T17:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/1 "2003-03-17T17:53:56Z")
okay guys, weird question maybe, but my computer has a problem with certain yahoo sites, mainly anything that uses the server [http://rd.yahoo.com](http://rd.yahoo.com) in any way, which im guessing is a redirect of some sort, DOES NOT WORK. so any time i type something in to search on yahoo, the next time i go to search it uses the rd server for ads and what not, well when that happens i get a “cannot find server” error… i had set up some blocked sites in my privacy prefs (newest ie version in XP) to kill some main advertising sites, but i took them out (yahoo wasnt even one of them) and i still cant get anything to work. i really dont use yahoo to search so this wouldnt be a problem, but yesterday i went to get a map and driving directions and its a no-go there too… anyone know something i can check? thanks guys… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/2 "2003-03-17T18:25:05Z")
Try a different browser. Download mozilla ([www.mozilla.org](http://www.mozilla.org)) and see if the problem is IE (which I assume you are using). ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/3 "2003-03-17T19:16:38Z")
It’s not an IE problem. I use IE and have no trouble using Yahoo. I don’t know what it could be, but it sounds like either a setting on your machine, a problem with the ISP, or, possibly, a router issue, if there’s one involved. BTW, you could always just use [www.mapquest.com](http://www.mapquest.com) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/4 "2003-03-17T19:33:20Z")
It may be an IE setting that’s causing the problem. Trying a different browser will help narrow it down between an IE setting and a computer network setting. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@jacobsta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/5 "2003-03-17T19:42:00Z")
You have Kazaa lite installed don’t you ? - For some reason they’ve got that site listed in the hosts file, which makes most of yahoo not work. Go to c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc and open the file named “hosts” in wordpad. Find & Replace “[rd.yahoo.com](http://rd.yahoo.com)” with the nonexistant site of your choice (ie “[nowhere.nothing.com](http://nowhere.nothing.com)”) and then close & reopen your browser, and yahoo should work again ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/6 "2003-03-17T19:49:56Z")
I had this same problem with KL’s hosts file as the OP. Take **jacobsta** ’s advice and delete any reference to it from the HOSTS file. For some reason, it appeared three or four times in mine, so don’t just delete the first one you find and stop. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/7 "2003-03-17T19:50:56Z")
1. Check your hosts file for an entry that might be blocking yahoo. Go to Windows/System32/Drivers/Etc , then look for a file named ‘hosts’ with no extension. Open it in notepad with Word Wrap off, and remove any lines that include [rd.yahoo.com](http://rd.yahoo.com) 2. Download and run Ad Aware from [http://www.lavasoftusa.com/](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) Perhaps your search function has been hijacked by some other website. ---
**Author:** ![alex5390](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@alex5390](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alex5390)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/8 "2003-03-19T19:07:30Z")
**something clever** , I have the exact same problem. I use two home computers (they both have Kazaa) and, for example, if I search for “A” on Yahoo, it will send me to [http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=a](http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=a) but if, from there, I search for “b” without clicking back, it will send me to [http://rd.yahoo.com/search/searchbox/top/a/\*-http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=b](http://rd.yahoo.com/search/searchbox/top/a/*-http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=b) . I’m not sure if this is the exact same problem that **something clever** has, but I am going to use **jacobsta** ’s advice. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![alex5390](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@alex5390](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alex5390)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-computer-hate-yahoo/162051/9 "2003-03-19T19:12:09Z")
Oops! I went to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS and all that is there is six .sys files. Help, please?