DNS problem? IE Cannot Display Search Page

I have a strange problem that is baffling me.

At the command prompt, when I try to ping a URL, I
get "unknown host". I can ping the IP address fine.

I get a DNS error in IE when I try to go to ANY URL. The
real baffling part is when I type in a known good IP
addres, I get "Internet Explorer cannot open search page.

The correct DNS server addresses show up in winipcfg. I
can ping the DNS servers. Other PCs resolve URLs fine so
I know the DNS servers are working correctly.

I've tried uninstall and re-install TCP/IP. I've tried
manually configuring IP Address, SM, GW and DNS.

This is Win98SE with a KTI (KF-530) 10/100 NIC.

I'm confused. I may have 2 different problems here. Any
help would be appreciated.

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 07:36:51 -0800, Ken Eisman wrote:

> I have a strange problem that is baffling me.
>
> At the command prompt, when I try to ping a URL, I
> get "unknown host". I can ping the IP address fine.
>
> I get a DNS error in IE when I try to go to ANY URL. The
> real baffling part is when I type in a known good IP
> addres, I get "Internet Explorer cannot open search page.
>
> The correct DNS server addresses show up in winipcfg. I
> can ping the DNS servers. Other PCs resolve URLs fine so
> I know the DNS servers are working correctly.
>
> I've tried uninstall and re-install TCP/IP. I've tried
> manually configuring IP Address, SM, GW and DNS.
>
> This is Win98SE with a KTI (KF-530) 10/100 NIC.
>
> I'm confused. I may have 2 different problems here. Any
> help would be appreciated.

You may need to check out this:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com...an.qhosts.html
And as well get a good anti spyware program like Spybot Search and Destroy
or Adaware.
http://www.safer-networking.org/
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

The QHost Trojan was not the problem. Thanks for
suggesting it, though. I had already installed and run Ad-
Aware, found several malwares, removed them, but I still
have the orginal problem.

>-----Original Message-----
>On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 07:36:51 -0800, Ken Eisman wrote:
>
>> I have a strange problem that is baffling me.
>>
>> At the command prompt, when I try to ping a URL, I
>> get "unknown host". I can ping the IP address fine.
>>
>> I get a DNS error in IE when I try to go to ANY URL.
The
>> real baffling part is when I type in a known good IP
>> addres, I get "Internet Explorer cannot open search
page.
>>
>> The correct DNS server addresses show up in winipcfg. I
>> can ping the DNS servers. Other PCs resolve URLs fine
so
>> I know the DNS servers are working correctly.
>>
>> I've tried uninstall and re-install TCP/IP. I've tried
>> manually configuring IP Address, SM, GW and DNS.
>>
>> This is Win98SE with a KTI (KF-530) 10/100 NIC.
>>
>> I'm confused. I may have 2 different problems here. Any
>> help would be appreciated.
>
>You may need to check out this:
>http://securityresponse.symantec.com...r/venc/data/tr
ojan.qhosts.html
>And as well get a good anti spyware program like Spybot
Search and Destroy
>or Adaware.
>http://www.safer-networking.org/
>http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
>.
>

Try to check also content of hosts. file, it has higher priority than DNS
and there were some trojans a few month ago that rewrited content of this
file to redirect most often used addresses to fake sites. If fake site is
unavailable, your search attempt will fail.

Otherwise check content of following key in registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and eventually Search related keys around this one.

Search keys are often target of virus or trojan attacks because it is very
difficult for normal user to change them back to something safe and
functional. I think that MS originally wants to "tie" MSIE users to default
MS related search portals defined at installation time, I see no other
reason to design search system to be user inconfigurable as it is now.





Ken Eisman <(E-Mail Removed)> píse v diskusním
pøíspìvku:096b01c3a7a0$75e69ec0$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> I have a strange problem that is baffling me.
>
> At the command prompt, when I try to ping a URL, I
> get "unknown host". I can ping the IP address fine.
>
> I get a DNS error in IE when I try to go to ANY URL. The
> real baffling part is when I type in a known good IP
> addres, I get "Internet Explorer cannot open search page.
>
> The correct DNS server addresses show up in winipcfg. I
> can ping the DNS servers. Other PCs resolve URLs fine so
> I know the DNS servers are working correctly.
>
> I've tried uninstall and re-install TCP/IP. I've tried
> manually configuring IP Address, SM, GW and DNS.
>
> This is Win98SE with a KTI (KF-530) 10/100 NIC.
>
> I'm confused. I may have 2 different problems here. Any
> help would be appreciated.