Can’t Access Symantec Web (Win XP SP1)

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I’m trying to help a neighbor who has a unique problem. (At least to me.) Her computer cannot access any of the Symantec Web Pages. No problem with any other web sites. Her Norton Anti-Virus 2003 had expired and when we tried to renew it on-line via the Norton renew procedure the site could not be accessed. I exited the renew procedure and tried to pull it up directly by the usual Symantec address. Also tried the support page and the response center addresses. Same result. Just the familiar display ” This page cannot be displayed” etc. Any other web sites I tried came up with no problem. Checked the IE Security Level Setting which was set to the Default (Medium). Changed it to “Low” but still no access. Checking to see if the Symantec site was down, I went next door to her neighbor and opened it with no problem.
I want to install a new packaged Norton “Internet Security ” program for her but would not be able to download the updated Virus definitions which basically makes the Anti-Virus protection useless.
When I returned home I pulled up Symantec sites with no problem. Called her to try it again but with same results. Symantec sites will not display. Any other sites no problem. I’ve never seen this oddity before. Can anyone help please? Thank you.
(Her computer is a three year old Dell. There is no firewall at present. Her provider is SBC Global Net DSL via Yahoo sign on.)
Bill

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May be possible that there is something (virus) on the computer that is blocking access to Symantec. Have you tried to access any other of the AV vendors sites (McAfee, Avast, Trend Micro, etc.)?

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Thanks for the ideas John. I’ll do an online virus scan and check. I didn’t try to get onto the other sites but I will. Won’t have access to her computer until next week sometime.
Bill

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Thanks for the ideas John. I’ll do an online virus scan and check. I didn’t try to get onto the other sites but I will. Won’t have access to her computer until next week sometime.
Bill

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May be possible that there is something (virus) on the computer that is blocking access to Symantec. Have you tried to access any other of the AV vendors sites (McAfee, Avast, Trend Micro, etc.)?

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What about calling them directly 408 517 8000 to see if you could speak to someone? Have you tried clearing out Internet history? which version of IE are you using (though I don’t see how that could make a difference)?

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I’ll call when all else fails. I’ve experienced very long waiting times before and they didn’t have answers for my problems at that time and I eventually figured them out on my own. Yes, I had cleared the history. Made no difference. IE ver 6.0.
Thanks for your input.
Bill

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To circumvent navigation to antivirus websites, some malware will put invalid or useless IP addresses in your hosts file. Check under:

C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32DRIVERSETC

for the hosts (no extension) file. It’s a text file editable in Notepad or Wordpad.

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To circumvent navigation to antivirus websites, some malware will put invalid or useless IP addresses in your hosts file. Check under:

C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32DRIVERSETC

for the hosts (no extension) file. It’s a text file editable in Notepad or Wordpad.

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I don’t have an answer for you, but I’ll be watching this thread to see if you come up with a solution. Back in February 2004 I reported a similar problem in this thread. As usual, I received lots of suggestions from Loungers as you have, but to this day, I still cannot access the ABC broadcasting kingdom, which includes ESPN! I’m (so far) not willing to do a fresh install for this one little annoyance, but I know that would clear it up. I’ve done a fresh install of XP Pro in a virtual machine and am able to access the sites with both IE and Mozilla. There’s something in the “registry” or other settings. Good luck.

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BigAl,
Hey do you have script debugging off? Perhaps you are getting a scripting error.

Joe

--Joe

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BigAl,
Hey do you have script debugging off? Perhaps you are getting a scripting error.

Joe

--Joe

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Holy ! This is unbelievable. If you went back to my referenced February thread, Joe, and looked at the vast number of suggestions you made – and I checked on them ALL – you’d be amazed at what I’m about to say! That sunamagun was checked (by default, all this time I guess…). I un-checked and I’m NOW able to get to the two sites in MOZILLA, but not yet in IE6 which is fully patched. Don’t know what to say about this because I had, prior to February, been able to go to both sites. (The attachment is AFTER I un-checked)

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Well at least you can get to them in something. Do you have the MS Java VM installed? I just wonder if it would make any difference.

Joe

--Joe

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Well at least you can get to them in something. Do you have the MS Java VM installed? I just wonder if it would make any difference.

Joe

--Joe

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Holy ! This is unbelievable. If you went back to my referenced February thread, Joe, and looked at the vast number of suggestions you made – and I checked on them ALL – you’d be amazed at what I’m about to say! That sunamagun was checked (by default, all this time I guess…). I un-checked and I’m NOW able to get to the two sites in MOZILLA, but not yet in IE6 which is fully patched. Don’t know what to say about this because I had, prior to February, been able to go to both sites. (The attachment is AFTER I un-checked)

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I don’t have an answer for you, but I’ll be watching this thread to see if you come up with a solution. Back in February 2004 I reported a similar problem in this thread. As usual, I received lots of suggestions from Loungers as you have, but to this day, I still cannot access the ABC broadcasting kingdom, which includes ESPN! I’m (so far) not willing to do a fresh install for this one little annoyance, but I know that would clear it up. I’ve done a fresh install of XP Pro in a virtual machine and am able to access the sites with both IE and Mozilla. There’s something in the “registry” or other settings. Good luck.

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I’ll call when all else fails. I’ve experienced very long waiting times before and they didn’t have answers for my problems at that time and I eventually figured them out on my own. Yes, I had cleared the history. Made no difference. IE ver 6.0.
Thanks for your input.
Bill

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What about calling them directly 408 517 8000 to see if you could speak to someone? Have you tried clearing out Internet history? which version of IE are you using (though I don’t see how that could make a difference)?

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You could also check in IE options>Security>restricted sites>sites and make sure Symantec wasn’t put in there by some piece of malware.
Run Spybot & Adaware and get a FIREWALL installed.

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You could also check in IE options>Security>restricted sites>sites and make sure Symantec wasn’t put in there by some piece of malware.
Run Spybot & Adaware and get a FIREWALL installed.

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