Hello,

I have a strange problem when browsing certain websites. After I have just started my computer I can access websites like Google and Yahoo but after about 5 minutes I can’t access them. Does anyone know if this is likely to be a virus blocking my access to these well known sites? Or is it more likely to be something else?

I realised there might be an issue with my firewall or spy WARE remover denying access to these sites. I haven’t changed any of the setting on them recently and it worked fine until a few days ago.

I don’t think it’s a problem with my connection because other sites work fine

There is not an error message. It just shows the usual screen in the browser when a website address is not correct etc.

Any suggestions on what this could be or how I can solve it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Barbarossa
When you say "Can't access them", what error etc is thrown?
I'll assume IE and a 404 error - If you hold down the CTL key and hit F5, can you access them then?
What security software (AV/anti malware/firewall etc) is in place?
Are any extra toolbars such as those from Google and Yahoo etc installed?Thanks for your Swift Reply Backdated,

The error message you identified is the one I get.

I have never installed or used any of the search engines toolbars.

I have used the following security software in CONJUNCTION with each other without any problems for over a year:

Webroot Spy Sweeper
Norton Antivirus Professional 2004 (I updated it online in January)
Zone Alarm

I noticed another symptom (It might not be related) the icons on my desktop have a black shadow around them. From past experience it meant there was something installed on my desktop I check this by looking at the web tab In desktop items…nothing had been installed from what I could tell.

Thanks again
Carry out the procedures listed [highlight]in this post[/highlight] and post a Hijackthis logfile here when done.
If possible, zip the logfile and attach it rather than post it.Do you have that little passage of text ready on your clipboard?  

Only joking it looks like you do a great job helping people on this forum!!
Thanks for that info will have to do that when I get home (at work now).

Thanks again
ACTUALLY, I have it in a text file on the desktop!
I know, from everyday experience, that the vast majority of SYSTEMS are infected with something or have had infections erroneously removed.
A few years ago, most problems were (legitimate) software or hardware based. It's a very sad indictment that today, without seeing or having any details of a machine, I can assume that some form of malware is the problem and I'll be correct in that assumption almost 100% of the time.

There are massive ammounts of money being made from the proliferation of malware (Probably billions of pounds in the last 2 or 3 years alone). There is also an almost infinite supply of unsuspecting computer users who are helping these criminals "earn" that money.
Until that loop can be broken and users are educated in the ways of safe computing, that situation will sadly continue.