I open any link in the default Internet Explorer browser of Windows Vista Home Premium and the page does not load most of the time and I get this message (the usual one)

Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage,
Most likely causes:
-You are not connected to the Internet
-The website is encountering problems.
-There might be a typing error in the address.
What you can try:
-Diagnose Connection Problem.
>More Information

So I open links and sometimes this happens and I refresh it's okay, but for quite many links I can keep refreshing again and again and get the same message. Links that load also show up in disordered arrangements because the image links of the pages cannot properly. (At least I am able to access this forum) And I am very sure my internet is connected because this problem started yesterday and my MSN messenger was on (I could still chat with others and receive replies). My internet is a wireless connection, and other users in my household (other laptops) are able to access the internet fine. So it isn't some cable not connected kind of trvial problem.

So I click on Diagnose Connection Problem. Then it shows "Identifying the problem" for a moment then comes is non-helpful:

Windows cannot find the host name "insert the broken link here" using DNS.
The Domain Name Server may be down.
->Windows found a problem that cannot be repaired automatically.
Contact your service probider or network administrator for help or click here for information about things you can try to resolve the problem.

I clicked and I found no viable solution. It should not be my service provider's problem since others in my household are able to access the inernet fine. It cannot be because the site is down because it is happening for sites like blogger, facebook and yahoo and occasionally google. For facebook, I can access the main page but when I log in I get the broken link page.

Another time, I tried Diagnosing again and I got:

Windows did not find any problems with this computer's network connection.
->Send a report to Microsoft.
I click it, and guess what happenes? My Internet Explorer browser freezes.

This is hampering my internet use and I have absolutely no idea what is going on because of the peculiar manner of the problem. (Working sometimes and other times not, some links yes some no) I really hope I am even able to press the "Submit New Thread" button.

Any help? Thanks.

To add on, when I use my google toolbar to search and I get a broken link, this is what is displayed. I don't know but sometimes I get the broken link while other times I don't (for google) but some other webpages like facebook and blogger I seriously cannot access. It occurs for all webpages. Even on this PC Help Forum I have opened links to threads and got the broken link page occasionally.


Oops! This link appears to be broken.
Suggestions:

• <LI sb_id="ms__id36">Reload this page later <LI sb_id="ms__id37">Search Google for search
• Search on Google:

EDIT:

(More Information) I have not changed any internet or firewall settings recently. I always download stuff and installed a game a few days before.

There was something that happened a few days ago that might be of relevance. While I was playing the game mentioned above. I heard "clicking sounds" in the background, like those that you hear when you click on links in internet explorer or when you're opening folders in windows explorer (that's my default sound). And I even heard the "Congratulations you won." audio you hear on some websites that have advertisements. I got worried so I alt-tabbed, but saw no internet explorer windows opened. About 5min later, my Norton Internet Security detected and (if I'm not wrong quarantined) a security threat. I went to task manger and under processes saw iexplorer.exe running and I ended the process. Since then I have not encountered the same thing again.

I have performed 2 full system scans on my subscribed Norton Internet Security and apparently no it has not found any other infections. Perhaps my Norton Internet Security changed some settings, and that is why I am having this broken link problem now? I haven't a clue, please help.

Hello & Welcome Alqx,


Norton is not able to catch all types of malware. There is likely something that was missed.

I would like to suggest that you follow the PreWork instruction found in my signature line. Please post all requested logs back into this thread. Once we have your logs, the thread will be relocated to the [NEW] HJT Logs area of the forum for review by our Security team.

I have checked and my mine is a 32-bit Operating System. However, after downloading and extracting the RootRepeal to my desktop and opening it, I got an error:

FOPS- Device Io Control Error! Error Code - 0xc0000024
Extended Info (0x000000d8)

On click details and saving the log:
21:39:22: FOPS - DeviceIoControl Error! Error Code = 0xc0000024 Extended Info (0x000000d8)
21:39:22: DeviceIoControl Error! Error Code = 0x1e7
21:39:22: FOPS - DeviceIoControl Error! Error Code = 0xc0000024 Extended Info (0x000000d8)

I am still able to continue after the error message. Do I proceed with the instructions?

EDIT:

I went on to proceed and got another error when clicking scan. I followed all steps up to clicking scan and in correct order.

Error message:
Could not initialize driver! Please contact the author! {OK}

Could not initialize driver! Please contact the author! {OK}

Error dumping SSDT (0x0000024)! {OK}

Could not read system registry!
Please contact the author! {Details}

Trying to save the details log, nothing happens.

Also, here is RootRepeal report:

ROOTREPEAL (c) AD, 2007-2009
==================================================
Scan Start Time: 2009/11/04 21:45
Program Version: Version 1.3.5.0
Windows Version: Windows Vista SP0
==================================================
SSDT
-------------------
SYSENTER/INT2E Hooked [0x8288c9c0]!
==EOF==

Yes, please continue.....

I have proceeded and I got another error while scanning. Refer to my edited previous reply.

The crash error log was saved on the desktop.

ROOTREPEAL CRASH REPORT
-------------------------
Windows Version: Windows Vista SP0
Exception Code: 0xc0000005
Exception Address: 0x77182086
Attempt to read from address: 0x32dcbb80