# Solved: Can't access websites (except google) or update software



## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi
I've got an old Win 98 SE but have had a specific problem with the internet the last couple of weeks:

If I connect to the internet with firefox or IE, I can access google and search for anything and it brings up the results, however if I try to go to any of the search results or load any site other than google, the browsers just don't load it, firefox in particular says at the bottom "_waiting for *pix01.revsci.net*_" no matter which site I'm loading - I've googled and this seems to be something to do with cache  Also, any software that needs to update online (antivirus, etc) will not update.

I'm pretty sure it's not an infection as Hijackthis log is clean and nod32, boclean, adaware, and superantispyware, have all showed clean, that computer has only ever been used for safe sites, i.e. yahoo and was reformatted a couple of months so an infection is very unlikely.

I've ruled out a conflict as well as all the software has been used on there for some time with no problems, and I disabled nearly everything to startup in MSCONFIG except the modem and still have exactly the same problem.

Anyone any ideas before I get the old reinstall windows CD out?

Thanks
GlenB


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

Post hjt log


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> Post hjt log


How? I can't access the internet from that machine. That machine can only save on a floppy and this laptop doesn't have a floppy drive.


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

download hijackhis from a different machine, put it on that machine, scan and save the log, put it on the other machine, post it here.

you can use a thumbdrive or floppy.


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

make sure there is no proxy set, can you do a ipconfig /all ?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> you can use a thumbdrive or floppy.


I don't have a thumbdrive, I have run hijackthis on the machine and it's clean (Im not authorised to remove malware here but I have experience with HJT logs and know what every single entry on my log is and it's not showing any malware). I'm pretty sure the problem has something to do with this _pix01.revsci.net_, I've googled but it looks like something to do with reading a websites cache?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> make sure there is no proxy set, can you do a ipconfig /all ?


It's win98 it doesn't have cmd.exe


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

type in COMMAND


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> type in COMMAND


What am I looking for when Im in command?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

ok, i've checked using COMMAND and ipconfig /all and there's no proxy.


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

No, the proxy would be in IE of firefox.
when did tis happen?
what does ipconfig /all say?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> No, the proxy would be in IE of firefox.
> when did tis happen?
> what does ipconfig /all say?


I've checked settings of firefox and no proxy, same with IE.
ipconfig /all says:

Windows 98 IP configuration:
Host name.......................PBN Computer
DNS servers..........................
Mode Type............Broadcast
Netbiosscope id...................
IP Routing enabled...................No
WINS proxy Enabled....................No
Netbios resolution uses DNS..................No

0 Ethernet adapter:

Description:..................PPP adaptor
Physical address.......................
DHCP enabled.......................Yes
IP address................... 0.0.0.0
Subnet mask................0.0.0.0


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

why is there no ip address?

when did this start?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> why is there no ip address?
> 
> when did this start?


I wasn't connected to the internet so there was no IP, it started about two weeks ago


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

How is your network currently set up? Do you have a router?


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> How is your network currently set up? Do you have a router?


No router, a standalone PC that connects to internet via USB broadband modem with a dynamic IP, I use the same connection for the laptop Im on now and don't have any issues at all with this connection.


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Anyone have any idea what _pix01.revsci.net_ is?


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## Michael Wright (Dec 25, 2006)

do an IPconfig /all on the laptop that works on the internet & tell us what it says.


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Michael Wright said:


> do an IPconfig /all on the laptop that works on the internet & tell us what it says.


It's fine- showing nothing out of the ordinary - my usual IP and dns, etc.


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

you have to make sure that btoh comps have almost the same netowok info.

but from what I saw it seems that one has zeros and one has a normal IP.


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

MMJ said:


> you have to make sure that btoh comps have almost the same netowok info.
> 
> but from what I saw it seems that one has zeros and one has a normal IP.


The one with zeros wasn't connected to the internet at the time, they both show the same IP and DNS etc when connected


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## Michael Wright (Dec 25, 2006)

You might want to try and give the non-connecting computer its own IP instead of having it get its own. However it cannot be the same as the laptop, try altering the last number up or down by 1


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Michael Wright said:


> You might want to try and give the non-connecting computer its own IP instead of having it get its own. However it cannot be the same as the laptop, try altering the last number up or down by 1


The IP address is dynamic and is reassigned every time I connect to the internet, so it is impossible for the PC to have the exact same IP as my laptop, the IP is always in the same range, but slighlty different each time. From what I have figured out myself and from some help from a premium rate tech support line a couple of days ago (which couldn't help in the end), the problem lies in the way the computer is communicating (or not) with the internet/websites, the connection itself is fine but I'm guessing 'something' has become corrupted.

I was wondering if anyone knew what *pix01.revsci.net* is because firefox says "_waiting for pix01.revsci.net..._" everytime I try to access any site (other than google, which works fine), from what I've read off google _pix01.revsci.net_ is something to do with a website's cache  and maybe my PC is having trouble reading this if somethings been corrupted


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Anyone any ideas? I'm still stuck with this.


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## walkeriam (Feb 19, 2002)

GlenB,
Try this, go to START>FIND>FILES AND FOLDERS and where it says NAMED type in HOSTS and make sure it says C:/ in the LOOK IN box and click FIND NOW. When it stops searching click on the hosts file and if it asks OPEN WITH choose WORDPAD and click OK. Scroll down through the list and if you find (pix01.revsci.net) backspace it to remove it and the IP address of 127.0.0.1 thats beside it and then save the file. Then try the INTERNET again. 
Let us know if that works!


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

walkeriam said:


> GlenB,
> Try this, go to START>FIND>FILES AND FOLDERS and where it says NAMED type in HOSTS and make sure it says C:/ in the LOOK IN box and click FIND NOW. When it stops searching click on the hosts file and if it asks OPEN WITH choose WORDPAD and click OK. Scroll down through the list and if you find (pix01.revsci.net) backspace it to remove it and the IP address of 127.0.0.1 thats beside it and then save the file. Then try the INTERNET again.
> Let us know if that works!


Walkeriam,
I've had a look in the Hosts file but there's only one line in the entire file:
_*127.0.0.1* ---- ---- *local host*_
Should I delete this?

Thanks
GlenB


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## Mrcobra (Jul 16, 2000)

I know this sounds drastic but I had the SAME EXACT issue with an xp machine not being able to connect to the internet. I had nothing on the computer worth saving so I reformatted it and guess what, I was able to connect to the internet. I know it was no real help but I got the machine back online and that was my intent, lol.


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## GlenB (Oct 1, 2006)

Thanks all for help, I haven't found the problem or a solution, but I've purchased a new PC with XP so the Win 98 computer is no longer used.  

GlenB


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## Mrcobra (Jul 16, 2000)

lol well that is another way to solve the problem


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## walkeriam (Feb 19, 2002)

Glen
The 127.0.0.1 Local Host should stay there. If it had a long list you could have looked through the list to see if that was there. The reason you couldn't log on to some sites, probably had something to do with your Security settings. Sorry to here you gave up on it.


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