Can't connect to the Forum
 

Anyone who could help me - I'd appreciate it. I am on my husband's computer because mine all of a sudden won't let me get on this site.

Everything else works - other forums, etc. It gives me that error page that says the page cannot display - as if I were not connected to the internet at all. Even if I go to the SOG main site and try to click to the link to here - it still does the same thing - as if this site is blocked.

I checked my internet connection security page to make sure it wasnt a blocked site. I cleared all history, temp folders, etc. I also ran a virus check and spyware check. I added this site to the internet security part that says to always allow - I still can't get on!

Any suggestions as to what it could be? I hadn't changed any settings, it just started happening for no apparent reason 4-5 days ago.

Thanks!

PS - I dont think this anything to do with it - but about a month ago my web hosting company that hosts my website changed servers. Since then I can update the website, but I have to check it to see if it worked since my computer only shows the webiste that was published Dec 3rd. I checked to make sure my settings include checking for any changes or updates to websites. The company hasn't answered me yet - this is just weird.

If you're using AOL, that's could be the problem. Please see this thread: AOL problems connecting to internet

But, you say you're able to get to the main site ok? If so, I haven't a clue. The thing to do is thing about what changed - what settings you might have changed and/or what new software you installed or upgraded.

Im not on AOL. The only thing I can think of are some automatic updates that were sent - from Windows. They were security updates sent sometime last week and I just hit the install the other day, but I dont know if it coincides exactly. I see my husband hasn't installed them on this one yet.

After several weeks' worth of no trouble, I've encountered the problem in the past couple of days.

I doubt that any but the most astute and ambitious of sleuths can know what sorts of variables contribute to these roadblocks.

I think the letters AOL appear in most of the criminal reports.

If AOL was a car or a microwave or the latest sit-com, they'd have been out of business long ago.

I keep waiting for a better alternative, but even the computer guru Kim Komando says that she loves Microsoft but admits that if their products worked at all like they're supposed to, she wouldn't be getting rich solving everyone's PC problems.

Is this a great country, or what?

Hi Kim,

Lately my son has been fixing numerous Windows problems by disabling their latest security updates. Your problem is not unique. If I can catch him later he might be able to help. If you have a Microsoft guru down there I'm sure they can help you sooner.

This is why we have a Mac.

Jean

Thanks Jean. I am not sure of any gurus's - I'll have to look into it. I suppose I can restore the computer to a week or so ago...worth a shot.

Hi Kim,

We're in the process of getting snowed in here, I may not see Chris until Sunday, if you're still getting blocked then I'll see if I can get him to come on. He's been very busy lately with this same problem. Has something to do with a "blanket" security update to fix a previous hole in their secruity. Go figure.

Jean

About the same time that I had trouble getting into the Forum on AOL, I also could not sign off of the Forum through Explorer, without a message that an error had occurred and I had to click an additional link to actually sign off. This is a first -- in years, and it tells me that the problems we're having have nothing to do with SOG or any of our hardware or operating systems. Somebody somewhere down the line has messed with the protocols, and they goofed on the SOG site's access, but I'm going to predict they'll not own up to it for a long, long time.

Steven,

For the last week I've been getting that same message. I just click on the second log out message that comes up with the error message.

Jean

I did a system restore back to Jan 1st - and it still isn't letting me on. Now in my yahoo email I can't type - like the keyboard doesn't work. I think I'm going to have to find a professional. ;C

For a couple weeks I've also not been able to log off the forum through Netscape. I also just have to click on the second log out error message. I'd figured that my browser's cookies got messed up somehow, but seeing that others are having the same problem, that can't be it.

I checked with vBulletin, who created this forum software, and the logging off problem is a bug that they say goes away with version 3.0.6. And, I just paid $40 to have someone upgrade us to 3.0.5. The newest version came out within about a week of the 3.0.5. Groan

Why do I ever want to log off?

I'm not sure that you do need to. I never do. I'm fairly sure that once you close out the browser window or go to another site that one no longer shows in who's online.

I just thought I'd let everyone know what was wrong with my computer - in case anyone else has the same problem. I was not only unable to log in here, but I couldnt type anything while online, my webiste wouldnt show the updated version, of course many pop ups and a variety of other weird small things that were going wrong.

Apparently there were over 2,000 malicious spywares, adwares, maulwares and bad software pieces. I didnt have any virus' though. I have 2 spyware programs I run all the time: Spybot & Aluria Spyware. Apparently they aren't enough - especially considering the shopping I do online. I will pick up the computer tomorrow - they have installed another couple of programs that if I run once a wekk will keep it clean. If anyone is interested in knowing which ones these computer guys recommended - let me know.

I run Ad-aware 6.0 every night (free download), I also run spybot. They usually finds 8-20 occurances of spyware every day.

About a year ago my computer was so crippled that I thought I would have to scrap it and buy a new one. I was totally ignorant of this spyware. When I finally ran Ad-aware it identified over 800 installed files and executable programs that had been loaded onto my hard drive. All this crap had left my computer unusable and I didn't know why.

Why this practice is legal is a mystery to me.

I tried Aluria, but after a while wasn't impressed. I now use Giant AntiSpyware and I love it. It even tells me on the spot if something is trying to change my registry file, which is what many of these spyware programs do. It recognizes names like Microsfot, but still alerts me. On others, I get the choice whether to allow it or not. I have it set up to do an automatic scan every night while I sleep. It cost about $40, but was well worth it. Previously, my computer was so junked up that I had to have my system rebuilt.

Kim,

I recently had a similar problem. The source turned out to be a new anti spyware program called Webroot Spy sweeper. In its setup it automatically installed some settings that caused the problem. A change in the setup checkboxes fixed it. Have you recently installed such a program? If so I can give you some steps to fix it.

Thank you Richard, I appreciate it. I haven't installed that program or any new ones recently though.

Just thought I'd share this:

One of the things on my list to the computer guys was that I couldnt log on here. When he called he told me I must have been typing in www first and that it isnt necessary - and he got on fine with my computer.

Well - I tried to get this forum to come up last night when I got the computer back and couldnt. So I tried typing it every which way. With the www - without it - as portraitartist/forum, as forum/portraitartist, etc. I finally did a search on msn for 'portrait artist forum'. The first 4 results wouldnt let me on this site - as well as going through the SOG main page. Finally in the search results was the actual numbers associated with this site: 65.127....etc. Clicking on that finally worked and I saved it to Favorites real quick.

I'll never get this stuff.

Another weird thing is that on my website if I type www - an old version of my site comes up. Without the www it is the newest one, but the links to the various pages were older versions. I think I fixed it - but what is the deal with the www. I thought everything on the internet was www.

The correct web address for the Forum is http://forum.portraitartist.com. There is no www - it is replaced by "forum." There is also a link from the home page of my main site to the Forum if you ever have any doubt about the url.

Kim,

You are not alone.

About a year ago, I saved my husband's computer from becoming an anchor for our boat. Good thing I did; I am using it right now because my laptop is not feeling quite right and hasn't for a few days. It all started for me when those security messages that you mentioned came up. I only got them when I was connected via our dial up service, but when I was wireless to our cable connection, never saw them.

Because it wasn't consistent, I ignored them but then I went to the Microsoft website to see if they were legit. Maybe I fell for something I shouldn't have, but it looked as if I was suppose to download the patch so I did.

Now, I don't get the messages anymore but I get re-directed to a Yahoo web page with an address of j0r.biz followed by pop ups for dowloading wallpaper that take forever to close even after hitting the "close" button a zillion times. Also, I keep getting "page cannot be displayed" even when I am connected.

I'm current on my virus protection and I run the ad-aware and Spy Bot
and all scans come out clean.

All you Mac users out there, stop laughing.

Seriously, Macs are looking better and better to me these days. We just need four more boats to accommodate all of the anchors we have in this house.

It's enough to drive ya nuts!!

I'm pretty sure the Giant Software I bought detects hijacked browser home pages and gives you the option to reset it.

Kim,

I will be very happy when you get this figured out.

PLEASE HURRY!! : )

Janel,

I wouldnt count on me figuring anything out anytime soon! I can get on the forum, update my website, shop, etc... so I am satisfied for the time being!

Kim,

I was just having some fun, I don't expect you to figure out my computer problems for me. I took it into my own hands and did some research and found out the "can not display page" message even though your connection was still active was because of a hijacker. I was told that as the hijacker was doing its thing it was taking priority over the web browser and therefore other pages that you wanted to view were timing out and sending the "page can not be displayed" message.

I got to the bottom of it by going to hijackthis and doing a scan, then when I got the report of questionable files, deleted the ones that were causing the problem. Then I did a virus scan from a free download and it found a virus that my paid Norton anti virus missed. Go figure.

Anyway, I thought I would pass this on in case anyone else is having this same problem. It sure wasn't fun to get rid of.

On another note, and perhaps a discussion for another topic, when I did a google search about the problem, my own response from this forum came up in the results. So, Google picks up our conversations. I remember Garth bringing this up some time ago and thought it is worth another reminder for us to keep this in the back of our minds as we type.