Virus sabotaging download of websites,

[yrreg]

Some three or four years ago I had trouble with a virus that stops downloading of any link where there is in the name of the website being sought the syllable or word particle "phi", as in philosophy.

Now, there seems to be a kindred virus that is attacking my my access to websites, this time all websites.

This is the phenomenon at present plaguing my work:

I would successfully made the connection with my ISP, but then when the downloading gets started, in my case with Google's home page, you can see that the downloading is sabotaged, and Windows returns the message that the server I am trying to contact is not available, to try later, etc.

So I try another website, say, OneLuk Dictionary, but the same routine occurs; also with any other links I click my mouse on.

I suspect it is a virus that is nesting in the installed harddisk, for when I use another harddisk, the problem does not appear.

Help! please, anyone.

And does anyone know of any absolutely free but good and constantly updated virus-scanners -- I haven't had any virus troubles for some time now, that I have lost track of all those good and absolutely free virus-scaners in the web.


Thanks for any tips and hints.


Pachomius

[Smike]

check out this thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=57452).

[kevin]

In addition, verify there are no proxy server settings set in your Internet Explorer. Some spyware forces your browser to go through a proxy so they can feed you their ads on other peoples pages. If their proxy server is overloaded you'll see behavior like this.

Instructions here (anywhere it says "click on use a proxy server" you want to make sure that setting is OFF)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=135982

Also, download Firefox and use that instead.
http://www.mozilla.com/