Need help from the geek squad!

[WIP]

This one is over my head. Okay, not so unusual but if someone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.

My daughter has been taking an online college course at her high school. She's also been accessing the site from home on this computer. Recently for some reason she is unable to access the site. When she tries to open the website she gets a reply that the site was not available. She says she can access it from school but not from home. We have a desktop and two laptops and none of them from home are able to access the site. We use Chrome as our default browser on all PC's but we also have IE9 and tried that as well with no luck.

Everything else works fine. No other sites do this and we have no problem accessing any other sites.

After some poking around I've come to the conclusion that the problem appears to be related to the search engine used on our PC. Using Google or Dogpile I could not open the site. Using Bing or Yahoo I could open the site just fine.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[reba]

yeah, use Bing or Yahoo

 

[tim-from-pa]

This one is over my head. Okay, not so unusual but if someone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.

My daughter has been taking an online college course at her high school. She's also been accessing the site from home on this computer. Recently for some reason she is unable to access the site. When she tries to open the website she gets a reply that the site was not available. She says she can access it from school but not from home. We have a desktop and two laptops and none of them from home are able to access the site. We use Chrome as our default browser on all PC's but we also have IE9 and tried that as well with no luck.

Everything else works fine. No other sites do this and we have no problem accessing any other sites.

After some poking around I've come to the conclusion that the problem appears to be related to the search engine used on our PC. Using Google or Dogpile I could not open the site. Using Bing or Yahoo I could open the site just fine.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thanks,

Yeah, you apparently got a redirect (or denial type) malware on your computer because you are using Microsoft. And I would not be surprised if all your PC's are infected.

Your statement is a testimony to exactly what I written a few days ago here as to why I never took online courses. Simple solution (and it is simple) switch to Linux--- at least on one online computer. You'll have to get used to it (it's not difficult) , but it's worth it. In 20 minutes you can install Linux and immediately and effortlessly go on the Internet. Your daughter will then immediately study well again without "walking on Microsoft eggshells".

See this thread (my first post about studies):
http://www.christianforums.net/f36/again-linux-saves-day-40376/

Also, if you love your privacy, then see this thread:
http://www.christianforums.net/showthread.php?t=40474&p=606590#post606590

 

[WIP]

So why would the search engine used have anything to do with it then? I can access the site if I use Bing or Yahoo search engines.

I also have been reading about DNS issues and again I am inclined to ask what the search engine has to do with it then. These solutions would make more sense (to me anyway) if I just plain can't open the site no matter what I tried. But, this problem is specific to the search engine I use and in particular Google or Dogpile (of the four I tried). I even tried it from my work PC and got the same results so unless my work PC is infected with the same malware it would seem the problem is not related to the PC. It is also noted that my work PC use different OS, firewalls, and anti-malwar protection than I do.

Maybe try it using your Linux. The site address is online college in the high school dot org.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Malware is designed to redirect one if one uses a certain search engine. Usually it involves more than removing the virus. The virus reconfigures the computer to do something strange (which in itself technically is not a virus--- sort of like a post-hypnotic suggestion makes people do strange things). In that case a program such as "hijack this" straightens it out and removes the redirects. In other words, I'm saying your browsers have been hijacked and have a browser hijacker(which BTW, is the same as an airplane destined for one place is redirected to go another).

What is the URL of the school may I ask? I'll try it on both a Microsoft and Linux computer and tell you if it works here.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Sorry! I missed your URL as you spelled it out in your previous post instead of an actual link.

Yes, I tried that and both my Microsoft computer and Linux computer connects to it. That's a pretty smiling girl there!!

If you can't get it, you're infected with a browser hijacker most likely. I'd concentrate on how to get rid of it in the immediate future, and in the near future I'd consider on at least one computer switching to Linux (unless you enjoy aggravation). I'd hate to see your daughter fail her courses just because Microsoft is such a jack-shoot operating system. It's NOT her fault.

I truly wish the best for your daughter and her studies--- but she's not going to prosper well with Microsoft. For her sake, get her online with something reliable.

 

[WIP]

I do have HijackThis on my PC. Will run a scan and see what turns up. Thanks for the info.

 

[WIP]

The problem has been resolved in more than one way I think.

Yesterday, on a tip from another forum I frequent, I learned what I needed to do to fix the problem. I discovered that I could use Google to open the site if I entered the entire address. Instead of just entering the site's address I included http:// and that worked.

Whatever the problem was it appears someone either at Google or the site has also repaired the issue because now today I am able to open it with Google from my work PC without typing the http:// in the search.

Systems appear to be back to normal.