Many programs blocked, some work, XP SP3

The problem is that many programs (such as all IE and other browers) cannot access the network. But let me explain before you get the wrong idea.

I am quite familiar with networking in general, so I can tell you that the outgoing network traffic is not even reaching the network hardware interface. In looking into the problem, I am using Wireshark to monitor network traffic. What happens is that some programs can send packets out (and thus receive responses) but others cannot. For example, anti-virus programs cannot update themselves, but PUTTY can reach anything I send it to.

Tech Support Guy System Info Utility version 1.0.0.1 OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3, 32 bit Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz, x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 13 Processor Count: 2 RAM: 1023 Mb Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE, 512 Mb Hard Drives: C: Total - 476929 MB, Free - 437737 MB; Motherboard: ECS, GF7050VT-M, 1.0, 00000000 Antivirus: avast! Antivirus, Updated: No, On-Demand Scanner: Enabled

Originally I had McAfee Internet Security installed. Suddenly one day, McAfee was unable to update itself, and IE (and other browsers) stopped working.

Beel

Posted 2010-09-01T21:05:55.733

Reputation: 303

Suddenly one day, you remembered that you had installed X just before the problems started. Solve for X. – boot13 – 2010-09-02T05:36:28.603

No, boot13. "Originally I had McAfee Internet Security installed" McAfee was installed for a year before this happened. No other X was installed just before this happened. – Beel – 2010-09-02T09:29:59.503

Answers

Are you saying that no applications other than putty access the network? I find that strange. Maybe it is just a simple DNS issue? Have you tried doing a ping on like www.google.com and the equivalent of its IP? or 8.8.8.8 ?

See if you can ping both a domain and an IP address. I am suspecting from the lack of info provided that it is either one of these:

Firewall (left-over McAfee?)
DNS issue (only allows IP access, no dns queries work = no internet for IE/rest).

Check that out, and give us some updates.

Jakub

Posted 2010-09-01T21:05:55.733

Reputation: 3 111

ping has no problem. I think it is a TCP level problem, not an IP problem. Also DNS has no problem - Wireshark shows the DNS succeeding but after that no traffic.

I like your suggestion about possible leftover McAfee, as I still see traces of McAfee on the system despite having uninstalled it. I will look for a way to more completely remove McAfee - more complete than its uninstall. – Beel – 2010-09-02T06:00:09.220

OK, the problem is solved. Jakub, your comment did put me on the right track. The solution was to use MCPR.exe to completely uninstall McAfee. (I also uninstalled Avast.) – Beel – 2010-09-02T09:39:22.890

Try checking the Windows Firewall and see if it is on strict or if any weird settings have been configured - I would personally go to the last tab and choose the reset option.

Alternatively from the command prompt, you can type:

 NETSH FIREWALL RESET

If you are not using the Windows Firewall, then check the settings on whatever firewall you are using.

If still having the problem, I would check your router and make sure that all outgoing traffic is allowed.

Lastly, if it still has not been resolved, can you provide more information - how you connect to the internet, is this a standard home machine or at an office etc.

William Hilsum

Posted 2010-09-01T21:05:55.733

Reputation: 111 572

Thanks for the answer, Wil, but it is not the router: the traffic never even reaches the interface in the machine. Verified that by using WireShark and also TCPview. During testing I turn Windows Firewall off completely, but I did check the settings and reset it using the netsh command you gave.

But one detail I need to add to the initial posting is that I installed Avast so I could have some kind of anti-virus. It blocks the web browsers unless I turn off its web scanner. I will uninstall it to see what happens. – Beel – 2010-09-02T05:56:22.703