Misplaced Server

Bill Henry-

Brussel Sprout Connoisseur
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All of a sudden my Internet Explorer brower crapped out. I'm getting a "Specified Server could not be found" error message and thus I cannot connect.

Netscape Navigator (which I am forced to use now), Eudora and Fetch can find the server okay, but not IE for some reason. I have been into the "preferences" menu panes and everything seems to be the same.

I have checked the "Preference Panels" folder (in the IE folder) and none of the modification dates indicate a recent change.

I suspect that the changes have occured in the "IE cache.waf" file (I may be way off here), but, unfortunately, I don't back up anything with the word "cache" in it.

Any suggestions?
 
From google I found a link to a MS support page:
I'm trying to connect to a site, but I keep getting a "The specified server could not be found" message.
</font>
  • The address you typed may be incorrect. Check the address to make sure you have typed it correctly.</font>
  • Make sure that your proxy settings are correct. You should have information on the Proxy tab only if you are accessing the Internet from a company that requires you to go through a local server before accessing the Internet. If this is the case, check with your System Administrator for the correct proxy settings. If this is not the case, make sure all the fields on the Proxy tab are empty.</font>
  • If you still cannot see the site, the site you are trying to reach may no longer exist or may have been moved. Try using a search page to search for the company or information.</font>
If Netscape's working then you know it's not your ISP (sometime's your host's DNS server that resolves "www.thegrumble.com" to the internet IP address "63.251.4.133" goes down so you can't find any page you haven't been to recently). I doubt it's your cache file either. So check the proxy settings like above.

If that doesn't work, if you're running XP you might want to try this: load up a Command Prompt, and type in "ipconfig /flushdns". This should clear your DNS cache.
 
Howdy

If you go into IE and type a page manually, such as www.yahoo.com, does it work?

If so, some spyware or adware may have changed your default home page to something that no longer exists.

You can verify your default home page in IE by going to TOOLS pulldown -> INTERNET OPTIONS.

You may want to run AD-AWARE or SPYBOT to perform an exorcism and scare away any of those internet demons that might have taken hold


Mike
 
This happened to me when I installed the new google tool bar, they had google set up as my browser. So I unchecked everything but the pop up blocker and made IE my default again.
 
Thanks Steve, Mike and JPete,

Somehow, stray characters appeared in the "proxy" pane (with a check mark, too – go figure!) and that apparently tried to direct Explorer to the "ggzy" server. Even Macs have gremlins, I guess.

I unchecked the proxy box and, lo' and behold, here I am using IE, again.

Thanks, again.
 
Oops sorry. I thought it was a PC.

Welcome back!

Mike
 
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