Windows 7: can't access microsoft website

hi folks

since yesterday....2/12/2012....i just can't access any of the microsoft homepages and the msg i've been getting is....http 500 internal server error....but the strange thing is, i've been getting "se definition updates" alright.

so i'm sitting here wondering if anybody else is experiencing this.

187 views and not a single response? wow!
would just like to know if it's a problem from my end and what to do.

nb: was trying to install a program just now and this is what showed up:

Runtime Error at (82:664)

WinHttp.WinHttp Request: The Operation timed out

well i decided to try another browser so just installed firefox, tried connecting to microsoft.com and....no suitable nodes are available to serve your request....is what i got.

i'm probably stupid for not being able to figure out what the hell is happening here....for all you know, it could very well be a very simple solution to fixing this....truth is, i don't know much 'bout these things. forgive me.

but look i'll bow out gracefully, i know how busy everybody is these days guys so no hard feelings.

nb: not sure if i should close the thread by marking it "solved" or just leave it like this.

downforeveryoneorjustme[dot]com, this website tell you the particular website is down only for you or for everyone.

Can you access this?
Microsoft Home Page | Devices and Services

http://www.microsoft.com/security/sc...s/default.aspx

@pctechie


thanks buddy. did check the site and it turns out microsoft.com is up and running. so this obviously is a problem from my end but the question is:


why now?
why me?
what have i done?
did i bad talk windows somewhere that i can't remember?
all of a sudden microsoft doesn't like me anymore?
well, somebody tell them to pick a number and join the queue, because i don't think i'm doing very well here either....haha


@layback b

man i tried both links without success


seriously though, i'm going to try to illustrate what i recall prior to this and what....with my limitations....have tried so far. so please bear with me if it becomes a little boring please.


a couple of days ago, i was online when a msg just popped up saying se had blocked a potential threat to my computer. i saw the word trojan and the level indicated was "critical".


at the bottom of the dialog box were two options....remove immediately and something else i cant remember....at that point without hesitation i just clicked on remove and just continued browsing.


it wasn't long after that i realised i couldn't access any of the microsoft pages. all i was getting was this "http 500" error page. i honestly don't know if there is a relationship between the two....msg popping up and not being able to access ms site.


1) i came offline and ran my "expired" malwarebytes full scan. end result was a "successful scan" nothing found.


2) i immediately followed up with an se full scan and the end result for that was " no virus found" but when i went into history>all detected items, i saw the same trojan msg that had popped up before, right there again. ofcourse i clicked on "remove all" and that was it.


3) went back online and the prob was still there
4) reset ie to default settings, the prob was still there
5) checked firewall settings, didn't notice anything strange....limited knowledge
6) tried 2 different restore points, the prob was still there


well at this point i thought the best thing to do was to do a complete system maintenance. so i did:


1) the sfc 3times thing
2) dskchek
3) memory diag
4) even used windows readiness tool


all panned out good, no problems.

btw, running a genuine windows plartform validated on the ms site a couple of times well already.

it's been hell login in and out of hotmail since.

nb:the one thing i remember doing before all this was making a change to flash players local storage settings. i changed:

"allow sites to save information on this computer"

to

"ask me before allowing new sites to save information on this computer"

just thought i'll throw that in.

We need some more information.
Fill in your system specs. using this.
System Info - See Your System Specs

Lets make sure Windows 7 still loves you. Please do this.
Windows Genuine and Activation Issue Posting Instructions
If that comes out okay.

What firewall are you using?
What anti virus programs are you using and can you update it?
Did you update Malwarebytes before scanning?
I'm thinking your infected. I recommend running these two programs in this order.
Free Online Virus Scanner | ESET
Windows Defender Offline
Post back results of scans.
------
I do not understand this. Please explain.
btw, running a genuine windows plartform validated on the ms site a couple of times well already.

I don't know what "nb" and "se" mean.

Nor do I Britton.

wow! thanks guys for sticking with me....layback b, britton30


i just got online and saw your posts so let me quickly fill in what i can now and i'll do the tests and post the results later.


@britton:


i dont know what "nb" and "se" mean

"nb" and "se" are just acronyms

nb = note back or note
normally used for additional information


se = security essentials or microsoft security essentials
which is my prefered anti virus program


@layback b


i do not understand this please explain.....
btw, running a genuine windows plartform validated on the ms site a couple of times well already.

i was just basically throwing in anything that i could remember that i thought was going to help creat a clear picture of what was happening.


yes i do visit the microsoft site pretty often and something or the other i was downloading sometime ago and part of the pre-requisite for the download was for microsoft to validate the copy of windows on your system. so i went ahead and did the validation and after the download i was taking to the "genuine windows" homepage where a big "thank you for using genuine windows" was waiting me haha....i thought that was cute.


anyway so i bookmarked the page and would go back now and again to read up on the various things to look out for and about validation etc etc. done it once or twice more since then just for the heck of it. sorry if this created some confusion in your minds, wasn't meant to.


what anti virus program are you using and can you update it?
microsoft security essentials (se) and yes in my very first post i mentioned that strangely enough i've been getting definition updates for se.


what firewall are you using?
se pretty much handles that as well


Did you update Malwarebytes before scanning?
yes i believe so.
the reason for saying "i believe so " is that i don't have malwarebytes installed permanently on the system anymore. i install it when i need to use it and normally during the installation, it will download and install the latest version and straight after installation, it will update its definitions.


the reason i don't have malwarebytes permanently installed is that, i thought i had downloaded the free version (if there is one). but recently as soon as i turn on the system, the first thing to pop out of the notification area is a notice from malwarebytes that the computer is no longer protected because the trial period has expired. it got a bit annoying so i uninstalled and only install when need to use it.


I'm thinking you're infected.
possibly "layback b". that's my suspicion
baffling because i'm always so careful as to where i go but....