Could not display www.walmart.com and other websites from any browser

[jmosk]

I was at a loss to determine why accessing www.walmart.com from any browser returned a blank browser screen. I tried a lot of things that are mentioned on other sites. I was going to post a question here when I thought of one other thing to check and sure enough that lead me to the problem that I was then able to fix. I am posting this message so others that run into this issue can try to steps shown including what I found to be the fix for my particular case. Others that have a problem of a few specific web sites that do not display at all regardless of which browser they use, could walk through these steps to try to track down the problem.

1) Reset the computer
2) Try running the browser without add ons
3) Run a virus scan
4) Check the HOSTS file to make sure the website name was not added to this file to return the wrong IP address instead of what comes back from the DNS server
5) Verify that the DNS server address in the TCP/IP settings for the adapter is pointing to a valid DNS server (control panel / network / adapter settings / right click on the adapter you are connected to / click on TCP/IP IP4 and look at the properties. Insure the DNS is one that you know is a good one. If you are not sure of your ISPs DNS server address, you can use 8.8.8.8 which is Google's DNS.

In my case, trying 1 - 4 did not resolve the issue. I looked up the correct IP address for the web site that was not displaying correctly using web tools. I then opened a DOS window (execute cmd.exe) and did a ping to that website (ping website.com). It returns the IP address of the website. When I found the address being returned did not match the address listed for the site, I suspected that at some point in time a virus changed the DNS server address being used by my computer. A virus scan will not see a changed DNS address as a problem so this change goes undetected. You can change the DNS settings to automatically obtain the DNS from your ISP or you can use a specific DNS which you know is a good one.

The DNS that the virus had put in place, was one that redirected certain websites to phony web sites they created. Luckily in my case, the site as returning a blank screen instead of a site that looked real where they could steal personal information.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi what did you scan with ?

 

[jmosk]

Hi what did you scan with ?

I scanned using Norton Internet Security as well as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and thank you
The link you posted worked fine,
Review Jacee’s instructions to run Adwcleaner here post #7,
Ignore the title of the thread,
http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/316404-instant-savings-app.html
Screen shot of the download button to use for Adwcleaner
Post the scan results,
Cheers.

 

[jmosk]

Hi and thank you
The link you posted worked fine,
Review Jacee’s instructions to run Adwcleaner here post #7,
Ignore the title of the thread,
http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/316404-instant-savings-app.html
Screen shot of the download button to use for Adwcleaner
Post the scan results,
Cheers.

Perhaps you did not read the post entirely. This post was to let others know steps they might take to solve similar problems. The issue turned out to be #5 in the list of steps. Some virus had changed the DNS address for the adapter used to access the Internet so that a hacked DNS server was being used. That server was redirecting www.walmart.com and other web sites to invalid or hacked web pages. The solution was to put the DNS server address back to a legitimate DNS server. Be it the one for your ISP or the one from Google which is 8.8.8.8.

 

[Callender]

Related thread

Hi and thank you
The link you posted worked fine,
Review Jacee’s instructions to run Adwcleaner here post #7,
Ignore the title of the thread,
http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/316404-instant-savings-app.html
Screen shot of the download button to use for Adwcleaner
Post the scan results,
Cheers.

Perhaps you did not read the post entirely. This post was to let others know steps they might take to solve similar problems. The issue turned out to be #5 in the list of steps. Some virus had changed the DNS address for the adapter used to access the Internet so that a hacked DNS server was being used. That server was redirecting www.walmart.com and other web sites to invalid or hacked web pages. The solution was to put the DNS server address back to a legitimate DNS server. Be it the one for your ISP or the one from Google which is 8.8.8.8.

See this thread also:

http://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/350963-can-not-access-some-web-sites.html

 

[ThrashZone]

I was posting possibly a better scanner than you used to look for more corruptions since none you used found anything,

I doubt any virus... would just alter the dns and leave quietly

 

[Callender]

Virus Scan?

I was posting possibly a better scanner than you used to look for more corruptions since none you used found anything,

I doubt any virus... would just alter the dns and leave quietly

Agreed!