Windows 7: Website not loading in Windows 7 home computer...

The only place where you would normally see a 127.0.0.1 DNS server are on domain controllers which rely on DNS for connecting to Active Directory domains.

The only thing that would explain it would be if your machine was infected with some sort of malware. I'm no security expert but this would seem the only plausible explanation. Unless you have a complex HOSTs file or cached DNS mappings there is no way you could browse the Internet with that DNS address.

Just my opinion,
Josh

I'm doing it as I type this.

Perhaps I should just chalk it up to one of those cybermysteries. It doesn't look like this one is going to get solved.

Can you upload an ipconfig /all of the virtual XP machine. This can help with comparison and see if there is something different at the IP connectivity level.

Are you able to report that changing the DNS severs doesn't resolve the issue?

Josh

Here is the ipconfig from the virtual XP box.

I will try the DNS servers and get back to you although it was loading fine with the current servers at my old webhost and so is everything else currently--truly bizarre.

So - are you able to surf to the website of interest using the host computer now?

I understand that you would like to know what happened and why... and we can keep looking into that if you want. I too am at a loss to explain how you could surf to some websites and not others with a DNS setting like that. I'm wondering if some 3rd party security tool might have cached some name resolutions for you. Resolutions that are not flushed via the normal DNS flush.

If you want to play with this some more - then set the DNS back to 127.0.0.1, restart the computer and then see if you can get to some (but not all) websites --- in other words: let's see if the weirdness is repeatable.

edit: have you ever installed OpenDNS' DNSCrypt? That tool will set your DNS to 127.0.0.1 so that DNS queries can be handled by the DNSCrypt server. Also, I see that you have Hotspot Shield 2.93 installed. That will let you get around the DNS setting of 127.0.0.1. [BTW, you might want to update Hotspot Shield.]

Unless you manually specified 127.0.0.1 as the DNS server then there is something messing with your DHCP lease. Your XP virtual machine is receiving a valid DNS server therefore able to view your website.

I would strongly recommend running a full system scan with your current A/V and with malwarebytes to ensure that any malware is removed from the machine.

If that doesn't pick up anything then please boot the machine into safe mode with networking and upload an ipconfig /all for us to see

Many thanks,
Josh

Sorry to be so long responding to this. I changed the DNS server from 127.0.0.1 to obtain address automatically and it started loading. Thanks everyone!

I'm am glad your issue is solved!