An unknown windows update blocking cdn.xxxxx.com?

[stevieray]

This is a complex question, so please bear with me.

For the past week or so, a handful of websites refuse to fully load. They would give me the message "waiting for cdn.xxxxx.com" and never get any further. This problem predates the following problem...

Yesterday, I had a power supply issue with my PC which caused a few issues (corrupted hard drives, corrupted Windows files, etc...) and I had to run a Repair Install (i.e. in-place upgrade).

The Repair Install fixed the power supply related problems... and interestingly, it also fixed the loading problem with those webpages! They worked fine all morning. However, once I installed the 90-plus post-sp1 Windows Updates awaiting me after the Repair Install, the webpages now refuse to fully load once again. Something in one (or more) of those updates is causing this issue. The question is: Which one?

• The webpage problem occurs in Firefox (my default browser) and IE.
• The problem occurs on both my desktop AND laptop (both Win7 x64 fully updated).
• I have run Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, and ESET (all clean).
• I have run sfc /scannow.
• I stripped out Adobe Flash and re-installed it.
• I ran chkdsk.
• I reset my modem.

Again, for clarity sake let me emphasize -- The problem is NOT THERE in a clean installation of Win7 sp1; it ONLY appears once the post-sp1 updates are applied.

 

[NoelDP]

You did a repair install?
In that case, it's likely that your problem was the result of an error which was off-band until re-activated by an update.
What you seem to have is a proxy.
Please open an Elevated Command Prompt, and run the following command

NETSH WINHTTP SHOW PROXY

What does it report?

 

[stevieray]

Thanks for the reply NoelDP.

Ran the command; it returned "Current WinHTTP proxy settings: Direct access (no proxy server)."

 

[NoelDP]

That rules that out, then

Can you give examples of any affected sites?
Are these sites using any security protocols or certificates?

 

[stevieray]

Okay... this is embarrassing. Suddenly, all of websites I've been having trouble with are now loading just fine. Derp.

They are working in IE as well. I even fired up my laptop and they worked there too. And when I shut the lappy down last night, those sites were not loading.

It seems that those cdn.xxxxx.com sites are some sort of "content delivery network". I wonder if a content server somewhere just got a little sloppy with their certificates and just fixed it?

 

[NoelDP]

I was thinking much the same thing - possibly a transparent proxy on your ISP barfing on it.

Let's hope it stays fixed!

 

[stevieray]

I was thinking much the same thing - possibly a transparent proxy on your ISP barfing on it.

Let's hope it stays fixed!

Yep. A whole lotta things can go pear-shaped on the journey from a server on a far distant shore to my computer here at home.

Thanks for the help, and have a Happy New Year! Have fun in that pub!