can't access microsoft website

[sandpd]

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.

 

[sandpd]

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

 

[sandpd]

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.

 

[PCTechie]

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

 

[Layback Bear]

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

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

 

[sandpd]

@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.

 

[Layback Bear]

We need some more information.
Fill in your system specs. using this.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

Lets make sure Windows 7 still loves you. Please do this.
http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...ne-activation-issue-posting-instructions.html
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
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166445-windows-defender-offline.html
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.

 

[Britton30]

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

 

[Layback Bear]

Nor do I Britton.

 

[sandpd]

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....

 

[Britton30]

Thanks, we call "se", MSE and just add "Also" instead of "nb" since these aren't conventions we knew.

There is a free MBAM, MalwareBytes Anti Malware, and when installing there should be an option to tick for Trial version, you don't want that. The link in my sig should show Free and Pro versions as well.

Eset online scanner may root out some issues. http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/

 

[Layback Bear]

I think the 3 of us are getting on the same page now.
As Britton 30 has posted MBAM Free will work just fine. Along with the scans posted in #7.
This was requested because some infection will alter your system and change things that will give problems with your activation.
Windows Genuine and Activation Issue Posting Instructions
---------------------------
Note: 1. Cell phone texting acronyms or the such just confuse things.
Note: 2: Many infections will try to stop you from going on line to help sites like MBAM, MSE ect.

 

[sandpd]

can you believe this?


ESET Online Scanner Result

 

[sandpd]

forgive me for the delay with the test results. we do have a general elections going on here today. it's been a very hectic build up to this day.

it hasn't been easy trying to find solutions to this microsoft website thing and meeting dealines at work as well.

britton30, layback b, thank you guys for your patience. i'll get back online as soon as i can.

 

[Layback Bear]

No hurry, we will be here.

 

[Britton30]

....and so will MS.

 

[A Guy]

Just as an easy, quick confirmation, see if this page displays correctly (explanations below)

Conficker Eye Chart

A Guy

 

[Layback Bear]

A Guy that is a great site. I Book marked it.

 

[A Guy]

Thanks, it's not been "in the news" lately, but Conficker is still out there. Easier then trying through a proxy. A Guy

 

[sandpd]

solved

yes i have solved the mystery....yipeeeee!....and it has absolutely nothing to do with computer prowess. you all know i don't possess those skills and i'll be the first to admit to that.

i was just going through a process of elimination trying to figure out if something on the system was causing this and boom, the golding gates to microsoft was once again opened to yours truly with red carpets and all haha.

as you can imagine, the first place i headed to was the validation page What is validation and how does it work? - Microsoft Windows
just to check and make sure no changes had been made to my copy of windows.

i did the validation....even allowed them to install something or the other on the system....and at the end of the validation, a page with..

"Because Windows installed on your pc is Genuine, enjoy the Security, Reliability and Protection it provides"

showed up and i knew i was in business again....safe!

the service providers we have here do have challengies and i accept that because they do the best they can. connections are very erratic to put it at best.
so i have two modems from two different providers and when one goes down i use the other.

this modem that apparently is cutting me off the microsoft website, is actually the fastest of the two and that was the modem i was using when this problem started.

after appllying whatever little troubleshooting skills i know to and subjecting myself to that online scan....something i don't usually do is to allow online sites into my system, but i had full trust and faith in both britton30 and layback b hence the reason i went along with this.

after all this and nothing being detected, i decided to check to see if the problem could be coming from my connection to the internet.

i uninstalled the software for the modem i was using when all this started....using revo uninstaller to make sure i got raid of everything....restarted the system and installed the other modem's software. the first address i typed in when that browser launched was "genuine windows" and you can well imagine the sigh of relief as the page unfolded right infront of me....haha.

i did a little tour within microsoft just to make sure this wasn't all just a dream. so i did the validation again base on advice from layback b that some of these viruses would try to cut you off from the sites that matter most by altering the validity of your copy of windows. glad to say all is well that ends well.

before i go let me thank both britton30 and layback b for showing interest. much appreciated. there is also a gentleman here that i've never interacted with and i think the name is brink or shawn or both. sir, what you have done with this forum is truly remarkable, hats off to you.

i'm not sure if you started this forum, if you are part of an original team or whatever, but whoever you are thank you very much. you are what great men are made of. and all this just for the love of it? wow!

the way you guys have managed to organise such a complex site to make for such easy searching, easy reading, gentle autmosphere and tons of information, is truly, truly remarkable.

because of this, i wasn't duly worried if i couldn't access ms site again because i know i can always find anything i want right here. thanks again guys and brinks man, you are a gem brother. great tutorials. congrats to all ms awardees. proud to be a member.