No matter wich homepage I set i cannot access the internet via internet Explorer, the homepage address is given at the bottom of the screen (NTL) but it fails to connect to NTL & I cannot connect via 'My Favorites' I can recieve NTL mail & connect via MSN any help to a newbie would be greatly appriciated this problem started a few days ago. Many Thanks

No matter wich homepage I set i cannot access the internet via internet Explorer, the homepage address is given at the bottom of the screen (NTL) but it fails to connect to NTL & I cannot connect via 'My Favorites' I can recieve NTL mail & connect via MSN any help to a newbie would be greatly appriciated this problem started a few days ago. Many Thanks

What are you actually seeing in your browser window when you try to connect?

I am assuming that as you are on NTL, then you are cable? Have you a router connected, or are you just using the cable modem?

The fact that you can get mail and MSN would tend to indicate some kind of a browser hijack has occurred.

There are a couple of tools out there that may help, but I would start with a good antivirus, then a spyware scan, then Hijack this (google search for the download location).

I have NTL cable connected by a modem ethernet connection, I just get a blank white screen with the address bar across the top, the egg timer symbol appears & stays on, I have done scans with AVG Ad Aware Spybot search & destroy Registry Mechanic Xoftspy they all came up OK

Have you tried installing a different browser?

Preferably one not based on IE, like Opera or Firefox

You can also test to make sure you are correctly resolving website names. Go to a Command prompt and ping a website, for example ping www.msfn.org

If it comes back with an unknown host message, then there is a problem with your connection somewhere, probably in the name resolution.

NTL problems however, are often fixed by powering down both the PC, and the cable modem, and then starting them back up (modem first).

thanks for your help, I have now installed Firefox & this has got round the problem

thanks for your help, I have now installed Firefox & this has got round the problem

Happy to be of service

If firefox is running fine, you may want to try a couple of simple things...

• start =>run "cmd" in the command prompt, type "ipconfig /flushdns" (without quotes)
  
• In Internet Explorer, tools => internt options =>advanced tab, click restore defaults
  
• ...on the general tab, clear out all of the cache and history
  

Really no harm in trying all of these and believe it or not, I have fixed many browsers with these simple steps