Need PC geek help- Browser display issue on secure web site

[Ecomike]

I have run into a problem that is perplexing me. I am having no other problems browsing the internet, or logging into secure web sites, except one as Friday noon. The company says it is not their server (which I don't believe), but I have been looking everywhere else to see if the issue is on my end. I have run out of ideas. To make it more interesting, most of the time since Friday noon I have been able to get to their home page and dozens of particular pages of theirs, but not to the pages I need to go to. We have experimented with character coding selections, tried other computers, rebooted everything, does not help. They say no one else is having my problem. I am running firefox 2, latest version, IE 6.0.0.22.xxxx, on Win98SE and Win 2000 professional, with DSL through a modem and a router, that has all worked perfectly since 2002.

Any ideas on what I might try to solve the log jam. My problem is that the log in which use to take 1/2 second tell Friday noon, now takes 2-3 minutes for the page to load, and when it loads it does not display properly like the other web site pages (same company's web site), it reverts to a 10 year old text style page.

Ideas? Other than paying MS more money and buying a newer pc that I don't need that is. Not sure that would work either. I am looking for deep PC guru ideas here. I have gone into all my router settings, and tried all the FF and IE settings I could think of short encoding in Chinese, LOL.

 

[tbburg]

I've notices a few display errors using Firefox. If I feel it's important (like watching NCIS on CBS.com) and I can't get Firefox to work, I use Safari(damn mac) The computer came with I.E. installed on it, but it would be such a pita to get it/keep it current, that I never use it.
Sorry, ran on there. The point was supposed to be that it might be the browser. I've noticed that a lot of online stuff quits working on Firefox when they upgrade it, and it takes Firefox a few to catch up. The version of Firefox I have installed is Firefox/3.0.4

 

[JeepFreak21]

It's just that one computer? Is this a popular secured site (ie. WellsFargo.com, BofA.com, etc). I'm thinking maybe somebody/something is messing with your hosts file. (Assuming Windows?)
Billy

 

[RichP]

Download and burn a copy of Ubuntu live and boot off that cd, run firefox from there and see what happens, it will have no effect on your hard drive. Just as a rule of thumb it's a good idea to reinstall windows annually.

 

[Ecomike]

I am stuck with IE 6, and Firefox 2., as I don't have anything newer than windows 2000 Pro. IE 7, and FF 3.x requires at least MS XP puke to work. I have not tried Opera. I have tried FF 2.0.0.18 on one pc. 2.0.0.20 on 3 others, Mozzila 1.7.5, and Netscape 4.7, same thing. The problem has come and gone all on its own a few times. At one point I could not even get to their home page on Friday.

 

[Ecomike]

It is fidelity.com web site. It takes a good 1-3 minutes (if ever) for the you are now logged in page to display. If it does not eventually display, I do find that I am logged in, as I can tell by going back to the home page, where it will then show me logged in. I go to any part of their web site logged in or not, usually, except for stock trading account area where I place buy and sell orders for stocks, and monitor my account. I have no problem logging in out of my WellsFargo bank, or here, or anywhere else. But the idiots at Fidelity in tech support claim in it is my problem for not upgrading to MS XP Puke or higher, so I am guessing the are using windows or their servers, as they MS does not support my junk anymore. Well I told them sorry, but I don't support MS anymore, LOL. I have tried 4 computers, and 5 browsers. I just tried disabling my software firewall (Hacker firewall, BlackIce), made no difference.

It's just that one computer? Is this a popular secured site (ie. WellsFargo.com, BofA.com, etc). I'm thinking maybe somebody/something is messing with your hosts file. (Assuming Windows?)
Billy

 

[Ecomike]

Download and burn a copy of Ubuntu live and boot off that cd, run firefox from there and see what happens, it will have no effect on your hard drive. Just as a rule of thumb it's a good idea to reinstall windows annually.

I have computers that have been running supper stable for 8 years or more with out going back to square one, using Win98, and Win98 SE. Guess I just hit the right combo of software and hardware packages, but I use to build and install PCs back during the W2K era. I also have done some PC process control system building. Anyway, getting back to your other suggestions, tell me more. What is Ubuntu? I have not really stayed up with anything new in the PC world other than browser upgrades like Firefox since about 2003 )have had no need yet).

Right now have CD burner problems (Roundtoit issue, have not needed to fix them, hardly use them anymore), so that may not be happening any time soon. Although my son is heading over to loan me his fancy new Dell Tablet PC (Vista) to run a test of the modem and Router and Internet routing. He should be here 1-2 hours.

 

[RichP]

I have computers that have been running supper stable for 8 years or more with out going back to square one, using Win98, and Win98 SE. Guess I just hit the right combo of software and hardware packages, but I use to build and install PCs back during the W2K era. I also have done some PC process control system building. Anyway, getting back to your other suggestions, tell me more. What is Ubuntu? I have not really stayed up with anything new in the PC world other than browser upgrades like Firefox since about 2003 )have had no need yet).

Right now have CD burner problems (Roundtoit issue, have not needed to fix them, hardly use them anymore), so that may not be happening any time soon. Although my son is heading over to loan me his fancy new Dell Tablet PC (Vista) to run a test of the modem and Router and Internet routing. He should be here 1-2 hours.

Ohhhh Kay, got a 1 or 2 gig memory stick, you can put the image on that and boot from it if your bios supports it.
http://www.ubuntu.net/
The live cd will load the OS and give you full function.

 

[Ecomike]

Well we tried the windows vista laptop and it worked fine. But before I gave up I checked one more thing. My daughters Yahoo and MSN chat stuff has a nasty habit of reseting the maximum MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) size on my router. It had reset to zero earlier in the week, and I reset from memory to 1432, when it should have been 1492. I checked the internet for the best setting ( to verify my memory), and I had it set a little too low. When I raised it from 1432 to 1492, the fidelity site started working properly.

An there master tech gurus said it was Win98 problem, time to buy a new PC.

So for now it seems the problem is solved. Thanks for the feedback guys!

Now on to my other problem, an ignition key lock mechanism that refuses to come out of the column even after pulling the column apart.

RichP,

I will keep that (Ubuntu) in mind for a rainy day. Thanks. And yes, the USB sticks have other USB and network stuff has made CD burning almost obsolete around here. Ipods, cameras, Iphones (I may be stuck on Win98 and Renix jeeps, but we are not totally living in the dark ages, LOL) ...you know I mean.

 

[RichP]

RichP,

I will keep that (Ubuntu) in mind for a rainy day. Thanks. And yes, the USB sticks have other USB and network stuff has made CD burning almost obsolete around here. Ipods, cameras, Iphones (I may be stuck on Win98 and Renix jeeps, but we are not totally living in the dark ages, LOL) ...you know I mean.

Do a search on petousb, that might interest you.