Hi - I've used 5 anti-virus programs (like Norton, Kaspersky, and others), and 5 spyware programs (like Spyware Doctor, Spybot Search and Destroy) - trying to get this problem off my computer.

When my browser tries to connect to the internet, I get "Connection to Server Failed. Connection to server reset while page is loading...."

Sometimes I can click fast enough and enough times, to finally trigger a connection. But certain files and programs won't connect. In particular, trying to get automatic updates for definition lists won't work. And automatic registering of products won't work.

So I'm sort of hobbling along - some things work, some things don't.

I also use minimal ZoneAlarm to prevent Trojan activity OUT of my PC (I have a Dell Dimension 4600 with Windows XP SP2).

Since no anti-virus program and no spyware program has yet been able to reach this itch to scratch it, anyone here have any ideas?

Thanks

You didn't specify what browser you are using.

I'm assuming IE.

Step 1 would be to install firefox, opera, seamonkey, mozilla, or even, heck netscape and see if the problem follows you there.

I'm going to assume that it follows you there, if your installed security programs don't update, or won't update. If that does fix it, though you have spyware probably instead. Have you tried Lavasoft, XSoft AntiSpy, or Spyware terminator?

I would check your hosts file. It is located in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts since you're running xp.

if you don't find it, it may be hidden. You'll have to go into DOS, cd into this subdirectory, and do an attrib hosts to see if the hidden bit, and possibly the read-only bit is checked.

the hosts file is a text file, so to open it, open up notepad first. From the command line, you could type notepad hosts if you are in it's subdirectory.

look for any entries in there other than localhost 127.0.0.1

if there are other entries in there, but they point back to 127.0.0.1 then that may be ok.

if the hosts file looks fine, then your tcpip protocol stack may be compromised.

uninstall tcpip (you do have your windows xp cd, right) and re-install.

to do this go to

start-connections, show all connections.

local area connection if you have a wired ethernet card.

wireless area connection if you have a wireless ethernet card.

double-click.

click on properties

click on tcpip, and click on uninstall.

you may be prompted to reboot.

if it gives you a good feeling, uninstall the other protocols, but not the ethernet card (that's the one with the little green rectangle icon.)

After you reboot, go into the same place, and choose install.

If this doesn't work, you could consider trying system restore or re-installing windows.

Good luck!

You might also try Microsoft's free Malicious Software Removal Tool and/or McAfee's free Stinger removal tool. I have trouble posting the html tags here, so get back to us if you can't find them.

Regards,

I'm using Firefox, but have IE7 (which I can't use, because of the problem I'm having).

Tried getting Microsoft's Malicious software tool, but had a problem with the Genuine authentication thing.

I used McAfee's free Stinger tool, I think. These things are finding things, but not taking care of the problem I'm having. (Which is, connection is reset before page loads - with Firefox, I can click fast and often until I force a connection. But with automatic connections from within programs, I can't get enough clicks fast enough to make a connection. I had this problem last year, and it was somethine like Java Byte Verify, I think.)

The problem occurs ANY TIME ANY PROGRAM tries to connect to the internet - that initial connection is problematic. Once I connect, moving around that web site is usually not a problem (but going BACK to a previous page can be).

I have looked in my HOSTS file (for other reasons, but it was last week, so I do know what is in it).

I have been poking around in TCP/IP - but this is a VIRUS or TROJAN sort of thing - not a system or OS problem. I have a used Dell Dimension 4600 without the original Windows XP CD, so I'm leery about uninstalling drivers when I don't have the original OS disk.

Part of the problem I'm having is that most anti-virus programs or spyware programs want to update automatically, and with the "connection was reset" problem I'm having, I can't get those updates. This in effect renders these programs useless, so I'm not using all the programs out there that I could - one of them might (or might not) have the solution I need. Some programs have work-arounds, and I'm doing those as I learn about them - downloading the definitions list manually and then running the program.

For Spybot Search and Destroy, it wants a framedyn.dll file it says I don't have - where do I get that??

I've tried so many programs my head is spinning - each one finds different things, but none find the problem I'm having.

BTW - I was using Ad-Aware SE daily for months as my spyware program, and AVG as my anti-virus program - and oh my lord, I had something like 200 adware things in my computers, and something like 5 or 7 trojans - it's not like I wasn't doing anything, but the programs I was using which I thought were adequate, are showing to be far from adequate. And no one program that I've tried so far has come near being anything like adequate. Scary work on the internet today, it looks like.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

I recently caught a Trojan that my paid version of AVG didn't detect. I noticed that IE was coming up very slow, so I decided to try another AV program--got Avira AntiVir, which found the Trojan right off and moved it to quarantine. It came back later, and I found that it was in one of the files related to System Restore. I turned off System Restore, AntiVir put it in quarantine again, and it hasn't been back.

I suggest you turn off your System Restore, and try to clean it. If that doesn't work, try to get an online scan at Kasperksy or McAfee.

I believe F-Prot has a free version that works off of DOS which might be a last resort at cleaning.

Yes, the I-net is getting scary.

Good luck!

Regards,

I am using all of the programs you mention, GuitarBob - as well as others. And System Restore is indeed where most of the action seems to be - in fact, I cleared out the accumulated System Restore folders, the more recent ones had been clean, but I will turn it off, as you suggest. I don't ever actually plan on doing a system restore anyway, I'd do it from disk and do a clean install. But no program that I know of has caught it as it has never gone away after any of the programs caught the trojans, adware, etc that they caught (including after rebooting).

Online scans have pronounced me clean. I hadn't heard of F-Prot, so I'll look into that, too, if necessary. It's sort of a game to see if I can find a program that will clean this off my PC - I know the last resort is to just do another clean install of Windows - some headache in getting everything put back to how I had it, but there won't be any loss of personal data as I backup what I want to keep. And none of the trojans, adware, has been anywhere near any of my personal data.

Thanks.

I did turn off System Restore, and that did end the "connection was reset while page was loading" problem - not sure I still don't have a problem as opening one window in my browser opened 4, but at least I can now update all my anti-virus and adware programs, see which one is doing the job, and go with that one (use two or three for anti-virus and two or three regularly for adware / spyware?).

Thanks for the tip, it really helped.

The "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading." problem is back - nothing is finding it. I don't have System Restore on, and deleted all the old System Restore folders. Looks like it's found somewhere else to burrow.

Has there been any new information or solution to this?

Googling for "Connection was reset" gives entries all for bugs in applications - this isn't an application problem but a bug of some sort, I believe. Trojan or spyware??

Anyone know of another place to look on my computer - turning off System Restore worked fine, but it's already off this time!!

Thanks.

The only thing I can think of now is for you to contact AVG. Sounds like you have a rootkit malware. It would be best, of course, if you had a sample of the malware, but AVG's product missed it, so they should be interested in it. They may be able to give you some advice. AVG has a beta version of a rootkit remover, but looks like they took it off their Web site downloads. Here is another source for it:

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/AVG-Anti-Rootkit.shtml

I believe Kaspersky has a rootkit remover, and I saw that Lavasoft had an Aries rootkit remover for download.

Good luck.

Regards,

I forgot to mention that for the REALLY bad stuff, it's best to take your hard drive out and install it in another CLEAN machine, then reformat and reinstall your system/programs/data. Then return it to your machine and run a scan to be sure.

I wouldn't run more than one resident virus scanner because multiple resident scanners can interfere with each other. It's okay to use ClamWin, however, as it isn't yet resident. NOD 32, Kaspersky, and Bit Defender are all pretty good, as is Avira AntiVir. Trend Micro might be pretty good too--they don't have to participate in the "testing" game.

Regards,

Ok. I spent the day downloading, installing, and running 4 AVG products - 3 found nothing, 1 found 2 things (minor) - the problem still continues with "Connection was reset...". I tried the AVG rootkit malware Beta (thank you for the URL for that); AVG anti-virus; AVG anti-spyware: and the trial version of the AVG Malware program.

Guess I just keep working my way down your list.

Again, this is the 3rd time I've had this problem. The first time, it was JavaByte, and easily found. The 2nd time, stopping doing System Restore (and deleting the System Restore folders) took care of it. This time, I already don't have System Restore on, and as before, nothing is finding it. These three times have been months apart, so it's not like it just keeps coming back...

Finding a separate clean computer is not do-able for me.

I have been looking through the AVG FAQs - they say something about a Forum but I haven't found the link to it yet, and I have not yet contacted AVG tech support - that comes in good time, after I've exhausted their other resources.

Thank you for your help - I really do appreciate it. I don't feel like I'm having to face this all by myself, with my limited knowledge of this kind of thing.

I then tried communicating with AVG, as suggested in the earlier post, but two problems.

1. The problem I'm having prevents my post from posting, thus blocking me out.

2. Their technical support is only for their commercial products.

As nothing, bought or free, has yet to resolve this problem, I'm not inclined to keep throwing money at it.

This forum was the most useful last time with the suggestion to turn off System Restore - as I've noted before, I already have it off, so that isn't the solution this time.

I'm surprised more people aren't having this same problem - I can find references to it, and the solutions are all wrong, overlooking that it is a trojan or virus or something that simply has yet to be detected. Checking the firewall and all that - that assumes it's a program bug... and that isn't what this is.

Anyway... thanks for the help.

You're welcome. Sorry I couldn't help any more. I guess it's time for you to get help from a pro.

Regards,

Let us know here how it goes.

Regards,

Well, another hope is that eventually someone, sometime, somewhere will find a solution for this particular problem, and post a reply.

Goggling for it on the internet shows it is a frequent problem, but all of the responses to the calls for help are off target, as I've mentioned in an earlier post.

This is just one part of my ongoing search in many directions and avenues for someone who knows something about this (that finally clears it off my computer).

Thanks.