3 websites won't load

I was hoping I wouldn't have to post on the forum (I hope I chose the right category to post it in) for advice but after reading endless threads all over the net I am still left with a problem I can't seem to figure out.
Basically, there are 3 websites (that I know of) that won't load on my laptop at home. Google.com, Facebook.com and Amazon.com.
I've tried to disconnect my WiFi and turn my phone into a hotspot but they still won't load. They all work on my phone, both on the WiFi and the mobile network. They also work on other PC's
I use Firefox, but I have tried Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Opera and none of them can open these sites.
A few of the advices I've read and tried are:
Replacing 'http' with 'https'. Did nothing.
Flushing by opening a command box and writing 'flushdns'. I did it correctly and it did not work.
I have my computer set up with a login password (the reason I post this is because I read somewhere that setting a login password might help). This is how desperate I am.
I haven't done a System Restore because the dates offered aren't after this started to happen, which is over a month ago.
I'm from Iceland and for some reason google.is does work.
I have a year old Acer with a Windows 7 64 bit OS.
Is there anybody out there that has the slightest idea of what is causing this?
Many thanks in advance.
 
Suspect your hosts file is contaminated
get a command prompt

cd \windows\system32\drivers\etc

look for each domain name in the hosts (should not be present)
(If you see something like 127.0.0.1 ***.google.com, then you can't get to google.com). Here's the test sequence:

find /I "amazon" .\hosts
find /I "facebook" .\hosts
find /I "google" .\hosts

Here's my content for each (notice while I have some hits, none are the basic domains (eg google.com, facebook.com and amazon.com are all missing. Entries shown stop advers from being displayed)

find /I "amazon" .\hosts
# [Amazon.com]
127.0.0.1 rcm.amazon.com
127.0.0.1 rcm-images.amazon.com
127.0.0.1 alexa-sitestats.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 springclick-ads.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 adtago.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 sync.cmedia.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 ecommstats.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 exitsplash.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 load.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 ncads.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 tracking.opencandy.com.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 viewerstats.docstoc.com.s3.amazonaws.com
127.0.0.1 www.assoc-amazon.com
127.0.0.1 trk.cetrk.com #[s3-1.amazonaws.com]
127.0.0.1 ads.smowtion.com #[s3-1-w.amazonaws.com]
127.0.0.1 s.amazon-adsystem.com​

find /I "facebook" .\hosts

# [Facebook]
127.0.0.1 ads.ak.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 creative.ak.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 facebookinc.122.2o7.net
127.0.0.1 facebook.com.img335.tk
127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com.img335.tk
127.0.0.1 facebook-videos.de
127.0.0.1 www.facebook-videos.de
127.0.0.1 rrstryhf.facebook-videos.de​


find /I "google" .\hosts

# Entries with comments are all searchable via Google. #
127.0.0.1 google.tucows.com
127.0.0.1 mt34.mtree.com #[Google.Diagnostic]
127.0.0.1 refer.ccbill.com #[Tracking.Cookie][Google.Diagnostic]
127.0.0.1 www.toons-for-adult.com #[Google.Warning]
# [Google Inc]
127.0.0.1 domains.googlesyndication.com #[Parking Service]
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com #[Google AdWords]
127.0.0.1 video-stats.video.google.com
127.0.0.1 ssl.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com #[Google Analytics]
127.0.0.1 4.afs.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 partner.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 www.googleadservices.com
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][209.85.128.0 - 209.85.255.255]
127.0.0.1 analytics-api-samples.googlecode.com #[Google Analytics social tracki
ng]
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][64.233.160.0 - 64.233.191.255]
127.0.0.1 googleads.g.doubleclick.net #[pagead-dclk.l.google.com]
127.0.0.1 tpc.googlesyndication.com
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][66.249.64.0 - 66.249.95.255]
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][72.14.192.0 - 72.14.255.255]
127.0.0.1 clickserve.us2.dartsearch.net #[www3.l.google.com]
127.0.0.1 googleads2.g.doubleclick.net
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][74.125.0.0 - 74.125.255.255]
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS6432][216.73.80.0 - 216.73.95.255]
127.0.0.1 blueadvertise.com #[Google.Diagnostic][2013-01-02]
127.0.0.1 click.atdmt.com #[McAfee.Cookie-Atdmt][Google.Diagnostic]
127.0.0.1 www.e-googles.com
127.0.0.1 www.adjuggler.com #[Google.Diagnostic]
127.0.0.1 gcounter.cn #[Google.Diagnostic]
127.0.0.1 googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 1.googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 2.googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 3.googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 4.googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 5.googlenews.xorg.pl
127.0.0.1 www.bgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 bgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 www.fgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 fgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 google.dospop.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.dospop.com
127.0.0.1 google.panet.org
127.0.0.1 google123.web1000.com
127.0.0.1 google3.it
127.0.0.1 www.google3.it
127.0.0.1 www.google4.it
127.0.0.1 google4.it
127.0.0.1 googlebar.jps.ru
127.0.0.1 googlebawt.com
127.0.0.1 www.googlebawt.com
127.0.0.1 googled.it
127.0.0.1 www.googled.it
127.0.0.1 googlef.it
127.0.0.1 www.googlef.it
127.0.0.1 googler.it
127.0.0.1 www.googler.it
127.0.0.1 www.googles.it
127.0.0.1 googles.it
127.0.0.1 googlew.it
127.0.0.1 www.googlew.it
127.0.0.1 www.hgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 hgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 www.tgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 tgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 vgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 www.vgoogle.it
127.0.0.1 x-google.net
127.0.0.1 www.ygoogle.it
127.0.0.1 ygoogle.it
127.0.0.1 yurigamboa25.googlepages.com​
 
Ok, that tells you it's NOT in the hosts file - - need to look elsewhere.

Did you empty your browser cache and all cookies?
 
Yes, I have already done that along with scanning with CCleaner and Malwarebytes. Amazon.com seems to be up again though, so now it's only facebook.com and google.com
 
I just tried running Firefox without add-ons and extensions. These pages still wouldn't open.
One thing I am wondering about pinging a website. When I ping www.facebook.com and www.google.com I get a reply from 127.0.0.1 which from what I've been reading is my own computer. When I ping other websites I get reply that look completely different.
For example. I did "ping www.techspot.com" and got reply from 50.22.252.218 and when I did "ping www.google.is" I got a reply from 173.194.34.183.
Does this tell you anything or am I rambling total nonsense?
 
Try running without any extensions or add-ons
I just tried running Firefox without add-ons and extensions. These pages still wouldn't open.
One thing I am wondering about pinging a website. When I ping facebook and google I get a reply from 127.0.0.1 which from what I've been reading is my own computer. When I ping other websites I get reply that look completely different.
For example. I did pinged techspot and got reply from 50.22.252.218 and when I pinged google dot is I got a reply from 173.194.34.183.
Does this tell you anything or am I rambling total nonsense?
 
When I ping facebook and google I get a reply from 127.0.0.1 which from what I've been reading is my own computer.
BUMMER :( - - you are correct, it is your local-loopback interface.

here's my pings:
C:\>ping -n 1 www.facebook.com

Pinging star.c10r.facebook.com [173.252.101.48] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 173.252.101.48: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=81

C:\>ping -n 1 www.yahoo.com

Pinging ds-any-fp3-real.wa1.b.yahoo.com [98.138.252.30] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 98.138.252.30: bytes=32 time=83ms TTL=46

C:\>ping -n 1 www.google.com

Pinging www.google.com [74.125.239.18] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.239.18: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=53

C:\>ping -n 1 www.techspot.com

Pinging www.techspot.com [50.22.252.218] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 50.22.252.218: bytes=32 time=78ms TTL=52​

notice the IPaddresses and Reply times

Suggest you edit
\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

and allow ONLY ONE LINE as follows
  • 127.0.0.1 localhost
then get a command prompt window (with admin rights) & issue these (copy and paste into a command window) to make the hosts file current:
  • ipconfig /flushdns
  • net stop "dns client"
  • net start "dns client"
 
Hey again and thanks for sticking with me. I tried this and then restarted my laptop and the problem still remains. Is it time for me to format the hard drive or perhaps update to windows 8 or do you have some other tricks up your sleeve? Thanks again for devoting your time to helping me out. I really do appreciate it.
 
Is it time for me to format the hard drive or perhaps update to windows 8 or do you have some other tricks up your sleeve?
grrr; I just hate that choice!
IMO, it's still a configuration issue and Win/8 - - never recommended as a solution.

If you have all of these {Google Chrome, IE, Opera, & FF} then sacrifice one of them by uninstalling, download a fresh copy and reinstalling it - - leave your existing default browser alone.

Get the new browser installed and then reboot and launch the new one

Report your findings . . .
 
The same problem occurs after I took out Opera and installed it again. I borrowed a laptop to try at home and everything works just fine on that one. I don't remember changing any configurations before this happened.
I read somewhere that sometimes this can happen because of network adapter drivers. I tried to read up on it but it was kinda difficult to understand. I did download something and install it but as always. Nothing. Do you think that could in any way relate to my problem?
 
Yes . . . have you attempted to use a System Restore Point? Pick a date just prior to when you started getting these symptoms
 
Well, the thing is all the available restore points are after this started to happen. I was kinda late to consider that option and when I looked at it, the furthest back option I had was like 3 weeks. The problem had been there for ca. 5 weeks. I don't think Windows used to limit the time so much on previous editions, but maybe I'm wrong. Is there any way to choose a date earlier then what is on offer in System Restore?
 
Sigh; no. Windows manages the SPACE being used for S.R.Ps, not the length of time.
 
I'm in it deep it looks like. What about malware? I've tried using a few anti-malware programs but they didn't find anything. It does me strike me a little bit weird that this seems to happen with big popular websites but none others that I can tell. Right now facebook, google, amazon dot com and I just found out that twitter doesn't work either. To a layman this smells like some sort of anti big corporation virus, but I'm probably wrong about that.
 
Looks like avirus. post to the Virus Removal forum and add a link to this thread.
 
Back