Can't connect via IE7, but Firefox works fine

[lianaent]

Hi All and Merry Christmas!

I've been all over the help boards and MS troubleshooting, but I haven't found anything that addresses this particular issue.

I can connect to the internet fine via Firefox, but when I try via IE7 I get:
"Failed to connect to web-server/proxy-server for bypass transaction (Error 504)". (Sometimes I get a more friendly error page, but of no more help than this.)

I'm on a Dell desktop running Windows XP SP3 and connect via HughesNet satellite. I believe the problem started after my helpdesk at work talked me through setting up VPN connection. VPN worked fine however, which makes this problem odder because work doesn't support Firefox. In any case, I uninstalled VPN. I've also tried connecting in SafeMode - no dice. None of the other suggestions I've seen online have helped either - but I think all of them assume you can't connect to the internet at all.

One thing I've noticed - when I look at my Network Connection settings there are two of them: Local Area Connection and Local Area Connection 2. The first one says "Network cable unplugged" (which of course it isn't or I wouldn't be typing here now), and the other says "Connected." They have different device names as well, the first Intel (R) Pro 1000... and the second one (that works) 3Com EtherLink XL...

Maybe Firefox is using the second one, and IE is trying to use the first one, but I don't know how to direct the browser to connect to one or the other. Changing the properties of the first one - disabling it, find the IP addresses automatically, etc. has had no affect whatsoever.

Any help greatly appreciated!
Larry

 

[almcneil]

Might be Conficker Worm Virus

Have you checked for the Conficker work virus? I had a customer recently had this problem. IE didn't work but FF did and there were some other issues. The ISP had contacted the customer to say they believed his home network was infected with Conficker and needed to be removed or they were doing to cut him off. So he called me, I checked and yes, it was Conficker.

Here is the link for the company that makes a removal tool for Conficker:

http://www.enigmasoftware.com/

-- Andy

 

[lianaent]

It's not Conficker

Darn - I was hoping it was that simple! However, I didn't think it could get past BitDefender. When I ran the Conficker program I got "Conficker Not Found."

Thanks anyway Andy!!

 

[almcneil]

I'd talk to work again. I too find it strange that after installing this VPN it's IE that stops working but FF does and they support IE and not FF. Sounds weird. Call them back. One suggestion I have is Windows System Restore but talk to them first.

-- Andy

 

[lianaent]

Andy - thanks for your insistence that it had to be something with VPN.

I rechecked all my Internet Options in more detail, and on the Connections tab is a button LAN Settings. They had had it set to a proxy server, so I set it to "Automatically detect settings" and voila, IE is back!

Thanks again!

 

[almcneil]

Thanks for the credit but really, I didn't suggest to check Internet Options Connections. That was you. But it's X-mas and a time for giving so I'll take the credit thank you!

-- Andy