suddenly cannot properly display many websites on my computer (chrome, firefox, IE)

Question

I am unable to see many websites properly on my computer. for example, the homepages of yahoo, skype and download.net. When I open yahoo.com in chrome, it seems that the computer keep waiting for i.yimg.com. when opening skype.com, it keeps waiting for skypeassets.com. But I have no problem with stackoverflow.com, google searching, pinterest.com and watching youtube videos.

The same issue in IE and Firefox.

I checked the setting:

• images allowed
• js allowed
• Java installed

Also cleaned the computer with Spybot.

Here is the screenshots:

Very frustrated with the problem. Please help.

Solution 1

I agree with FabrícioMatté's comment, it looks like a DNS issue (affecting CSS).

If your DNS is set to auto, it may be using your router's DNS forwarding; so try rebooting your router.

Also, try hard-setting your network adapter's DNS to use a specific DNS server, like Google's (8.8.8.8), or your ISP's, and see if it works any different/better.

Additionally, a lot of the asset Content Delivery Networks (CND; like akamai,net, skypeassests.com) are throttled differently by ISPs, and they consist of many servers around the world trying to aim you at the one closest to you, so sometimes they act weird. :)

Solution 2

It looks like one of those virus that make XSS injection in websites so you see ads everywhere.

Run your Notepad as Administrator and open the file %WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.

By default this file has only one line: 127.0.0.1 localhost. If its different delete the other lines.

If its not the case, run the command net stop dnscache and check if it helps.

In case anything here works, there is a virus installed and it will reactivate the traps again on boot. You have to perform a virus check on your system.

Comments

[Mr. Zalgo]

Looks like an ISP issue (most likely a DNS one) I'd bet.

[Havenard]

I don't know what i.yimg.com and skypeassets.com are but I cannot resolve those names aswell, and some DNS test with random open resolvers online also proofed that those names, despite registered, don't resolve to any IP address. Howover, when visiting those sites you are trying to access they are being displayed fine to me, which means they don't require those URLs to work properly. Perhaps if you give us some more details we could help more.

[user2253490]

Thanks. Not sure if I made myself clear. When I open www.skype.com, it shows nothing on the screen in the first 2 minutes. And it keeps showing "waiting for skypeassets.com" in the status bar. After 2 minutes, it shows the following screen anony.ws/EzW . No images, no css, no price list. I suppose it looks for price list from skypeassets.com but cannot connect it. But i have the similar problem with many sites, yahoo, download.com, etc.

[user2253490]

the DNS is auto as default. It is a home computer

[user2253490]

same issue with the yahoo homepage. anony.ws/Ezb

[user2253490]

and no problem when ping skypeassets.com. c:\>ping www.skypeassets.com Pinging a1896.w7.akamai.net [89.149.175.41] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 89.149.175.41: bytes=32 time=358ms TTL=48 Reply from 89.149.175.41: bytes=32 time=330ms TTL=47 Reply from 89.149.175.41: bytes=32 time=334ms TTL=47 Reply from 89.149.175.41: bytes=32 time=330ms TTL=47 Ping statistics for 89.149.175.41: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 330ms, Maximum = 358ms, Average = 338ms

[user2253490]

just checked C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. all lines are commented by "#". the last two lines are # 127.0.0.1 localhost # ::1 localhost

[user2253490]

ran net stop dnscache sucessfully, but the problem is still there. i suppose there is a virus in my computers. i have the same issues on my two computers. One has free anti-virus avast and the other has trend mciro installed. No virus is reported.

[Havenard]

Try ping l.yimg.com check if its responding. The IP should be one of those: 200.152.174.73, 200.152.174.74 if anything is different let me know.

[user2253490]

i restared the router and set the primary and second dns servers. Works well. Thanks.