Solved all Browsers blocking certain websites even Microsoft login

Malenibo · Jan 5, 2024

I am trying to help a friend who has just bought a windows 11 computer. it has a Rizen processor, 16Gb mem, and he has fibre at 1000Mb download. When the computer was first switched on it worked very well and all websites were achievable. Then after about two weeks he was unable to access certain websites connected with the banks and also the Microsoft account. The connections would just time out.. I tried various different search engines with the same result. Some links are not clickable and typing the URL of the site direct does not help. The browser just cycles and eventually times out. The browsers & search work as normal for 90% of the sites. I have tried changing most of the settings that I think are causing a problem but to no avail. I did a complete re-install of the operating system and the computer worked without any problem for just over a week. Then it became impossible to reach certain websites again. I assume that it is an update that is installed or there is a security setting that I do not know. Please any suggestions as to what may be causing the blocking of official websites would be appreciated

Kees · Jan 5, 2024

One of the methods sites can be blocked is by the 'hosts' file.
It might be some app in your system changed that file.
Where it is situated and how you can reset it to normal is to find if you search the Internet with 'hosts file'.
Or look here:

How to reset the Hosts file back to the default - Microsoft Support

Describes how to reset the Hosts file back to the default.

support.microsoft.com

You might inspect that file to be sure it does not contain any strings at all.
Normally all strings that start with # are comments, so do not matter.
So if all strings start with # that file would not be the reason for blocking sites.
Strings: lines with characters.

glasskuter · Jan 5, 2024

Welcome to the forum.
Things to try.

1. If an update is suspected, uninstall the update. If he is allowing WU to update his drivers,check to see if his wireless adapter has been updated by WU. If so pause updates and rollback the driver to see if it makes any difference. Receiving drivers through windows update can be disabled using this tutorial, Use group policy if he runs Pro. Use the regedit method for Home. Once it is disabled, your can unpause updates. Enable or Disable Include Drivers with Windows Updates in Windows 11 Tutorial

2. Disable any third party antivirus software.Make sure no instance is running in task manager.

3.. Disable all browser add-ons. Close all instances of the the browser, reopen the browser and try.

4. Make sure date, time, and time zone are correct.

5. Run network troubleshooter. settings>system>troubleshooters>other troubleshooters>network&internet>run

6.. Use clean boot to eliminate there being a software conflict. If it doesn't happen in a clean boot, you have some software conflicting with Windows. Brink's procedure will help you weed out which one. Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts Tutorial

7. Since it works for a while and then stops, maybe some place he goes to has infected him with malware. Check for malware using Malwarebytes Free. It will install the premium version free for 14 days after which it reverts to free version.

Free Antivirus 2023 | Download Free Antivirus & Virus Scan | 100% Free & Easy Install

Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more.

www.malwarebytes.com

8. Reset network adapters Reset Network Adapters in Windows 11 Tutorial

9. Attached is @FreeBooter .bat file which resets network components. RIGHT click on the .bat file and select run as administrator.

Report back.

Malenibo · Jan 5, 2024

Kees said:
One of the methods sites can be blocked is by the 'hosts' file.
It might be some app in your system changed that file.
Where it is situated and how you can reset it to normal is to find if you search the Internet with 'hosts file'.
Or look here:

How to reset the Hosts file back to the default - Microsoft Support

Describes how to reset the Hosts file back to the default.

support.microsoft.com

You might inspect that file to be sure it does not contain any strings at all.
Normally all strings that start with # are comments, so do not matter.
So if all strings start with # that file would not be the reason for blocking sites.
Strings: lines with characters.

Many thanks I will try your suggestions and report back. Sorry if replying in the wrong place, but not found the reply option yet

Malenibo · Jan 5, 2024

glasskuter said:
Welcome to the forum.
Things to try.

1. If an update is suspected, uninstall the update. If he is allowing WU to update his drivers,check to see if his wireless adapter has been updated by WU. If so pause updates and rollback the driver to see if it makes any difference. Receiving drivers through windows update can be disabled using this tutorial, Use group policy if he runs Pro. Use the regedit method for Home. Once it is disabled, your can unpause updates. Enable or Disable Include Drivers with Windows Updates in Windows 11 Tutorial

2. Disable any third party antivirus software.Make sure no instance is running in task manager.

3.. Disable all browser add-ons. Close all instances of the the browser, reopen the browser and try.

4. Make sure date, time, and time zone are correct.

5. Run network troubleshooter. settings>system>troubleshooters>other troubleshooters>network&internet>run

6.. Use clean boot to eliminate there being a software conflict. If it doesn't happen in a clean boot, you have some software conflicting with Windows. Brink's procedure will help you weed out which one. Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts Tutorial

7. Since it works for a while and then stops, maybe some place he goes to has infected him with malware. Check for malware using Malwarebytes Free. It will install the premium version free for 14 days after which it reverts to free version.

Free Antivirus 2023 | Download Free Antivirus & Virus Scan | 100% Free & Easy Install

Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more.

www.malwarebytes.com

8. Reset network adapters Reset Network Adapters in Windows 11 Tutorial

9. Attached is @FreeBooter .bat file which resets network components. RIGHT click on the .bat file and select run as administrator.

Report back.

Thank you for your reply I will try your suggestions first . I was wondering if it was the version of Win !! so Am thinking of a complete reinstall with a new copy on Win 11

Malenibo · Jan 19, 2024

No matter which browser I use I cannot access some secure sites such as my banks. The connection times out and I notice that the URL starts with BING plus a long string before the bank address. It is very frustrating as I can access some sites but not others. Is there some settings that I need to change. Internet connection is via Fibre. Also when I have reset win 11 the computer works fine and accesses all bank URLs without problem, but then starts blocking. I can assess all sites without problem using a Win 10 machine on the same network. Any help would be much appreciated

abactuon · Jan 19, 2024

Are you using VPN?

Malenibo · Jan 19, 2024

No just normal fibre at 1000 mbps I have looked every where at settings and cannot find anything

x BlueRobot · Jan 19, 2024

What happened with the previous suggestions from your original thread?

When the computer was first switched on it worked very well and all websites were achievable. Then after about two weeks he was unable to access certain websites connected with the banks and also the Microsoft account. The connections would just time out.. I tried various different search engines with the same result. Some links are not clickable and typing the URL of the site direct does not help.

Does the issue occur in Safe Mode with Networking?

abactuon · Jan 19, 2024

You can try running network utilities to check.

x BlueRobot · Jan 19, 2024

It might be worthwhile getting some additional information about the system using FRST:

FRST Scan

1. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your Desktop.
Note: You need to run the 64-bit Version so please ensure you download that one.
2. Right-click FRST64.exe and click Run as Administrator to run it as administrator. When the tool opens, click Yes to disclaimer.
3. Please ensure you place a check mark in the Addition.txt check box at the bottom of the form before running (if not already checked).
4. Press Scan button.
5. It will produce a log called FRST.txt in the same directory the tool is run from (which should now be the desktop)
6. Please attach the log back here.
7. Another log (Addition.txt - also located in the same directory as FRST64.exe) will be generated. Please also attach that along with the FRST.txt in your reply.

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 19, 2024

Do you have any extensions installed?

ThrashZone · Jan 19, 2024

Hi,
Well you can usually right click a pinned taskbar browser and select Start In-Private browsing.
See if that helps
If it does you have a browser extension blocking you via norton/ mcafee/...... so uninstall it.

Malenibo · Jan 19, 2024

x BlueRobot said:
What happened with the previous suggestions from your original thread?

Does the issue occur in Safe Mode with Networking?

Nothing worked

Rollback_Jockey said:
Do you have any extensions installed?

No it was a clean install. It is definitely something to do with the secure settings as most searches show the normal URL address but when I try to go to the banks URL's using Edge they are prefixed with BING and a string before the bank URL If I use Firefox the the bank URLs are prefixed with GOOGLE and a srtring before the correct URL. It is most weird as most searches have no problem but as soon as you click on the link to the two banks it just times out. There is no problem reaching the bank sites using other computers so I know the site is valid. It just this computer. Bank sites are https://ccr.fr and Personal banking | Online banking | The Co-operative Bank

garlin · Jan 19, 2024

Just to confirm, your PC's clock is correctly synchronized? Not like it's 5-10 min. wrong?

The reason you're seeing the Search results (no matter what's the root cause) is your HTTPS secure connection is failing and your browser thinks you've "typed it in wrong", and forwards the URL the default Search Engine to be helpful.

1nitram2 · Jan 19, 2024

Suspect browser hijack.
Run malwarebytes

ThrashZone · Jan 19, 2024

Malenibo said:
Nothing worked

No it was a clean install. It is definitely something to do with the secure settings as most searches show the normal URL address but when I try to go to the banks URL's using Edge they are prefixed with BING and a string before the bank URL If I use Firefox the the bank URLs are prefixed with GOOGLE and a srtring before the correct URL. It is most weird as most searches have no problem but as soon as you click on the link to the two banks it just times out. There is no problem reaching the bank sites using other computers so I know the site is valid. It just this computer. Bank sites are https://ccr.fr and Personal banking | Online banking | The Co-operative Bank

First link got secure connection failed.
Second link you posted opened right up using firefox search is duckduckgo
In-Private browsing

Malenibo · Jan 20, 2024

1nitram2 said:
Suspect browser hijack.
Run malwarebytes

I thought that so I have done several scans and they come up zero and clean every time. I think Garlin is on the right track as a few times I have been unable to reach the Microsoft account log in page and several other secure sites. What I need now is a solution to fix it.

Malenibo · Jan 20, 2024

garlin said:
Just to confirm, your PC's clock is correctly synchronized? Not like it's 5-10 min. wrong?

The reason you're seeing the Search results (no matter what's the root cause) is your HTTPS secure connection is failing and your browser thinks you've "typed it in wrong", and forwards the URL the default Search Engine to be helpful.

Thank you for that explanation. Do you think it is the computer or the network provider? As if I bring my friends computer to my house and plug in, (VDSL network 100 mbps) after I have done a reset all works fine with no problem. When I give it back and connect to his fibre network (1000 mbps) that's when it plays up

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 20, 2024

ThrashZone said:
First link got secure connection failed.
Second link you posted opened right up using firefox search is duckduckgo
In-Private browsing

View attachment 84574

That first link failed for me also, are you sure it's spelt correctly? 2nd link worked fine.