Browsers and apps showing code instead of the website content


hijacker83

New member
Local time
12:44 AM
Posts
9
OS
Windows 11
I have a Lenovo Thinkpad E480. I cannot access the websites through browsers. Here are some screenshots:

Edge:



Edge Safe mode:


Firefox:


Chrome:




Microsoft Office (pinned to start not actually installed):


I have seen Microsoft Assist app with similar source codes to Microsoft Office above but could not take a screenshot.

I have reinstalled Windows 11 as well as Windows 10 from scratch (custom install).

I have done all the updates including driver updates.

I have updated the BIOS.

I have tried different WIFI's and different ISPs.

I have run tron script for any malware/virus but the results were clean.

I have this problem since Friday last week. Today is the 5th day and I desperately need to start using my laptop.

I tried everything. Microsoft was connected via assist app as well but no resolution so far and I do not have a slightest clue about what can be causing this.

I look forward to hearing your recommendations.

Thank you.
 
Windows Build/Version
21H2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Some of the data posted [HTML Language] can be seen in Edge by right-clicking anywhere in a page, except an image, and choose one of the 2 bottom items on popup, View page source or Inspect.

1662436416375.png

But some of the other issues would suggest a complete drive wipe and clean install of Windows due to corruption.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Some of the data posted can be seen by right-click in a page and choose one of the 2 bottom items on popup, View page source or Inspect.

View attachment 38497

But some of the other issues would suggest a complete drive wipe and clean install of Windows due to corruption.

Hi Berton, Thanks for the reply. I cannot Inspect the page. Developer tools not opening for me and I have mentioned that I have already installed windows 10 and windows 11 from scratch using bootable media. I have done about 6 Windows installation so far. Both Windows 10 & 11 home and pro versions.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Since the problems continue to exist it must be assumed to be a hardware issue, maybe the drive or partition Windows is being installed on, maybe memory modules issue. Check the BIOS for some diagnostics, depending upon the make and model of the computer or motherboard may be some things to be run before Windows loads. As a diagnostic I carry a Linux LiveUSB Thumb drive and a Linux LiveDVD in my toolkit, helps to either rule out hardware issues if things work good. Another diagnostic that may help is Hiren's Ultimate Boot CD.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Since the problems continue to exist it must be assumed to be a hardware issue, maybe the drive or partition Windows is being installed on, maybe memory modules issue. Check the BIOS for some diagnostics, depending upon the make and model of the computer or motherboard may be some things to be run before Windows loads. As a diagnostic I carry a Linux LiveUSB Thumb drive and a Linux LiveDVD in my toolkit, helps to either rule out hardware issues if things work good. Another diagnostic that may help is Hiren's Ultimate Boot CD.
Thank you Berton for recomendations. I will try to do diagnostics with above mentioned tools.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Since the problems continue to exist it must be assumed to be a hardware issue, maybe the drive or partition Windows is being installed on, maybe memory modules issue. Check the BIOS for some diagnostics, depending upon the make and model of the computer or motherboard may be some things to be run before Windows loads. As a diagnostic I carry a Linux LiveUSB Thumb drive and a Linux LiveDVD in my toolkit, helps to either rule out hardware issues if things work good. Another diagnostic that may help is Hiren's Ultimate Boot CD.

So, I would like to give some updates. I run lenovo diagnostics. It scanned for memory, drive, motherboard and cpu. It passed all the test.

The only time the Edge browser worked for me properly was when I installed Windows 10 version 2004 on Sunday 4th September 2022.
After I updated the Windows, browsers stopped working. So I assume, if it was a hardware issue, when I installed Windows 10 version 2004 it would not work either. The edge browser that worked was one of those old versions and unfortunately I did not try to installed other browsers before I updated the Windows. Websites did not load once Windows and Edge got updated. Do you guys have any other suggestions?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
So, I would like to give some updates. I run lenovo diagnostics. It scanned for memory, drive, motherboard and cpu. It passed all the test.

The only time the Edge browser worked for me properly was when I installed Windows 10 version 2004 on Sunday 4th September 2022.
After I updated the Windows, browsers stopped working. So I assume, if it was a hardware issue, when I installed Windows 10 version 2004 it would not work either. The edge browser that worked was one of those old versions and unfortunately I did not try to installed other browsers before I updated the Windows. Websites did not load once Windows and Edge got updated. Do you guys have any other suggestions?
Download another browser such as Chrome or Firefox? Even if it's just to eliminate the cause. This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (RP channel)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5900X 12-core
    Motherboard
    X570 Aorus Xtreme
    Memory
    64GB Corsair Platinum RGB 3600MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Suprim X 3080 Ti
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 2TB
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB
    Samsung 870 Evo 4TB
    Samsung T7 Touch 1TB
    PSU
    Asus ROG Strix 1000W
    Case
    Corsair D750 Airflow
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15S
    Keyboard
    Asus ROG Flare
    Mouse
    Logitech G903 with PowerPlay charger
    Internet Speed
    500Mb/sec
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I does look like an issue with the HTML interpreter, in the browser. I have seen this occasionally over the years, mostly when the access speed to the host site for the page is very slow - as suggested above try another browser to eliminate this - Google Chrome uses the same base interpreter so is probably the best choice although Firefox can often be more robust
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release Preview] [Win11 PRO HighEnd MUP-00005 DD]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS to my design
    CPU
    AMD RYZEN 9 7950X OEM
    Motherboard
    *3XS*ASUS TUF B650 PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    64GB [2x32GB Corsair Vengeance 560 AMD DDR5]
    Graphics Card(s)
    3XS* ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 OC 8G
    Sound Card
    On motherboard Feeding SPDiF 5.1 system [plus local sound to each monitor]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3XS Samsung 980Pro 2TB M.2 PCIe4 4 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 8TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    3XS Corsair RM850x 850w Fully Modular
    Case
    FDesign Define 7 XL BK TGL Case - Black
    Cooling
    3XS iCUE H150i ELITE Liquid Cool, Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitec MX Keys + K830 [Depending on where I'm Sat]
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitec - MX Master 3S +
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security [Latest]
    Other Info
    Also run...
    Dell XPS 17 Laptop
    HP Laptop 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64 HP 15.2"
    Nexus 7 Android tablet [x2]
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview 10.2 Tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Samsung S9 Plus Smartphone
    Wacom Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom ExpressKey Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest release]
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17 9700
    CPU
    i7 10750H
    Motherboard
    Stock
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Stock Intel + GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    Stock 4 speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Stock 17" + 32" 4K 3840 x 2160 HDR-10
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400 HDR touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock Aluminium / Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock + 2 fan cooling pad
    Mouse
    Stock Trackpad +Logi Mx Master 3 or MX Ergo Trackball
    Keyboard
    Stock Illuminated + Logi - MX Keys
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security 2021
    Other Info
    Also use an Adjustable Support for Laptop and Adjustable stand for monitor
Thank you all for all the answers. I currently have Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Tor Browsers installed. Non of them sucessfully loading the web content. My current speed is 50.1 Mbps download and 18.6Mbps upload.

It is indeed the weirdest think I have ever seen. After 4 different clean Windows installation, I was convinced that it was a hardware issue but I run diagnostics for about 2 hours and all the tests passed.

I am just running out of options. I do appreciate any suggestion that might crack this.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
This looks like a TLS/SSL configuration problem from the error message which Firefox has shown. Have you tried loading a HTML document from your disk?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11, Windows 10, Linux Fedora Cinnamon
This looks like a TLS/SSL configuration problem from the error message which Firefox has shown. Have you tried loading a HTML document from your disk?
When I run HTML document from internal drive it displays okay. How can I change TLS/SSL configuration in browser?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Since the issue appears across multiple browsers then I would check the following key within your registry:

Rich (BB code):
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols

Please post the output in your next post. I assume you're not running any third-party firewalls and/or security programs?

I should image what is happening as well is that in the response body of the HTTP request, the Content-Type has been set to text/plain rather than text/html. Do the Developer Tools not open for any of the browsers?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11, Windows 10, Linux Fedora Cinnamon
This is a test page for HTML5 which can be useful when troubleshooting - download page and open in the browser, first page is an index to the various HTML functions clicking on the index item will try to action the related HTML Code

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release Preview] [Win11 PRO HighEnd MUP-00005 DD]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS to my design
    CPU
    AMD RYZEN 9 7950X OEM
    Motherboard
    *3XS*ASUS TUF B650 PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    64GB [2x32GB Corsair Vengeance 560 AMD DDR5]
    Graphics Card(s)
    3XS* ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 OC 8G
    Sound Card
    On motherboard Feeding SPDiF 5.1 system [plus local sound to each monitor]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3XS Samsung 980Pro 2TB M.2 PCIe4 4 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 8TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    3XS Corsair RM850x 850w Fully Modular
    Case
    FDesign Define 7 XL BK TGL Case - Black
    Cooling
    3XS iCUE H150i ELITE Liquid Cool, Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitec MX Keys + K830 [Depending on where I'm Sat]
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitec - MX Master 3S +
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security [Latest]
    Other Info
    Also run...
    Dell XPS 17 Laptop
    HP Laptop 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64 HP 15.2"
    Nexus 7 Android tablet [x2]
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview 10.2 Tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Samsung S9 Plus Smartphone
    Wacom Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom ExpressKey Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest release]
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17 9700
    CPU
    i7 10750H
    Motherboard
    Stock
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Stock Intel + GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    Stock 4 speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Stock 17" + 32" 4K 3840 x 2160 HDR-10
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400 HDR touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock Aluminium / Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock + 2 fan cooling pad
    Mouse
    Stock Trackpad +Logi Mx Master 3 or MX Ergo Trackball
    Keyboard
    Stock Illuminated + Logi - MX Keys
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security 2021
    Other Info
    Also use an Adjustable Support for Laptop and Adjustable stand for monitor
Since the issue appears across multiple browsers then I would check the following key within your registry:

Rich (BB code):
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols

Please post the output in your next post. I assume you're not running any third-party firewalls and/or security programs?

I should image what is happening as well is that in the response body of the HTTP request, the Content-Type has been set to text/plain rather than text/html. Do the Developer Tools not open for any of the browsers?

Hi, It just has a string with Default value in it. I do not have any firewall or security program as it is newly installed Windows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
This is a test page for HTML5 which can be useful when troubleshooting - download page and open in the browser, first page is an index to the various HTML functions clicking on the index item will try to action the related HTML Code


@barman58, The test page histo.io just displays okay. I downloaded and opened it locally it also displayed it correctly from the internal drive.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Hi, It just has a string with Default value in it. I do not have any firewall or security program as it is newly installed Windows.
Is Windows Defender/Microsoft Security not running? Might have to check for Definitions update.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
After 6 days I was able to make firefox work.

I typed
about:config
in address bar and then searched for the following
network.http.accept-encoding.secure
then changed the value from
gzip, deflate, br
to
gzip, deflate

Now Firefox loading all the websites correctly. I need to do this for Chrome and Edge. I tried but I could not find where I can change the encoding settings for other browsers. Any recommendation is highly appreciated.

@Berton Windows Defender runs okay and it is up to date.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo/E480
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Gen
    Graphics Card(s)
    Readon RX
Hi, It just has a string with Default value in it.
Okay that's fine then, I've dealt with a similar HTTP content encoding error before and that was due to the user forcing old versions of TLS/SSL to be run.

Chromium browsers should support Brotli compression with no problems? What happens when you attempt to open Developer tools in a Chromium browser like Edge and/or Google Chrome?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11, Windows 10, Linux Fedora Cinnamon
I tried but I could not find where I can change the encoding settings for other browsers. Any recommendation is highly appreciated.
All the available configuration pages should be available from here: chrome://chrome-urls/.

I'm not exactly sure what page it will be under or wherever that setting is even exposed?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11, Windows 10, Linux Fedora Cinnamon

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