Why can't I reach avast?

[ianmcallister]

Hi, my HE trial ends in two weeks, and I wish to get the registration key, but I can't reach any avast site, apart from this one, using either links on web pages or by typing in the site URL in my browser. I've tried Firefox, WE, firewall on, off, other computers, even the link on this site didn't work! Is it just me? I don't see anyone else complaining, what's happening?
Ian

[oldman]

By any avast site, exactly what do you mean? I can reach the page for registration without any problem. I didn't complete the form or submit it as I don't need a key. How far can you get?

link for the page I reached

http://avast.com/eng/home-registration.php

[ianmcallister]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
I perhaps phrased that incorrectly.
The list: When the red warning panel popped up, I clicked on the button to register and kept getting time out messages or problem loading page.
I tried over three days to do this, firewall on, firewall on,WE, Firefox.
I also tried avast.com, alwil.com. I tried the links from several download sites, including download.com. I Googled avast and tried every link that came up, including both the links on Wikipedia. I have tried the link you suggested six times today, with no success. I have no trouble reaching any other sites.
Can you think of anything that might be stopping me reaching avast?
thanks again,
Ian

[oldman]

Don't want to alarm you, but there is some malware designed to prevent access to anti virus sites. Can you reach these

http://mcafee.com/ca-en/

http://mcafeehelp.com/selectSupportType.asp?siteId=1&cnrcheck=done

[ianmcallister]

I just mailed my friend in New Zealand tyhe link and he got the site no problem, therefore it must be something in the settings on my computer, but what?
Ian

[oldman]

Any thing in webshield's url blocker? Any other securiy programs, avs etc?

[ianmcallister]

I can reach those two sites, and I have Super Anti Spyware remover, and Rogue Remover installed, should I get rid of them and see if that helps?

[ianmcallister]

Sorry to be a pain, but how can I find the webshield's URL blocker? I've removed any other anti malware or spyware program present on my computer, and guess what, still can't reach it.
thanks,
Ian

[oldman]

That's good.

SAS should be all right, lots of avast users have it with no problems. I don't know anything about rougue remover.

It seems as if it is related to something that monitors internet connections.


Webshield

left click the"a" icon, select webshield, customize button, url blocker tab

[oldman]

Final thought, check your host file. If you are usig xp it's located here

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Open it with notepad. Scroll down past the enteries stting with #. Near the bottom should be a 127.0.0.1  localhost entry. If there is anyting related to avast, use notepad to edit them out. Leave the 127.0.0.1  localhost entry and any others not avast related.

If you find you need to edit the file, you should rename the original file to something like hosts.old and save the edited file as hosts.sam

A little reading to help with this

http://forums.techguy.org/security/376044-solved-cant-access-certain-web.html

[ianmcallister]

Well, your final thoughts were on the money. I did as you said, and am through to the page. Could you please take the trouble to let me know what it is that I did, and why the problem existed in the first place.
Thank you so very much for your help today,
Peace,
Ian

[ianmcallister]

And only a couple of minutes later, everything is done...key received and entered...now all I have to do is reinstall SAS!
thanks again,
Ian

[DavidR]

Apart from the fact creating two topics for the same question just duplicates effort having to check both to see what has been suggested, it is likely to be the problem, C:\Windows\HOSTS file blocking.

http://75.126.53.166/eng/home-registration.php

You should be able to reach that page even if there was a HOSTS file redirect. What you need to consider is what changed your HOSTS file and did it do anything else.

If you haven't already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, preferably in safe mode.
If using winXP AVG anti-spyware (formerly Ewido). Or SUPERantispyware Or Spyware Terminator. Or a-Squared free if using win98/ME.

[essexboy]

Concur with DavidR the altered host file is usually a malware symptom

[oldman]

@ianmcallister

Glad you got it sorted out. You should follow DavidR and essexboy's advice in trying to find out what changed your hosts file.

You should be able to reach that page even if there was a HOSTS file redirect.

Unless whatever changed the host file, assigned 127.0.0.1 as the address for the avast enteries.
127.0.0.1  www.avast.com

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm