As soon as I installed Avast! 5.0.396, Internet Explorer 7 would not allow me to access any Web sites at all although I was connected to the Internet. I kept getting a screen which read, "Internet Explorer Cannot Display This Web Page." So I systematically tested each shield in Avast! by turning them off one at a time to see which one was causing the trouble. The only shield that affected Web access was the Web Shield. When I turned it off, I was able to access any Web site I wanted. I found the solution at
http://support.avast.com. Find "Popular Knowledge Base Articles" on that page. Click on "Configuration of the Web Shield HTTP Proxy," read the entire page, and follow the simple directions depending on which type of connection you have, such as LAN, or dial-up Internet service. I have dial-up service and after making a few easy changes, I was able to access any Web site I wanted. First, I connected to the Internet. With Internet Explorer open, I clicked on Tools, then Internet Options. I clicked the Connections tab. I clicked on my dial-up connection. I clicked the Settings button. I checked "Use proxy server for this connection." In the address field, I typed 127.0.0.1 and in the Port field I typed 12080. I clicked O.K. Then I typed a Web address in the address bar in my browser and pressed my keyboard Enter key, and I was able to access that site and any others I wanted. The whole process takes less than a minute. I hope this solves your problem.
