Google.com DNS failure / works in Safe Zone

Viruses and worms
1

Hi,

I have Avast Internet Security.

The Failure
I cannot access google.com. “Everything” else works (haven’t checked the whole internet and web).
I figured it is a DNS failure, because on one page there is a DNS failure message, where a Google calendar supposed to be.
I can access gmail.com though.
Everything is fine on Safe Zone.

My Attempts

  1. I run the Avast Virus Scan.
    With no avail.

  2. I run Spybot Search&Destroy.
    Registry entries from Coupon Bar and tracking cookies.

  3. I run Malwarebytes.
    On quick scan nothing.
    One file found on complete scan: Globe7.exe (Affiliate.Downloader).

  4. My TCP/IP DNS settings are all on automatic still.

  5. I can ping google.com with 70ms-76ms, 0% loss.

  6. I checked on Chrome, IE and Firefox. Sandboxed and not.

What can that be?
Any help greatly appreciated.

DHCP

2

HOSTS file redirect/block a common malware tactic to block AV sites making it difficult to remove malware - 127.0.0.1 check your HOSTS file using notepad or a text editor of your choice, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts or do a search for HOSTS to find it if not there.

Once open you are looking for entries with google.com on the line, you may well see other sites, post the contents of the hosts file. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file

3

Interesting new topic. :wink:

There is a huge list inserted by spybot search&destroy.

Nothing with google.com though.

The file is too big to attach now, 434 kB. Should I take the list from spybot out?

4

Actually I dont understand why it is so large? :cry:

5

But here it…;D

6

is.

7

The OTL files.

8

All that was necessary was that there is no entry for google as that was one possibility that google might have been being blocked. Entries placed there by Spybot S&D are to prevent access to bad sites.

Whilst your other supposition on it being a DNS issue, I wouldn’t have expected that to be only for google.
The safe zone uses its own secure DNS server.

9

Try Flushing your DNS

Read this:

[b]http://www.tech-faq.com/how-to-flush-dns.html[/b]

How to Flush DNS in Windows Using the Command Prompt

Step 1 – Close all open web browsers and applications on your computer.

Step 2 – Open the Windows command prompt by selecting the “Start” menu and entering “cmd” in the search text field box followed by clicking the “enter” key.

Step 3 – At the command prompt, enter “ipconfig /flushdns” followed by pressing the “enter” key. After a moment, Windows will display a message similar to: “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.” Once the message is displayed, the DNS will be flushed removing all incorrect entries.

May fix this problem

10

@ DavidR: It’s a mess, sorry. But you asked for the file. :wink:
Hmm, own DNS server…help!
@ adotd: Thanks, good info. Did not work though.

11

When you get the error, can you take a print screen and attach it?

12

Can you access

173.194.35.8

this is a google ip address

13

i meant, the flushing worked as expected in the link. but the outcome did not work in relation to solving the problem.

i can access that ip address.

14

hmm, when i use hotspotshield, which is a vpn connection, i can access google.com.
do you think it is my provider? my provider’s dns server?

did i understand right, that safe zone has a connection to an own dns server, by avast?

15

all, things worked out from alone, after shut down.
thanks a lot. cu, DHCP

16

As I said “The safe zone uses its own secure DNS server” so that it is isolated from your desktop it is using a secure DNS service which avast has arranged. This also helps against DNS poisoning and using your DNS Cache, which may have bad entries in it.

That is why the suggestion to flush the DNS was given in case the problem was a bad DNS entry.

17

DHCP

all, things worked out from alone, after shut down. thanks a lot. cu, DHCP

Good to hear it is working now 8)

Anthony