Cannot sign into my hotmail account and MSN messenger. But browsing and clicking on links seems fine. Why?

Add:  when I use another computer at home to log into my hotmail, msn, jukebox and others, everythings work just fine.  Thanks again for your help.

--Tom

Tom,

What error messages are you receiving?

Jim

Thanks Jim,

For example, I have already used my MSN messenger for quiet a while and this is the first time I encounter such kind of problem.  After I typed in my user name and password for my MSN messenger, I clicked on to sign in and below is the error messege I got:

"Sorry, we could not sign you in because the sign-in name you entered does not exist or your password is incorrect.  If you have forgotten your password, please click help in main Messenger window, and click help topics for instructions on resetting your password. 0x81000303."

However, with my permission, Dell attempted to search and fix the problem for me and it said that my settings and password are good and suggested that ZoneAlarm is the cause of the problem.  I then disabled ZoneAlarm and Avast and other programs, but I still could not log into MSN messenger.

Thanks again, Jim, for your help!

Tom

Jim,

Here is another messege I just remembered,

"Your current security settings prohibit running ActiveX controls on this page.  As a result the page may not display correctly."

I actually I saw this messege a few times before even when using yahoo webpage.  I have just enabled all Security Level for both Internet and Local Intranet and still does not do any good.  Thanks!!!

Tom

The MSN and Hotmail logins are done using Passport. I recently encountered a similar problem, which was resolved by this:

Go into the browser. Select Tools/Internet Options, and go to the privacy tab - at the bottom - click on the edit button. Make sure that passport.com and passport.net are both set to ALLOW, click OK then go back to the general tab and click on delete cookies, click ok and ok again.

There's always the unfortunate possibility of malware. If it's not a browser settings issue, download, install, update and run Ad-Aware and Spybot as described in this article by ChrisRLG. If you continue to experience problems, the next step is to download HijackThis, a malware analysis and removal tool, install it as described ChrisRLG's article, and submit a log to the good folks in the Virus Information and Removal board for review. Be sure to post the log in a new message, and describe the problem you're experiencing.

Jim

never install software that claims to speed up your computer, unless its adaware. Your computer is probably infected with a hijack that prevents you from getting to sites, or your firewall is blocking cookies.

Jim,

I just want to come back here and say "Thanks" to you again.  I have finally solved that problem with the help from Tomcoye? forum. 

Tom

Jim,

Just want to ask you couple more questions.  Is it possible to install and use Avast and somehow diactivate McAfee or my first installed Anti-virus software?  My McAfee is already out-dated and since Avast is free, I just thought that I can switch over.  Somebody in the other forum suggested me not to run two Anti-virus softwares at the same time and to only keep the first installed software, which I did by removing the Avast last week.  But I think I like Avast better and want it back, it had found a virus for me before.  My McAfee never found anything; I have just the basic version of McAfee.

Also, I have ZoneAlarm to "guard my internet door."  ZoneAlarm has a firewall included, which I am not exactly sure how to use it.  My McAfee has detected the AntiHeckder from ZoneAmarm, but it does not say it detects the firewall.  So I know where to download a free-version of personal firewall software and I just want to make sure it is ok to download.  What do you think?  Thanks very much for your expert help again.

Tom

Tom,

That's a more complex set of questions than you realize! The advice you received that you should run only one anti-virus software package is sound. If you want to run Avast, you should completely uninstall McAfee. I'd have to look at the other thread to see why you were advised to stay with the first installed package. If you post a link to the discussion at TomCoyote, I'll take a look at it. I suspect the issue was ensuring that the McAfee uninstall was complete and correct, so you wouldn't encounter problems with residue not removed by the McAfee uninstaller. I have no personal experience with Avast.

Regarding ZoneAlarm: Originally, ZoneAlarm was exclusively a personal firewall product. Unlike the XP firewall, it includes the ability to detect unexpected and unauthorized outbound connections from your machine. That's a major benefit, since there are ways that programs can be installed that will unexpectedly attempt to make outbound connections. ZoneAlarm allows you to authorize or deny such outbound connections.

ZoneAlarm 5 introduced additional features, including anti-virus protection. So it's now crossed the line between being exclusively a personal firewall product and being an antivirus product. There have been problems reported with this expansion of features. You can read ZoneLabs' statement about these problems  here.

I have ZoneAlarm Pro 4.5 installed, and I'm staying with it until the dust settles! As you'll see from ZoneLabs' "Frequently Asked Questions", it's possible to download the 4.5 version. I don't think all companies are equally adept at dealing with the issues of virus and firewall protection, and I dearly wish that they'd stay within their own sphere of expertise!

Jim

If by chance you ever read this, what was the fix to your sign in problems. I am experiencing somewhat the same thing, I can get to lots of sites, but a click or two into them and I get a "page unavailable, cannot find dns or ie error" which I know can't be possible or I would not have been that far.

I'd be interested. I have Zone Alarm, and I totally disabled it, didn't help. I also tried entering the unavailable page addresses into my "trusted sites' addresses, that did not help.
thanks,