ID:184027
 
google is giving me a 404 error wenever i go to it through IE or firefox (the only browsers I have). My frineds say it shows up for them so I'm confused. On firefox it is just blank, on IE it says to visit google.com to search for the siter I am trying to type because I must have spelt it wrong. I cleared my settings and shut off all anti-virus systems. No program is running exept for my internet connection and it still wont open.

does any1 have this problem or a fix for it because I use google like 2,000,000 times a day!
Sounds like spyware/adware/viruses are trying to hijack your system. The most likely case is that it simply edited your HOSTS file in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\

You can open it with notepad and see if the contents mention google. By default, it will only have a few lines in it, normally just something:

127.0.0.1 localhost


If it has a bunch more, something has added it in, and it is relativity safe to delete. You might need to restart after editing it.
In response to Danial.Beta
# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 bin.errorprotector.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 br.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 br.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 br.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 cdn.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 cdn.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 cdn.winsoftware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 de.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 de.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.cdn.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.cdn.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.cdn.winsoftware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.systemdoctor.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.winantispyware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.windrivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 download.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 dynamique.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 errorprotector.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 es.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 fr.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 fr.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 go.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 go.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 go.winantispyware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 go.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 hk.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 instlog.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 instlog.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 instlog.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 jsp.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 kb.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 kb.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 nl.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 se.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 secure.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 secure.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 secure.winantispam.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 secure.winantispy.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 secure.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 support.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 trial.updates.winsoftware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 ulog.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 utils.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 utils.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 utils.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 winantispyware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 winfixer2006.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 winsoftware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.drivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.errorprotector.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.errorsafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.systemdoctor.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.utils.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.win-anti-virus-pro.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.win-virus-pro.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winantispam.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winantispy.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winantispyware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winantivirus.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winantiviruspro.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.windrivecleaner.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.windrivesafe.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winfixer.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winfixer2006.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 www.winsoftware.com ## added by CiD
127.0.0.1 forums.techguy.org
127.0.0.1 www.castlecops.com
127.0.0.1 castlecops.com
127.0.0.1 www.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 siri.urz.free.fr
127.0.0.1 www.majorgeeks.com
127.0.0.1 majorgeeks.com
127.0.0.1 www.spywareinfo.dk
127.0.0.1 spywareinfo.dk
127.0.0.1 www.superantispyware.com
127.0.0.1 superantispyware.com
127.0.0.1 www.compu-docs.com
127.0.0.1 compu-docs.com
127.0.0.1 www.pandasoftware.com
127.0.0.1 pandasoftware.com
127.0.0.1 download.bleepingcomputer.com
127.0.0.1 www.bleepingcomputer.com
127.0.0.1 bleepingcomputer.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.com
127.0.0.1 google.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.ca
127.0.0.1 google.ca
127.0.0.1 www.ewido.net
127.0.0.1 ewido.net
127.0.0.1 www.greyknight17.com
127.0.0.1 greyknight17.com
127.0.0.1 help.lockergnome.com
127.0.0.1 www.lavasoftsupport.com
127.0.0.1 lavasoftsupport.com
127.0.0.1 cleanup.stevengould.org
127.0.0.1 stevengould.org
127.0.0.1 www.tomcoyote.org
127.0.0.1 tomcoyote.org
127.0.0.1 www.depannetonpc.net
127.0.0.1 depannetonpc.net
127.0.0.1 www.wilderssecurity.com
127.0.0.1 wilderssecurity.com



so is that too much ...... are you SURE it is ok to delete?
In response to Devin148
Yes. Just open that file in notepad, and delete everything in it.
In response to Smoko
Smoko wrote:
Yes. Just open that file in notepad, and delete everything in it.

Ew, no. Not *everything*. He should keep his reference for localhost.
In response to Android Data
It wouldn't cause any ill effects if he did delete it though.
In response to Smoko
127.0.0.1 www.google.com

That would probably be the problem. It's linking www.google.com to the local address...

I also saw microsofts site included in there.
In response to ADT_CLONE
There is a whole lot of stuff that shouldn't be in there.

Also, why did you reply to me?
In response to Danial.Beta
Danial.Beta wrote:
Sounds like spyware/adware/viruses are trying to hijack your system. The most likely case is that it simply edited your HOSTS file in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\

You can open it with notepad and see if the contents mention google. By default, it will only have a few lines in it, normally just something:

127.0.0.1 localhost


If it has a bunch more, something has added it in, and it is relativity safe to delete. You might need to restart after editing it.

hmm, this is probably the issue im experiencing with adwords (adwords.google.com) of all things... I'll check my hosts file when i get home tonite:) Thanks for the info!
ok i deleted all the added by CiD stuff and all that was after it ..... and it works now ... ty every1
In response to Devin148
Your welcome. In my line of work, I see that problem a lot, but it seems your problem is probably larger than just the file. You surely have spyware/adware and should take care of that very soon. I recommend SpyBot: Search and Destroy and Adaware to remove them. Both are free and should be able to get you clean in under an hour.
In response to Danial.Beta
Do you happen to know of a place where one might be able to research all kinds of attacks on a computer? My friends tend to think of me as their computer genius, when I'm really more of a "download Spybot, AVG, ZoneAlarm, and Firefox" kind of guy. I'd love to really be able to help them out, but I can't find a lot of specifics on how to reverse common attacks(security by obscurity it seems). In fact this is possibly the solution to a friends current problem. =)
In response to YMIHere
Honestly, Google.com.

I see a problem, I Google it. I kept doing that until I had seen pretty much all the common symptoms. I don't know of any sites dedicated to that type of stuff, except for the Spybot forums.

The best thing to help you learn is to actually fix it.