PCA Forums

I am running Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6.0 and MSN Messenger 4.7.
Recently Messenger was asking if I wanted to upgrade to 5.0. I didn't catch her in time and my wife decided to upgrade to get rid of the reminders & pop-ups. It didn't install all the way - there was an error, (she wasn't real clear what it was).

The problem now is that everytime I try and access my hotmail account I get a standard
"Cannot find server" Screen with the following 'helpful' hints
-address correct?
-connection settings
-128 bit security

I can get to the login screen that asks for my login and password, but as soon as I click on the Login button it takes me back to the "cannot find server" screen.

This is also happening when I try and access my bank account online. For two different banks, as soon as I try and access the login screen it takes me back to the "cannot find server" screen.

I have tried changing my security options (both higher & lower) but no change.
I changed Messenger back to the old version as well.

I am sure it is just a settings problem but I have no idea where to start looking for the solution.

All other things to do with the internet seem to be working fine.

Thanks for any help with a solution or even an idea of where to go for help.

Simplest fix, since you're running XP, would be to use System Restore to go to a Restore Point before your wife installed the update. That should hopefully put things back the way they were before the update was installed.

But it's saying something about 128-bit? Most banking websites, and even some online email programs require 128bit encryption in order to access the sites. It may be that when she installed the new messenger it messed up the encryption settings? Try reinstalling IE and see what happens? Of course that's if you haven't followed FP's suggestions as his do seem easier..

I had disabled my Norton Firewall a few days back.

I finally got the websites to work, but only after I completely uninstalled the Firewall from my system.
Now I have no problems with any of the sites in question.

I said it was sorta fixed, because now I don't have a firewall for protection.

I will be re-installing win xp in the next week or so (to fix a video card problem) so hopefuly it will clear all this crap up.

Thanks for the input guys.

i recently put zonealarm 3 on my system and had the same prob with hotmail. when i shut it down though, hotmail worked fine. dunno if hotmail has some settings it must have, or if i should just reinstall IE6. this is a 2k machine also.