Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in message

If one is unable to access certain sites, the fault is most
certainly not with the browser. The first thing - and easiest - to
check is the HOSTS file.

It is extremely bad practice to use anything from the Norton website,
except their sooper-sekret removal tool. Norton is the barnacle of
the software world; extremely difficult to remove.


I was thinking there most be some blocking file to prevent System
Restore and Windows Update as well as the AV contact. Makes a lot of
sense.
I found a HOSTS file in windows/system32/driver/etc but it has not
been modified and there is no list of anything. Is there some other
HOST file to find?

I eliminated any file that I could find with a date of 11/8, the day
the malware installed itself, but it may have drug in a file with a
different date.

No, there's only one HOSTS file (or should be only one). It's a list of IP
addresses you wish to block. In fact, there are replacement HOSTS files
(available via downloads) that will block oodles of dodgy sites.

Do your problems persist while in SAFE mode? (see Help)