Problems using Internet Explorer with CompuServe

CS is my ISP, I use Windows ME and am not a whiz at computers but have been getting along OK. I like to use IE to look things up because it works better than CS some of the time. Starting yesterday I could not use Yahoo on IE. I messed around a bit but didn't really change anything that I know of. When I try to open IE now, along the bottom of the screen I see "detecting proxy settings" and the hour glass stays on so I cannot look up anything. I hope that makes sense. I did remove Adobe Acrobat 3.0 yesterday but kept the 4.0. I can't think of anything else I did. Can you help me get IE working again? Thank you

Terrible thread title, read the "how to post a question" sticky.
You say you "messed around a bit". What does that mean? Are you on a broadband access, or dial up? Be sure you have your connection settings the way your isp wants them. The problem might be your connection, not IE itself. Be sure the internet cable is plugged in, and if you have a cable or dsl modem, that it has power and the lights are all working.
If none of this works, try to give more specifics.

Sorry, Karsh44. I choose the Beginners area because that is what I am. I can see I didn't use the correct information in my original post and will try and correct my mistakes. CompuServe is my ISP but I like to use IE for looking things up. I 'm not able to start IE because I am gettting the message "detecting proxy settings" which stays on the screen with the hour glass and IE never opens up so I can use it. I don't know a more sophisticated way to say it. I have looked at the properties for IE but do not know what to change and what to leave along because I do not understand many of the choices. I am a 65 year old Grandmother and am trying to learn to use the correct words. Please excuse me if I do poorly w/ explaining. I'm trying.

If you need Internet Access help, it's probably best to contact CS directly. If they have a proxy, you'll need to get the information, and they'll tell you where to input it (MSIE > TOOLS > INTERNET OPTIONS > CONNECTIONS > LAN SETTINGS > PROXY SETTINGS

Hopefully once you get that info, you should be up and running.

Thread title changed

I have CS as my ISP and there is no problem with Internet access through them. It is the IE that will not open and keeps giving me the message "detecting proxy settings." Many of my "favorites" are in IE and that is how I connect with a few forums I like. I have an Internet connection with CS, am I not saying it correctly?

Internet Explorer doesn't operate out on its own. You get internet access from CompuServe, and Internet Explorer uses that access to "look things up" on the internet. The "detecting proxy settings" message means its not getting the connection right. You should talk to CompuServe to see if they have specific proxy settings you should be using. Their support people should be able to talk you through it just fine.
Also, if you have dial up internet access, be sure you have dialed and connected first, then try IE. IE needs the connection before it can work.
HTH

Thanks, karsh44. I have talked to CS twice and told they cannot help me with an IE problem and that they do not have proxy settings. I have hired someone to help me and found out I have been "hacked". She was finally able to correct the problem and help me install spy ware and a firewall. Thanks for your input.

She helped you install spyware?

Actually I worked with her for many hours and ended up doing a system recovery, installing McAfee for virus protection, Zone Alarm as a firewall and Ad Aware (not Adware!) as spyware. I hope that was all necessary. I had been using AVG for virus protection previously. I still cannot use MSIE for any searches as the message "This page could not be found" comes up. This lady told me I had been hacked and had viruses and since all she suggested did not help my IE problem, I probably need to reformatt my hard drive! Yikes... hope not. I have an "expert" coming to my home today to take a look at the problem. CS doesn't help with IE, MS won't help since I'm not using them as an ISP and HP wants to charge $30 on my phone bill to help me. Any and all suggestions more than welcome. McAfee fournd one infected file but removing it did not help my problem.

Going back to my first post, you never specified if you use dial up or broadband (always on) internet access. Also, you didn't say what you did when you "messed around a bit but didn't really change anything that I know of", or what happened that caused yahoo to not work. Since it sounds like CompuServe is not the problem (at least not with proxy settings), it very well could have been something you did. Also, be sure to run adaware, and that the lady you hired set up zone alarm correctly. The "Page could not be found" error could be because Zone alarm is not letting IE access the internet. The first time you opened IE after the zone alarm install, a little popup should have appeared in the right corner of the screen, asking if you wanted to give IE permission to access the internet. If you said "no", thats your problem.
HTH

1. I use dial up and have a 56K modem
2. I cannot tell you what I did when I "messed around" and should not have used those words.

The first thing I noticed was that Yahoo would not open up for me. A day or so later, other search engines like google would not be able fo find pages. Instead, I would get this: The page cannot be displayed
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.
I believe I have Zone Alarm set up correctly and I have allowed Yahoo and other SE's have permission. The pages would not open BEFORE I got Zone Alarm, Adaware and McAfee and they still do not open after a system recovery. Even more puzzling is that a few days ago MSN search and Lycos worked, but now they do not also. Ideas?

I have the same problem. I get the "Detecting proxy settings" and I can't enter into any search engines of any kind. What is really weird is I have 3 pc's, and only one pc is having this problem. I have DSL. What do I do? Am I hacked?

I finally found out what my problem was. Actually I think I might have more than one problem. I rolled back a few weeks and got rid of the "detecting Proxy" problem. I have McAfee for virus protection and they just came out with the notice re the QHosts trojan virus yesterday. They installed the new update and then notified me that the QHost was gone. My computer started working correctly immediately. From what I've read on the Internet, the different companies are just catching up with this problem. I saw a lot of hits on QHosts yesterday so you can look at some of those. I was told that McAfee had to delete some files in my registry and I do not know enough to get in their myself. I read 2 days ago what one would have to do to correct the problem and it was way above my level of knowledge. One more thing: I saw a suggestion yesterday that did detect the problem easily, but again would not have know how to get rid of it myself. That site is "Hijack This.exe" You unzip, double click the folder, hit scan. When it is finished, they tell you to click "save log", copy and paste and send it to someone who can help you. When I did that there was a lot of toward files near the bottom that reveiled that I did have the QHosts trojan. I sent it to a computer friend who is very knowledgable and she was looking into how to help me when McAfee sent the notice it was deteched, cleaned and removed. I'm sure there are experts on this forum who can help you with this too. Hope this helps. I don't speak computer things very well.