Computer people! Please help me!!

I have the strangest problem with my computer, and I am SO hoping someone here can help me!!

All of a sudden, my computer has decided to become illiterate! :mad: (I am NOT a computer person, so these are not going to be the correct terms for all this stuff, I'm quite sure!) Ok ... you know how a webpage or a server has a name (ebay.com or mymailserver.smtp, etc.) and it also has a number (123.45.678.90) ... well, my computer has all of a sudden decided it can no longer read the names (I think its called DNS or something like that?) and it can only read the numbers (ISP numbers???)

Soooooo .... I can't read my mail or go to ANY webpages ... except PetTalk because the address for this site isn't PetTalk.com or something like that, it is just the number!

HELP!!! What happened? How do I fix it??? PLEASE!!!

I called my ISP customer service, and they checked all the setting and (?) hardcoded the DNS numbers in (?) ... but it still didn't work.

Oy vey ummm stupid question but did you change any settings in your browser BEFORE it happened? Try reinstalling the browser maybe? I'm really at a loss I'm afraid...maybe run anti virus and do a scandisk ? hmmmmmmmm :confused:

What browser are you using? Netscape, Internet Explorer, AOL, what browser and what version? What kind of computer do you have?

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Oy vey ummm stupid question but did you change any settings in your browser BEFORE it happened? Try reinstalling the browser maybe? I'm really at a loss I'm afraid...maybe run anti virus and do a scandisk ?

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No, I didn't change any settings. I wouldn't know how even if I was brave enough ... which I'm not. I don't mess with that stuff. I don't think I can just reinstall the browser ... if I can, I don't know how. All I seem to have it a "recovery" disk, which reinstalls the entire thing, minus what you've added since you bought the computer. Yikes!!!! :eek: I did scan disk, defrag, clean up, and virus scan ... I do them every week. :( It is possesed by computer demons!!

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What browser are you using? Netscape, Internet Explorer, AOL, what browser and what version? What kind of computer do you have?

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Internet Explorer 6.0, Outlook Express 6.0, HP Pavilion

I think you might be talking about IP addresses? Maybe you could try to delete you temp internet files? Not exactly sure I know hwat you mean, but anyway. (Tools - internet options - Temp internet files - delete. I really don't see that helping, but I duno lol.

I'm not sure I understand you prob..do you get an error msg? Whats it doing when you try to log on??

Paul said that it's a problem with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Their computers - their Domian Name Servers (DNS) - are what normally resolves a domain name (like http://PetoftheDay.com) to the correct numbers. The Internet is based on the numbers but people usually only see the names.

   It's a DNS problem. It used to happen all the time. Once you type in what they tell you type in you should be all set. It sounds like your ISP has a problem they do not know about.

   You could try using someone else's domain name server for right now. Add 192.26.92.30 to your list of DNS servers. Then everything should work.

      Paul

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PS. Karen wants me to type:

petoftheday.com 64.246.0.213
dogoftheday.com 207.44.135.131
catoftheday.com 207.44.135.132
C.GTLD-SERVERS.NET 192.26.92.30

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Maybe you could try to delete you temp internet files?

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Did that. Didn't help. :(

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do you get an error msg? Whats it doing when you try to log on??

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I can connect to the server. But when I try to go to a webpage it says "page not found", and when I try to read mail it says, "mail server not found ... cannot poll for messages.

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Paul said that it's a problem with your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

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I thought so, too ... logically, it almost has to be their problem. But they, of course, firmly deny this and tell me its a problem with my software. :mad:

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You could try using someone else's domain name server for right now. Add 192.26.92.30 to your list of DNS servers.

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Ok .. I'm really not too computer-literate .... can you please give me remedial instructions on exactly how to do this?? I don't understand. Thanks so much for helping me!!!

   There must be an easier way:

control panel -> Network Connections
-> Local Area Connection (or whichever one you use for the Internet)
-> properties -> Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) -> properties
-> Use the following DNS server addresses -> enter 192.26.92.30


      Paul