My friend has been having the same problem with her internet for some time now. Her internet access lets her use MSN messenger, but only the version that comes with the Windows OS. Nothing else having to do with the internet works, (for example: web browsers, windows live messenger, Yahoo messenger, etc.)

I'm stumped here. Any suggestions are welcome. :)

If you get M$N then you have internet access -- Sounds like a security issue

Go to TOOLS ---> Internet Options ---> SECURITY -- Now check these settings

1. Highlight Internet --- > Click Custom Level -- Should be Medium -- Set to Med.

2. Highlight Local Int. ---> Click Custom Level ---Should Be Med/LOW--Set Med/low

3. Highlight Trusted Sites >Click Custom Level ---Should Be Medium -- Set to Med.

4. Highlight Restricted St >Click Custom Level ---Should be High --- Set To High

This may require a system restart -- You should OK restart and try other sites

You may want to EXIT your firewall to see if it is blocking access to other sites

If someone denied access to certain sites it will remember -- and block them

Okay, steps 1 through 4 will enable Internet Explorer to start working again. I hope it will; I'll have to tell her what to do when she gets home, and then I can get back to you.

But what about the fact that no other internet services may be run? If the firewall is responsible for that, how do you EXIT it?

Thank you for your suggestions!

Could you give more detail about what "browser not working" means. i.e. it just won't open, it opens but just gives you errors and can't open a page, it opens pages but stuff doesn't work, etc. And when you say "nothing else" do you mean literally nothing else? I'd find it odd if MSN messenger works but literally nothing else.

Even with security up at its highest, the browser would still open and it would still go most places, but some stuff wouldn't work. As for the Firewall: in XP, it's Start-->Control Panel-->Security Center -- you can get to firewall to turn it off from there. I don't know if Vista's the same.