Unable to open Amazon.com website

For 2 or 3 weeks I have received the unable to open website error message when attempting to open www.amazon.com I don't know of any other website I am having similar problems with. I am using IE8 with WIN 7. After using the Trouble Shooter on the Error Page. The consistant response is that it was unable to find a cause for the problem.

I have searched through IE8s - Internet Options, checked the blocked sites and can find nothing to be blocking the access.
(I am a good Amazon Customer and owe them no money)

I am always fiddling about with programs and settings but have not made any major changes, that I recall, to cause this event.

All Virus and Securiry scans performed obsessionally "Tracking Cookies" is as serious as it gets.

Thank you in advance for your help. I hope someone can crack it.

Trevor - Australia

 

Try flushing your DNS cache. Kind of a long shot but it's worth a try.

http://www.techmynd.com/clear-your-local-dns-cache/

 

Unable to open Amazon.com

Thanks for the IE Reset Idea. Unfortunately it didn't change the result for amazon.com.

Trevor - Australia

 

Hi Zander, unfortunately flushing the DNS cache didn't get Amazon.com openened, thanks for the suggestion.

 

ozpy,
Here are a couple things to try:


(1.) In IE: Tools: Internet Options> General tab, Clear History and Delete Cookies and Files.


(2.) If not then here is a link to IE Fix

 

SP3851, Thank you for the suggestions, unfortunately neither made a dot of difference to the problem.

 

ozpy,

Have you tried Opera Browser ?
Downlaod and install and see if you can access Amazon.com from there.

 

Thank You SP. I have just installed Opera and can access Amazon.com with it. It slowed for a while "resolving hosts " I am not sure if IE has the same problem.
While I can now get around the problem, the problem with IE remains.
Trevor Australia

 

G'Day "ozpy "

Besides the obvious firewall that may be blocking you from this site, there are some basic reasons for your problem, most caused by the inherent bugs in IE8 (and 7 and 6) that for some reason keep changing settings in the "Internet Options" which set the criterion for the IE version.

The most common I have noticed is the "Disable script debugging (other)" option which keeps un-checking itself and is one of the main causes why web sites do not load correctly or not at all.

Rather then only change or check on this setting, you might like to check the settings of all "Internet Properties" to ensure that you have a reasonable setup.

If you do, then follow these steps. (I presume that you know the basics of W7)
[-> = next step in sequence - obviously the proceeding steps follow from the previous!]
NB: if an option is not mentioned in these instructions, leave it at the default level and only make changes to the parameters mentioned in the instruction steps !!

1. Goto Control Panel -> click on Internet Options. The Internet Properties window now comes up on the screen and is open by default at the "General" tab where we start checking.

2. On the Browsing History area there are 2 buttons, 1st click on the Settings button -> ensure that the "check for newer versions iof stored pages:" is set to "Automatic" -> and that the "disk space used" is set to "50" -> then in the "History" section at the bottom change the "Days to keep pages in history:" to no more than "14" -> after that, click on "OK "

3. Now back at the Internet Properties "General" tab. click on the "Delete" button in the same "Browsing History" area -> In the "Delete Browsing History" pop-up window, the default has the 1st 4 boxes ticked (checked) and the last 3 un-ticked, do not change this unless these options are not as described and if they are not ensure that they are as described, -> then click on the [Delete] button at the bottom of this window, be careful and not click on any options that are under the active window at any time. Once the Delete has performed its task, it will automatically revert back to the "Internet Properties" window

4. Now click on the "Security" tab at the top, once there, there are 4 icon parameters dispalyed at the top, the first being 'Internet" and you now check the "Security level for this zone" setting to ensure that it is "Medium - High" and observe if the [Default Level} button is grayed out or black text. If it is in Black text, click on it to set the zone level correctly to "Medium - High" once this is done, go to the next step

4a. Now click on the "Local Intranet" icon and ensure that this is set to "Medium - Low" again checking the [Default Level} button is grayed out or black text. If it is in Black text, click on it to set the zone level correctly. ->

4b. Now click on the "Trusted sites" icon and perform the same check = 'Medium" and if the [Default Level} button is grayed out or black text. If it is in Black text, click on it to set the zone level correctly. -> once done, click on the [Sites] button, once there , the parameters are usually all blank and at the bottom the "Require Server......" box is ticked, Un-tick this box and then click the [Close} button. ->

4c. back at the Security tab, click on the "Restricted sites" icon and ensure that this is set to "High" again observe the [Default Level} button is grayed out or black text. If it is in Black text, click on it to set the zone level correctly to High. -> now click on the {Sites] button !! be careful now !! in the bottom window area "Websites:" which lists all the blocked websites, I want you to check if the "amazon.com" is listed in any way i.e. could be www.amazon.com or just amazon.com. If it is, click on that line which will activate the [Remove] bottom on the right and you would now click on it to remove the amazon entries from this list, ** Do NOT change anything else, and if amazon was not listed, simply [Close] this window **

5. You can check the "Privacy" "Content" "Connections" and "Programs" tabs if you want to however they usually do not cause any issues and are best left alone at their default settings, unless you have some specific program options.
Privacy default - Medium,
Content - needs advanced knowledge to change anything so don't!,
Connections - should be all empty and the [LAN Setting] options should not have any boxes checked (all un-ticked!)
Programs - read it carefully as it is self explanatory and make changes if you need to?!

6. Now click on the "Advanced" tab and in this pop-up window note that the [Apply] button text is grayed out click on the [Restore advanced settings] button which when this task is completed (usually very fast) will make the [Apply] button text black, which you now click on and once it has turned gray again it will have completed it's task and you now click on the [OK] button.

!! This action will close the "Internet Properties" window and you have completed the tasks.

7. Now RE-Boot the Computer

8. Once re-booted, clear (empty) the Recycle Bin ! this is important!

9. Read these steps carefully ! -> Now open the IE8 browser and Manually retype the whole URL line, i.e. http://www.amazon.com and hold the Shift key down while you press the Enter Key and let go of both this should reload (download) a fresh amazon page and display it for you.

OK see how this goes and let me know the result.

pcbugfixer

 

pcbugfixer
Your effort writing and mine doing deserved a better result. We obvioulsy didn't catch the responsible bug. Holding the shift key down did keep the error message at bay for a few seconds. Thank you for the effort.
Trevor Australia

 

ozpy,

After seaching for quite awhile I found this web site that might help you.

You have already ran virus and spyware.

Step 2 is what you might want to try - it deals with add-ons to IE8
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/44681.aspx

 

G'Day 'ozpy "

1. Can you please complete the (your) System Information (System Specs) in your User CP please

2. do you have any other Browsers installed ? if not please install Firefox v3.5.6 USA version please. - No need to reboot after installing it, and try loading the amazon.com page.

"sp3851" suggestion is worth looking at, however mostly refers to IE not loading correctly or not loading any pages which obviously is not the case ?? is this correct, i.e. you can load other web pages ??

pcbugfixer

 

G'Day pcbugfixer,

In answer to your question:

Ozpy does have Opera installed and is able to access Amazon.com

I suggested Step 2 about the add-ons - one could be corrupted.

sp3851

 

amazon.com is the ONLY page, I am aware of, that currently wont load by IE8

 

I just thought of another try.

Open notepad
Then File -> Open
In the Files of type: choose All Files
At the Look In Choose Local disk (C : )
Then Double Click on Windows ->
Double Click on system32 ->
Double click on drivers ->
Double click on etc
You may have to redo Files of type: choose All Files

There is a file called Hosts
Double Click on it to Open it.
Scroll down till you are past the lines with the # in them - you may also see a line
127.0.0.1 localhost - Put your cursor at the end of this line and press Enter
then type in or copy and paste the lines below
207.171.166.252 www.amazon.com
72.21.207.65 www.amazon.com
and save the file.

Close Notepad.
Reboot your PC and see if you can access amazon.com using IE8

 

The "hosts" file that "sp3851 "refers to, is not a usual / standard windows (any OS ) file and is mostly created by 3rd party utilities, one example is "SpyBot Search & Destroy" the file is easily corrupted and should be deleted as well as any backup files of the hosts file e.g. " hosts.20091123-190018.backup " however you must not delete any other files in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc folder!

Deleting this file does not resolve the possible cause of the problem which would be good to find in order to avoid it in future.

I do not advise editing this file and prefer deleting it altogether.

pcbugfixer

 

Thanks for the last suggestions guys SP and BugFixer I originally thought it was me but I think the directions get a bit wooly at Double click on etc. I almost tried to jump from there.

Trevor Australia.

 

Pcbugfixer,

I think you are wrong in regards to the hosts file. The file is added when the OS is established on the Hard Drive. It is not created by 3rd party utilities.
Refer to this article:
http://www.aspfree.com/c/a/Windows-Security/Working-with-the-Hosts-File-on-Windows-XP/

Has ozpy tried uninstalling IE8 thru Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs and then Check if amazon.com can be accessed using IE7. The Uninstall of
IE8 will roll back to IE7.

If it can be accessed using IE7 then reinstall IE8 and see if amazon.com can be accessed.
Sometimes all it takes is Reinstalling the program

 

I think what pcbugfixer is saying about the host file being "mostly created" by third party software is that most, if not all of the entries in it (other than the localhost 127.0.0.1 example and maybe one other one) are put there by some third party app. Either that or put there by somebody who uses the computer. It is created when you install windows but other than the examples that are in it, it is empty.

Personally, if it were me, I'd either delete the file or rename it too. Using it to block web sites or for caching addresses of websites isn't really what it was intended for. I've seen too many problems caused by it over the years. If you have a web site in it and the address happens to change for that site, you lose the ability to view the sight.

That said, I'm not sure it will help in this case because I would think Opera would go to it first for the address too and you wouldn't be able to access it with it either. However, it certainly can't hurt to try it. If nothing else, just rename the file and then try to access Amazon with IE.