Practically Classics Forum

Hi Terry.

I'm not sure what browser I'm using. I have a total hatred of computers. I don't understand the terminology and that doesn't help. My daughter can get onto my hotmail page but it won't let me on my PC! It says it doesn't recognise my password on mine but does on hers. WTF is going on. One things for sure I'm right on the ragged edge. I can see a very large sledge hammer sorting it.

Hi Terry.

I'm on Microsoft Windows 7 with Bit Defender. When I go I type in Hotmail sign in or Outlook it just says the page cannot be displayed. It appears loads of folks are having problems. ASK just comes up with loads of options and downloads that I don't want. I'm just off to Machine Mart for the biggest hammer they have!

If at first you don't succeed the skip is the next option.

Phil, if you do decide to bin your PC, please can I have the case as I need a small quantity of thin steel for a bit of work that needs doing. Imagine the greater satisfaction that's to be had from smashing components that you can see because the case isn't in the way!

Phil P wrote:Yep. Still nothing. I can get it on my mobphone but nothing on line. I've lost Google as my default search and got ask. Somebody is pratting about hacking this and nobody is admitting it.

It happens. Rarely if ever and then only when - for example - disaffected, inbred, Island dwelling tossers are bored with their sad little lives.
There are other possibilities, is BT your service provider by any chance?

OK, so you have an anti-virus. that means it is REALLY unlikely that you have a nasty changing settings for you.
First off assuming you are using internet explorer as that is the default browser in windows 7 you need to:
click the cog button (top right under the "X")
click internet options
select the programs tab
click "manage addons"
on the left hand side click "search providers"
Select google in the list
Click the "set as default" button (close to the bottom right)
Tick both boxes in the bottom left. the top of the two prevents future changes to your search provider and the bottom one makes it search from the address bar using google.

now on to your Hotmail problem, there are a couple of things to try depending on what is happening.

If you get to the login page but your password does not work
The first thing to try is typing your email address and password in to notepad (start (the blue round button bottom left with a picture of a flag on it), all programs, accessories, notepad). This doesn't do anything other than let you check that your keyboard is putting in the correct characters. Various countries have the letters in the same place as is but the characters $£#@ etc are on different keys.
If the wrong characters appear then either you have a sticky key or the region is set wrong. a sticky key means new keyboard time as they are less than £10 and not worth taking apart to clean. changing the region is easy enough and if that is what's wrong I can post instructions on that too.

If you are getting a page cannot be displayed error
Just checking that in the address bar you are typing http://outlook.com or http://www.outlook.com rather than just outlook. It is entirely possible that Ask search isn't working correctly so you need to type the full web address in rather than just the name. if you have followed the instructions above it will fix that.
When you visit outlook.com does the address bar turn green even if you get an error?

Sorry JPB but there isn't much tin in it. OK Terry here goes. I haven't had much time today Foyles War is being recorded. I've got your instructions printed out in front of me. OH yes I'm with BT Infinity 1. A mate of mine is having the same problem as me and he has lost 'Google' and ended up with ASK just the same.

Your default search engine can be changed in a couple of ways.
The most common of these is installing a new program, doing a "typical" install and getting some bundled applications installed with it. Ask is often one of these.
It is also possible that you have visited a website that has asked you if you want to change your search engine and you clicked yes.
You could have accidentally changed it by clicking on an alternate search engine which was previously installed.

Is google search still installed? the easy way to tell is to click the little down arrow on the right of the address bar between the magnifying glass and the refresh arrow. If there is a g within a blue square at the bottom of the drop down then google is still installed and you can change your search engine back as per my instructions below in a few seconds.

If you are really stuck I can do a remote session with you and get it sorted

Phil, this is a known issue with BT victims or "customers" as they seem to think they have . There's a fix, my PM offer still stands if you get no joy from the well-known telecoms giant. One of the measures you need to take is to switch off access from the public Wi-Fi networks to your BT home hub. This is possible in your settings on the hub's home page, the address of which will be this: http://192.168.1.254
While you're at that page, change the name of the hub (that random assortment of numbers that shows up when your PC, phone, etc. "sees" the hub) to something else. I'm not using a BT Hub on a BT connection but mine shows up as "Isis - Berwickshire & Lothians Chapter" instead of r4u3595e6ur or whatever. I told the nice policeman that it's the name of a favourite classic car but he wasn't convinced..

OK folks google is back I type http://outlook etc or Hotmail and I get 'this page cannot be displayed'. I can get anything I want on the 'tinternet' but not my Hotmail messages. This doing my head in. I hated computers before but FFS what is going on? I went onto the BT Infinity diagnostics page. What a load a bollocks! It suggested I speak to a friend I can trust with the same problem. It's my e mail account that I can't access not a rash on my nuts! Useless bastards.

if you press the start button and type "cmd" (without the quotes) you should have a black window pop up with a flashing cursor
type "ping www.outlook.com" (also without the quotes).
Do you get a response saying something like
Reply from 157.56.248.54: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=246

or

ping request could not find host www.outlook.com

If it is the latter try this:
start
control panel
view by (top right)
large icons
network and sharing centre
change adapter settings (menu on the left)
If you are on a wireless network then right click on "wireless network connection" and click properties
if you are on a wired network then right click on "local area connection" and click properties
double click on "internet protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)"
select "Use the following DNS server addresses"
in Preferred DNS server enter 8.8.8.8
in Alternate DNS server enter 8.8.4.4
You will notice the dots are already in the boxes so you just put one number in each space.

press OK a couple of times and try accessing Hotmail again.

OK Terry followed all your detailed instructions and got the exact reply as you stated. Tried again and got 'This page cannot be displayed'. I then tried the route with Start, Control Panel, etc typed in preferred DNS and Alternative DNS numbers pressed OK a couple of times and got the same 'Page cannot be displayed'. I then went through MSN and got 'Hmmm....we appear to have a problem and we will try and cure it as soon as possible'

I have now missed the deadline for a report I should have e mailed. Well done BT, MSN or who ever you are!