Topic: is it firewall or antivirus????

[Lona]

Just recently I have been unable to connect to my internet bank account logon page.

I phoned the bank and they said it could be my antivirus that was causing the problem.

I disabled antivirus and firewall but still could not connect to logon screen.  I can connect to my other internet bank accounts so I can't understand what the problem is.

I have checked all my internet browser settings and everything seems to be in order so I am at a loss to why I still cannot logon.

[Simon]

Try clearing your cookies and cache, Lona.  Also, do you have a pop up blocker?  Some of the banking websites have odd sized windows, which may throw out your average pop up stopper, and you may not be able to reach the log in screen.  Which browser are you using these days?

[chorleydave]

After you have followed Simon's instructions, Lona, make sure your system is allowing ALL cookies, including third party cookies.  

I have my Opera browser set to "Accept only cookies set to the server itself" and to clear out cookies when I close the browser, but in order to use online banking I have to enable ALL cookies including third party ones.  I have sarcastically emailed my bank on numerous occasions about this, because I cannot for the life of me see how they can boast about how secure the service is and then insist that cookies must be enabled to use the service.  It's a bit like fitting a high tech security system to your house and then giving the local burgler the access code.

Prats!

[Clive]

It's a bit like fitting a high tech security system to your house and then giving the local burgler the access code. Prats!

Well said Dave!

[Lona]

After you have followed Simon's instructions, Lona, make sure your system is allowing ALL cookies, including third party cookies.  

I have my Opera browser set to "Accept only cookies set to the server itself" and to clear out cookies when I close the browser, but in order to use online banking I have to enable ALL cookies including third party ones.  I have sarcastically emailed my bank on numerous occasions about this, because I cannot for the life of me see how they can boast about how secure the service is and then insist that cookies must be enabled to use the service.  It's a bit like fitting a high tech security system to your house and then giving the local burgler the access code.

Prats!

Thanks Dave, that's the only other thing I didn't do as you say yourself seems daft to have all that security and let the whole world in. .  I did all the other things Simon, including disabling popup blocker.

[Lona]

:-[ thought setting privacy to receive all third party cookies would do the trick but alas no it didn't.  I cleared old cookies and cache and all history and internet files.  I have set privacy to low. I can't think of any other thing I can do other than change my bank.

Forgot to mention, I can access the logon page on my old PC which is still running Winme. I wonder if it's got something to do with XP?

Now Tony, who is always going on about the benifits of upgrading to XP.  Where is he when you need him.

[chorleydave]

Lona, I thought you were still on ME.

Have you upgraded XP to SP2?  There has been an issue with SP2 users being unable to connect to secure web sites.  I read about it recently on ISPreview or The Register (or something like that).  This is why I never use Microshaft stuff that is less than three years old and I very rarely install Microshaft security updates.  I don't wish to be a Beta tester for anybody.

[chorleydave]

I've found the article.  It was on ZDNET.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39165283,00.htm

[chorleydave]

Lona, here is another link.

http://www.pffbank.com/ebanking/pffonline/winxp_sp2.htm

[Lona]

I saw a similar item on microsoft's knowledge pages, Dave but thought it only applied to folks who upgraded from sp1 to sp2.

This pc came with sp2 pre-installed.

The weird thing is, I could access the bank last week but didn't notice I had automatic updates installed so maybe microsoft has installed something since and that's the reason I can't get access. I've now turned off automatic updates and will try a system restore to see if it takes me back to when I had access.

[chorleydave]

Here is a step by step guide to dealing with the problems caused by SP2.

(It's Microsoft's own solution, so it probably is broken!)  

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;870700

[Lona]

Here is a step by step guide to dealing with the problems caused by SP2.

(It's Microsoft's own solution, so it probably is broken!)  

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;870700

That's the one I was telling you about.  Followed everything to the letter with nowt results.

[chorleydave]

Very strange.  As you say, you can get to it on your old PC with Windows ME installed, so it looks as if it's the SP2/IE6 problem, but if you've followed the instructions to the letter, I can't see what else you can do, short of trying a different web browser.

[Lona]

Dave, I give up. I've just gone through those procedures once again to make sure I did them right.

It's the same on Firefox as well.


The bank suggested it could be my antivirus programme but I disabled it and the firewall and still can't logon.

This antivirus also came pre-installed from CA associates and seems a good antivirus programme so don't really want to uninstall it.

I'll phone the bank tomorrow and see what they have to say as I've spent more hours or days I should say trying to solve the problem.

[joudi]

I don't think that it's a virus Lona.

Sometimes that happens because of uninstalling a certain program which takes away with it some of "Windows" elements.