Very odd issue: Some website's images won't load

TheVoice

TheVoice

TheVoice

Soldato
Joined
15 Aug 2005
Posts
23,436
Location
Glasgow
Hi all,

Hope you might be able to help me figure this one out. Since yesterday (or perhaps Saturday, not sure), I've been having a strange problem. Certain websites, especially www.threadless.com and www.tomshardware.com won't load their images; the images themselves display the 'broken link' icon after a while of seemingly trying to load them. This happens on both Firefox and IE7.

It gets weirder though because some pages, like Amazon, BitTech, InterfaceLift and a few others will sometimes refuse to load images, and other times will load fine. Even OcUK's main page wasn't loading earlier, but does seem to now. Other sites that did load fully earlier on, now won't.

It's got nothing to do with my internet connection or router, as far as I can tell, because all the other systems on this connection work fine. I haven't, to my knowledge at least, changed any particular network settings or installed anything that could have done this.

This has got me completely baffled. It has to have something to do with my PC somehow, and it can't just be a Firefox thing if IE also has problems. I just don't understand what could cause it to behave like this.

Let me know if there's any more info that could help, and thanks for any suggestions.
 
im guessing problems with DNS

change your DNS servers to the opendns ones and see if that makes any difference.

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

see if that helps.
 
I'll give that a go, but I don't think I can lay the blame on my internet connection or router because all the other systems that connect through it (a combination of Macs and PCs) aren't having such issues. Just my PC, and it's only been since Sunday.

I really can't think what it could be.
 
Is there anything common about the pictures that are failing to load? JPG, GIF, PNG, Flash?

Way back in the last century I did see a few Win98 PCs which stopped loading JPEGs. This was due to a problem on the PC itself with file associations for JPEGs. IIRC that was fixed by re-registering all of the IE dlls. (Don't forget that some of these will also be used by Firefox).

Out of curiosity - I wonder if Opera does the same? (www.opera.com) Guess it will.

If you look at the source of the "problem" web pages, get hold of the URLs of the pictures that will not load, then try downloading them using FTP. See if you have any access to them at all. Drop the URL in to one of your file downloading programs - can that get the picture as a "file"?

Do you have any of the "overkill" security products like Symantec Internet Security Suite, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, etc? Could these be miss-firing yet again and blocking data they shouldn't? Parental Controls got confused? Find a problem webpage, then disable the security for a minute, and try reloading the page. If this works - get better security software. (I have often seen these products go mad/senile and get over protective...) (Remember to turn the security back on after this test.)

Good luck :D
 
Hi mate. Nope, seems to be happening to JPGs, GIFs and PNGs. Flash ads (albeit these come from other servers) seem OK.

Downloaded Opera just before reading your post. Just installed it now, and it seems to work fine. The other browsers are still 'broken' though.

***** is a bit on-and-off now too (got a thread on this running there too). Did a ping -t to Amazon (both UK and .com) and got this:

Pinging www.amazon.co.uk [87.238.81.129] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 213.242.106.46: Destination net unreachable.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 213.242.106.46: Destination net unreachable.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Also:

Pinging www.amazon.com [72.21.210.11] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Reply from 4.79.230.46: Destination net unreachable.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 4.79.230.46: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 4.79.230.46: Destination net unreachable.

Ping statistics for 72.21.210.11:
Packets: Sent = 11, Received = 3, Lost = 8 (72% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms


Just to clarify, the image 'placeholders' don't display a broken-link icon immediately. It really does look as if it's trying to load them, but can't find them and gives up.

Just tried copying the URL of the main THG logo and it loaded fine on its own. Tried a few more images from the same page and it wouldn't load.

As for security, all I'm really running is AVG anti-virus, Windows' own firewall and a few spyware blocking programs (that don't run in the background). Tried disabling all of these except for AVG (which I'll try now), with no positive result.

Incidentally, OcUK's main page won't load images again now either, when I did a forced refresh.
 
Okay - not security problem. Not an association problem.

I find it funny that Opera works fine (been using it for years... since v3.xx in the 90's). Looks like Opera is being more resiliant to your bad connection. :D Top quality software there... no idea why people want to use a burning fox. :D

BIG hint now is with your pings. If you have such horrendous pings on that PC, this is your real problem. The browsers are "giving up" on those websites.

Do I assume that only _some_ websites have these bad pings? Or is it all of them.

Turn AVG back on - it won't be interfereing with this issue.

I would install AdAware (www.lavasoft.de) and Spybot Search and Destroy (www.kolla.de). Run full scans in both of these. Run a full scan with AVG. Run full scans with any other spyware tools you have. Clear out anything they find.

Then dive in with HiJackThis (http://www.merijn.org/programs.php) and post the log to this thread. We'll see if there are any other rogue processes hogging your bandwidth.

Check msconfig for excess / misbehaving software. May be a buggy update? (I assume you have killed off any file sharing programs, BitTorrents, etc)
 
Last edited:
More daft suggestions based on experience....

Check your cables. Has the cat/dog/rabbit/small child/leprechauns/gremlins been chewing on your cables? Swap the Ethernet cable with one of your other PCs.

Reinstall the network card driver.

Got a spare PCI NIC? Try swapping it for this one. (Or install alongside for a quick test)

Anything listed in Event Viewer?

Any processes going "mad" in Task Manager?


When you have these bad pings, are the other PCs in your house doing the same bad pings?

Is anyone hogging bandwidth with a big download? Or some streaming video?

Could a neighbour of hacked your WiFi network and is abusing your bandwitch with his HiDef pr0n?
 
Something I did notice yesterday; my wireless connection speeds between this PC and the router have been fluctuating a lot. I'm watching the status window now and the speed it indicates is going from 11, to 18, 24, 36 etc. To my knowledge, it always used to be sat at 54, which seems logical as the router is barely metres away (room directly beneath me). For what it's worth, I've already tried re-installing the wi-fi card driver and I've changed the wi-fi channel. The latter seemed to stop the speed fluctuations (but did nothing for the image load issue), but it's back again now it seems.

The problem has to lie either with my PC or potentially with the router (albeit this seems unlikely); if it was the connection on the whole, this issue would be happening to all systems on the network, surely?

Nothing untoward in Task Manager and I couldn't really see anything relevant in the Event Viewer.

I've got spyware protection, already ran scans for that. Also did a virus scan all night last night with HouseCall. Nothing.

Did think it might have been QuickTime (as a result of the new version of iTunes) because I do know it likes to associate itself with files, especially in Firefox. Didn't seem to make any difference when I removed its associations though.

Here's the HijackThis log:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.0 (BETA)
Scan saved at 11:01:19 PM, on 20/03/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Raxco\PerfectDisk\PDAgent.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Raxco\PerfectDisk\PDEngine.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe
C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvMixer\NVMixerTray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\SetPoint.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logitech\khalshared\KHALMNPR.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Chris\Desktop\HiJackThis_v2.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_11\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NVMixerTray] "C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvMixer\NVMixerTray.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Shortcut to taskmgr.lnk = C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Logitech SetPoint.lnk = ?
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_11\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_11\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {4F1E5B1A-2A80-42CA-8532-2D05CB959537} (MSN Photo Upload Tool) - http://chris-sa.spaces.live.com//PhotoUpload/MsnPUpld.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1169484675281
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/muweb_site.cab?1169485050656
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://fpdownload2.macromedia.com/get/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: PDAgent - Raxco Software, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Raxco\PerfectDisk\PDAgent.exe
O23 - Service: PDEngine - Raxco Software, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Raxco\PerfectDisk\PDEngine.exe
O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPZ12 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe

--
End of file - 5987 bytes





Thanks again for all the help.
 
Nothing weird in the log. I think it is time to look at the wireless. If that is changeing speeds as often as you say, that ain't good.

Good to see the channel change. This rules out a neighbour WiFi box. Though http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/ will let you get a better picture of your signal strength as well as your neighbours networks. (Note - when you run this program, you will find your PC cannot access the web as this util will take over your WiFi card during operation)

Have you installed any new electronic kit? Or moved it around the house?

DECT phones (the wireless ones for the house land line) can interfere. Make sure these base stations are moved out of the way.

Microwave ovens, TVs and speakers can also hassle things. I have seen one guy place a WiFi Router on top his TV and wonder why he had a bad signal when the TV was on. :rolleyes: I have also found a router place _under_ a big speaker.

Check the aerial on your WiFi card. Is it an internal PCI one? Check the aerial is still screwed on tight. Could it of had a knock?

I have also seen a PC "modified" by PC World. It had half height PCI brackets, but they had "installed" a normal PCI WiFi card, but just snapped the bracket to fit. This meant nothing actually held the card in place, so it had slipped out of the PCI slot!!

Try swapping your Zero Config WiFi client. For example, if you are using the Microsoft one, try swapping to the manufaturer supplied one. Or vice versa.

Checked for newer WiFi NIC drivers?

Actually - here is a test. If you are using Microsoft's Zero Config software, then once you are connected, go to the Services Control panel and disable it. Then monitor the connection. This will stop the MS software constantly checking for a "better" connection. (You'll need to turn it back on before a reboot. And it will also be needed if your PC actually _looses_ its signal due to the fluctuaions.)

Also just try moving the PC a bit. This all sounds to me like a signal strength problem. :)
 
We haven't changed anything or moved anything, and we don't have a DECT phone. :confused:

It's a PCI wireless card, yes. Did just try something and had an interesting result: I unscrewed the aerial completely (it was on tight anyway) and took it off. My signal strength went down by a bar, but the speed kept fluctuating as it was before and still is now. Even went up to 54Mbps at one point so I can't see that it'd be a signal issue. At least, not directly.
 
'ang on. You said you removed the aerial and the signal didn't change? So it works the same with the aerial connected or disconnected? Could be a broken aerial. Try borrowing the aerial from another PC?

Also check the aerial(s) on the WiFi box itself.

Have you installed Netstumbler? This will give you a much more accurate picture of your REAL signal strength in a nice clear graph. It will be more trustable that the windows util.
 
The signal did change, it just dropped by a bar.

Thanks for the link to that app. In NetStumbler, the signal is around -30dBm with the aerial connected. With it disconnected, it drops to around -65. Overall connectivity doesn't seem affected either way, though.

Will try and connect my PC with a network cable to the router tomorrow, see if that changes things.
 
Good Luck :D I do expect the Ethernet test to work without hassles - this is a WiFi thing. Your Netstumbler graph should be smooth with your WiFi - not the jumpy speed changes you described earlier.

I would also try borrowing a different Wireless card - ideally a different brand. This will let you know if it is drivers, or maybe even the old card failing. (Though never heard of a WiFi card fail)
 
I just don't understand why it'd be that some/many websites load perfectly fine as they always have, yet others have problems. Feels more like a Windows/software issue in that sense.

And yet, the wireless speeds fluctuating like that makes me thing it's got something to do with the hardware. Hopefully the crappy Belkin router is to blame. It hates my notebook as it is; it's always losing connection for no reason.
 
Yeah - I agree that you are seeing weird stuff there. The ethernet lead should help answer a number of questions on the windows side.

As to Belkin.... urgh!! I have wasted many hours on their awful kit. Maybe a firmware update will help it. Or buy a better quality router. (Do you know someone who could lend you one?)
 
Sadly not. Although we do have a new person moving in to our house at Summer who's bringing a Netgear router with them, which is a godsend. Have had two Netgears previously (at the parents' house though) and they've both been great, only reason we have the Belkin here was because it didn't cost us anything. Well, not in monetary terms anyway.

Thing is, my connection on the PC is usually mostly stable, my notebook is always the troublesome one. This is why I find it hard to lay the blame with the hardware.

Will have another crack at this tomorrow though. Thanks very much for the help so far.
 
The sudden change is odd - but if the PC is behaving normally otherwise, that is why I am looking toward the WiFi.

Lets us know how things go with your tests and I'll be back here tomorrow :)
 
Hi there,

Just got home. Ran a network cable from the router to the PC, and...still having the same problem. Definitely not the wireless then.

So the problem seems to reside with my PC somewhere, I just don't know where exactly.

Any ideas, at all?

Thanks again.
 
Yep just did (on the router), no change in behaviour. Not surprised though, to be honest; the other systems on the network are fine and aren't exhibiting the issue, just my PC.
 
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