BleepingComputer.com: Blocked from downloading and saving from internet

I am using laptop with Vista Home Premium, and for the past 7 weeks have been unable to download and save ANYTHING from the internet, irrespective of which site I go to. For example:

I'm on site x and want to download an item......Step 1 - I click on 'download here', click on 'save' or 'run', item appears to download BUT when i get to step 2, dialogue box says 'run' or 'dont run', I obviously click 'run' and..........NOTHING HAPPENS.......no download, no nothing !!!!!

I also wish to uninstall an anti-virus program (free one) however the computer will NOT let me uninstall it. Anything else I can uninstall if I wish to, but the antivirus, no way !!

Everything was fine with the computer until about 7 weeks ago, when things just seemed to stop downloading.

I have spent 2 hours/day for 5 days on the phone with technicians from M/soft, but they have not been able to resolve anything. The technicians also had me changing settings etc, including a 'restore system' and now I have lost a lot of valuable information I had on my desktop, which I was assured wouldn't happen. They also suggesed it was the firewall of the antivirus program that was doing the blocking, so I rang the company, and because it is a free program, they don't have technical support, although they did tell me it couldn't be the antivirus because it doesn't have a firewall.

So, I am hoping someone on this site can help me, or at least come up with a few suggestions, but I must tell you, I have tried 99% of options that have already been suggested on various other sites.

Thanx - Annette

Going back to a previous restore point should not have deleted any of your data
If you do not have a third party firewall, installed the Windows firewall should be turned on by default
Which AV are you trying to remove? Most take specialized uninstallers
Which browser are you using?
When you click on the link to download and it asks what to do, does it give you the option to Save?
Try saving the download to your Desktop and see what happens

1 - windows firewall is turned on .... how do i know if i have another one
2 - trying to remove AGV 8.5 free
3 - using IE8
4 - have tried the 'save' option, and saving to desktop, but nothing happens....

i am UNABLE to download anything, including removal tools etc......

Thanx - Annette

hi Mark - i just remembered last night that it was when the m/s technician suggested to do a 'reset to factory settings' thing that i lost all my stuff from the desktop..

is there any way i can retrieve the stuff i lost

i've even tried downloading and saving to thumb drive, but again, no luck....


Annette .......

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I highly doubt it. That means return to the way it was when it left the factory
I'm surprised the tech didn't warn you
To retrieve lost data you can try
PC Inspector
http://www.pcinspector.de/Sites/file_recov....htm?language=1
or
Recuva
http://www.piriform.com/recuva

The more you use the computer before you try the recovery, the less your chances are of saving anything as the computer will keep overwriting the hard disk

This post has been edited by garmanma: 06 December 2009 - 12:38 PM

well, been to both sites,and you guessed it - wont download and save.

also discovered avg doesnt seem to be fully installed or something, cos when i try to uninstall, i get a message saying installation failed and when i try to open it, it refuses to open...............get message .. installer initialization failed due to error 0x0020.....have tried everything they suggested,but no go......................

If this isn't a firewall issue, it's got to be a UAC issue
Are you logged in as administrator?
Can you copy/paste the entire error message, verbatim?

Yep, locked in as admin - what's a UAC thing ?

Annette

here is message - get this when i try and uninstall avg


Installer initialization failed due to following error:
Error: @AvgErrorCode_0x0253 %FILE% = "C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8"
@AvgErrorCode_0x0020


Annette

Quote

Try running AVG's uninstall tool
http://www.avg.com/us-en/download-tools
If that doesn't work, you might have to re-install it to remove it
Try using a thumb drive or burn it to a CD

This post has been edited by garmanma: 08 December 2009 - 07:04 PM

tried both those options, nothing, nothing, nothing.....

even tried to install avg 9 free version, hoping that if i installed that, then i could uninstall it and it would take out the whole lot - nothing, nothing, nothing.....

also, when i try to save this or any other download to c:\ i get a message saying i dont have permission, then it tells me to save in admin file, nothing, etc

annette............

hi,,, sorry to but in here Mark,,, when the factory restore happened will the pc not revert to what was pre installed in the pc,,,, as most pc's now come with free trials of either NIS Norton internet security or McAfee internet security,, could this be the issue maybe, or does it not work like this ??,,,, im a bit in the dark with factory restores as i have never done one yet, i find a clean install is a lot less hassle.
drop the avg removal tool on the desktop then try booting in safe mode then removing avg with the removal tool from the desktop,,,,
good luck.

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Hey, the more eyes, the better

hi figgis - no norton or mcafee on computer. i THINK avg was installed when i got the puter, cos i dont remember installing it myself. i have looked in the security file and it tells me avg is turned off, but no matter what i do i cant turn it on or download and save anything from the net.........

maybe it would just be better if i did a complete reinstall of vista, but puter didnt come with disc........


thanx - annette

hi,,,, have you tried to boot in safe mode and uninstalling avg this way
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/how-to-start-windows-in-safe-mode/
also,,,, if you know some one with a full vista disc then this and your product key on the bottom of the pc will do for a clean install,,,,
good luck.