first question...do you have a pop-up blocker or software that does that for you? If so, that could be causing it.

Another thing, do a search for IETie.dll if you have it, that's the culprit. I think it is contained in a registry key too so do a regedit and search for it. Check for unregmp2.exe
in processes under your task manager. Kill it and then do a search for it on your hard disk and remove it if it was running and is there.

Another thing to check...the hosts file. Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts and see if the specific url has been blocked by something. More details on how to use hosts file: http://accs-net.com/hosts/how_to_use_hosts.html

Good luck!

Don't let a bad experience with Netscape 7 sour you. It's based on an early version of Mozilla, with AOL bloatware added. The current version of Moz is about 4 revs newer than that, and a new version of Mozilla is due soon as well.

It's near midnight and I've worked hard today on cars and computers. My brain is sideways right now, but this is a link to an HJT report I ran and posted just this morning:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread5503.html

I'll take note(pad) of your advice/s and check back and forth to see if what you suggest is in my computer. I forgot to mention that I'm running Win98SE. Sorry.

As for the NS7. Hmmm. My experience was on an underpowered HP computer at work running WinXP. Every ie6setup was unzipping in a corrupted manner where file extensions were renamed; ex. iexplore.exe became iexplore._xe It was amazing. Every single one of the hundred or so files was injected with an underscore on installation rendering it useless.

That's beside the point, however. I'll try NS7 with trepidation if all else fails. Thank you.

::EDIT::

TKS, the direct answer is no pop-up blocker is running and IETie.dll didn't Search up for me. This StartUpList is a neat thing in the battle against problems. Perhaps there's something watching me that I don't know about? Here's the StartUpList Log from a moment ago...

StartupList report, 4/24/04, 12:03:37 AM
StartupList version: 1.52
Started from : C:\MY DOCUMENTS\ANTI-SPY\STARTUPLIST.EXE
Detected: Windows 98 SE (Win9x 4.10.2222A)
Detected: Internet Explorer v5.50 (5.50.4134.0600)
* Using default options
==================================================
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\AGRSMMSG.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\VISIONEER ONETOUCH\ONETOUCHMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\CREATIVE\SBLIVE\AUDIOHQ\AHQTB.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\CREATIVE\SURROUNDMIXER\CTSYSVOL.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\LOADQM.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\REAL\UPDATE_OB\REALSCHED.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\MICROSOFT SHARED\WORKS SHARED\WKCALREM.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\SCANSOFT\PAPERPORT\CONFIG\EREG\REMIND32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDHELP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\BLUELIGHT\SPINWIN.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\BLUELIGHT\SPINHELP.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\MY DOCUMENTS\ANTI-SPY\STARTUPLIST.EXE
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks again for the attention - I would love to soon be able to post a solution!

I know I should be more awake when I try to follow through on the Hosts file instructions. I do not have a Hosts folder right now. There is a SAM file in C:\WINDOWS though.

"If you put ad server names into your Hosts file with your own computer's IP address, your computer will never be able to contact the ad server. It will try to, but it will be simply calling itself and get a "busy signal" of sorts."

That little bit of quote in What is the Hosts file? caught my attention. We advertise on the site. Could that be the reason for my DNS Error? We're not an ad server, but we sell space for ads.

Tomorrow (later), I'll do everything I have to so that I can work normally again. And you're all invited for coffee.