Re: WinXP is Tweaked to Make it Difficult to Download Mozilla

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 08:57:24 -0500, Ed Mullen <[email protected]> wrote:

>Flatfoot wrote:
>> First see my post on 12/30/04 about this subject.  There I talked
>> about trying to download Mozilla on a new computer and the Mozilla
>> website kept hanging, making it impossible to download the program.
>> 
>> Meanwhile, I turned to my other computer, with Mozilla already
>> installed, and was able to download the program in about two seconds.
>> The new computer still wouldn't work on the Mozilla site although it
>> worked fine on every other site that I tried.
>
>If you downloaded it in two seconds you didn't download the full 
>install, just the stub installer.  Details, please, when bringing up 
>support issues here.  Can't help you or deem your complaints credible 
>without enough detail.

I downloaded the full install.  I guess I exagerated slightly about
how fast it was.  But my broadband connection works real fast lately.
>
>> 
>> I thought that was suspicious.  
>> 
>> Today I rebuilt my old computer and reinstalled the OS from scratch
>> and updated it to XP SP1 and also the latest security updates.  Then I
>> tried to download Mozilla.  Again it was the same thing.  The fresh XP
>> install with updates works fine on every website except Mozilla.org.  
>
>SP1???  If you did a clean install why didn't you upgrade to SP2?

I have heard that a security feature of SP2, which limits things when
it detects many simultaneous outbound connections (common behaviour of
worms) can interfere with file sharing programs.  Since I may be using
that box for file sharing, I decided to stay with SP1 for now.  I can
always upgrade in the future.
>
>> 
>> Again, while the newly set up computer was hanging on the Mozilla site
>> I turned to the other computer and very quickly downloaded Mozilla and
>> burned it to a disc, put it in the other computer and installed it.  
>> 
>> It took about 12 more minutes to finally download Mozilla with
>> Internet Explorer.  
>
>So, ultimately your problem is with Internet Explorer.  With the various 
>security updates to IE the security settings are possibly different from 
>one PC to the other.

But why would it only be slow on the Mozilla.org site?  I had no
problem on any othe web sites.
>
>> 
>> Don't give me any comments about "paranoid conspiracy theories."
>> Anybody can try this:  Fresh install of Windows XP, Windows Updates,
>> and see how it is almost impossible to download Mozilla.
>
>Been there, done that, with 6 computers in the last month using a 
>combination of Windows XP Home and Pro all using SP2.  No problems. 
>Zero.  None.  Nada.  Zilch.  Ok?
>
>> 
>> Microsoft is up to its dirty tricks again.  Those of you who think
>> this is a "conspiracy theory" are simply ignorant of Microsoft's
>> history of dishonest and deceitful tactics aimed at discouraging the
>> use of competing products.
>
>Microsoft isn't doing anything nefarious despite your contentions. 
>Consider, rationally the following:
>
>-  If MS were deliberately or accidentally "breaking" Windows in this 
>way you'd see documented reports spreading like wildfire in respected 
>technical and industry publications.  Nothing there.
>
>-  You have not provided a single bit of useful information for 
>determining what's happening on *your* systems so that we might help you 
>sort it out.
>
>-  Your problem is *not* happening on millions of other similar systems 
>as witnessed both by the lack of similar reports industry-wide and even 
>here in these news groups.  In fact, you'll see (and have been ignoring) 
>contrary reports to both your original Dec. 30 post and this one.
>
>We're happy to help you sort out what's wrong with your system.  That's 
>why we're here.  If you care to stop the unsupported blaming of the OS 
>in the face of contrary evidence and provide enough details for 
>effective troubleshooting, we'll dive in and try to help you resolve 
>your issues.  For instance:

Thanks for the offer of help, but there is nothing wrong with my
system now that I have Mozilla installed.  

And just in general response to your questions below, I run clean
systems.  I am behind a router and use software firewalls and an anti
virus.  I don't ususally install a lot of crap.  When I run a file
sharing program I isolate that computer from the others.  In fact, all
of my computers are isolated from each other anyway.  And I don't use
add-ons to ie because I never use ie except to run Windows update.  I
generally only run windows update on one machine and I manually
download the updates to a disk to run on the other computers.
>
>- are you on dial-up or broadband?
>- are both PCs connected to the Net independently?  Or via a LAN?
>- are you behind a router or other network hardware?
>- are you running a software firewall?
>- are you running Antivirus software?
>- have you configured IE's security settings the same on both PCs?
>- do you have any add-ons to IE installed?
>- have you run AV and adware scans on both machines?
>- do you have any programs loading at system startup?  the same ones on 
>both machines?
>
>Etc. etc. etc.