Hello All,

I am new to these forums having just registered because I have come up against a problem I cannot solve. I used to be a techie for CSC so can find my way out of most problems but this one has me beat so I'm really really hoping someone here knows about this problem!!!

Ok, so it's not my computer, that's working fine but rather my Mother-in-Law's computer. Suddenly one day she said she couldn't access the internet so I went to have a look and here's a summarisation of the problem and the setup:-

1. She has Windows XP SP2 running on a Dell tower and has Tiscali Broadband
2. Something called "Software Distribution Service 3.0" seems to have run itself at around 3am (GMT)
3. This is all happening in UK (I state that because MS told me that the programming for IE is different in UK to US)
4. Internet Explorer gives the error "Internet Explorer cannot display this webpage"
5. Mozilla FireFox worked for a time but now that has stopped working also
6. Using the internal web-browser in Google Earth works perfectly!!!!
7. MSN logs in without a problem but, of course, when you click the mail button it opens IE and fails as per point 4.

So, we got on the phone to Tiscali who tried a few things over the phone including a reinstall of IE and a System Restore to the day before the SDS3.0. That worked but then the very next day the problem came straight back once SDS3.0 re-attacked!! And now, System Restore won't work...........it reboots the PC and then says "Could not restore your computer to this restore point" whichever restore point I attempt..........it just won't work.

So all in all, I'm pretty lost. If it were my computer (an HP) I'd just run full system recovery which reinstalls the OS WITHOUT losing data, but her Dell machine only has a bunch of CDs which reinstall the OS from scratch, losing all data held on the PC and then you have to run through a whole bunch of CDs to reinstall the drivers......not an easy solution by any means so I'm hoping there is something less intrusive that will fix it. I have mailed Microsoft (see point 3) but they just gave me a link to the UK support team which doesn't work!!!!!! Helpful as ever!

What the hell is SDS 3.0? Why has it affected most browsers but clearly not the connection itself? I've checked the Internet settings (except that now when I try to access the Internet Settings a little box flashes up on the screen for about 1 millisecond then disappears and that's it!) and can't find the problem.

Please help! I'll be eternally grateful to anyone that that can!

Many Thanks in advance,
Steve