Can't use Housecall

[mubs]

'ave done it on a few computers elsewhere. Can't run it on mine. When I use Firefox, it says I need to download and install a program for Netscape (I have that installed too, but use only mail). That program seems totally clueless about Firefox and won't install. Seems that it looks for the Netscrape plug-ins folder. Installed it for Netscape, and tried Housecall, and Netscape says some Jave thing didn't run, and the middle part of the screen (which shows the drives and the SCAN NOW button) is blank.

With IE, I go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, click Scan Now, it's free. This should go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp, but I get a "This page cannot be displayed". I've cleared caches, cookies, rebooted, etc., nothing helps. What gives??

 

[CityK]

Appears your in luck.

Mozillazine's forum is the place for all your Molliza-type app questions mubs. I almost always find an answer to my questions by using their search feature. It really is a great source as the chances are pretty high that if I'm asking about something, then [big exaggeration]80 thousand others[/big exaggeration] have probably already done the same.

 

[Tea]

Sometimes the servers are too busy.

Sometimes the system you are using is so hosed that Housecall won't run or you can't get on the web at all.

Sometimes your moronic user has played with the IE security setting so much that you cant unscramble them.

Sometimes the particular virus you have is clever enough to sabotage Housecall.

There are various things you can try. Start by installing and running the latest Ad-Aware in safe mode - Ad-Aware picks up quite a few viruses as well as its main targets. Connect in safe mode with networking support (if your OS version allows this). Use REGEDIT and MSCONFIG to manually delete the worst of the infection and try again. Try waiting an hour or so and connecting again.

BTW, for Housecall, IE is the only thing that works with any reliability at all. Essentially, Housecall (like Windows Update) takes advantage of the massive security holes in IE to do good things to your system. (As opposed to most of the rest of the Internet that takes advantage of IE's flawed design to do nasty things to your system.)

 

[mubs]

Thank you very much, CityK and Tea.

CityK, I was under the dumb impression that Mozillazine' forum was for Mozilla only, and FF was separate (even tho' I know FF is derived from Mozilla). I've bookmarked the link and will use it in the future. The link in your link worked like a charm! You're a scholar and a gentleman. Thanks for the very quick response.

Tea, thank you for the detailed response. The moronic user in question is me. I did install Spyware Blaster but disabled IE protection when I couldn't get to Housecall. I'll uninstall SWB and see what happens.

I scanned first with my installed NAV, then with Ad-Aware SE, then with Spybot, and wanted confirmation from Housecall that I was ok (my anrennae were acting up for some reason). For more on this issue, see my new thread in the Computers forum.

 

[Buck]

You could always download and install a 30-day trial of NOD32, which easily uninstalls when you are ready.

 

[Mercutio]

Oddly, I can't get housecall to run on one of my PCs, either. Every time I start it, it tells me the definition file is corrupt. I'm not terribly worried about it, but it's something that's never happened before.

Maybe the service is having growing pains or something.