First. If it just happens occasionally, probably your connection to the Internet has failed and your computer is still connecting to the modem/router box. Check with your ISP to determine if they are having problems.

If this is a problem that is persistent, i.e. you can never get on a web page. Then the next two should solve it. You may find though with the problem you can FTP to certain sites (a lot of addresses for FTP are given as numbers)

Second. Most likely the DNS entries in your computer have changed or been erased or possibly your DNS serves have changed addresses. Several years ago this was a problem when BellSouth did that. DNS will be a good future column. To see what they are and change them if needed you will need to 1.) Right click on Network or My Network Places in the Start menu or in Control Panel and choose Properties. As an alternative you could right click the network icon on the right bottom of the screen and choose Network Connections. You may not have that icon though. 2.) Right click on your connection (usually only one but if more than one, choose the one with no red x in the icon) and choose Properties. 3.) Go to the bottom of the scroll box and choose Internet Protocol (on some old versions of Windows it may be called TCP/IP or other related names). Choose Properties. 4.) Look at bottom radio buttons and see if Automatic or Use DNS address. If Use DNS address shows address then contact your ISP or someone who has a good connection to get the numbers to enter. ATT/BellSouth uses 205.152.27.23 and 205.152.143.23 Enter your correct numbers and OK out. If it is set to Automatic you will need to check your router/modem also or get the correct entries and enter them here.

Third. If this problem occurs after you just removed spyware/viruses/malware then the problem is probably that the malware messed up the WinSock. This sounds bad, but is really simple to fix. You will need to get WinSockXPFix. It is available at several locations on the Internet for free including download.com The program will not be installed on your computer but you will run from the file downloaded. Simply choose FIX when the program starts. The latest version I have only is listed thru Windows XP to work. If you really want to know want the program dies, click the About button.

Send me your questions about computers to me at the paper or to my e-mail dwight@dwightwatt.com and tell me you read this in the paper. I will pick a question to answer each week.