Firefox won't load anything other than my homepage

[Kaishen]

My computer automatically rebooted itself last night after installing several updates to Windows. When I woke up this morning, I opened Firefox, and it loaded my default homepage (cnn.com) just fine. When I tried to visit ANY other website, the URL in the address bar would correctly list the URL of the website I was trying to visit, but Firefox would display CNN's error page as though I had searched for something on CNN's website that it couldn't find. This happens every time I try to visit any webpage other than CNN, including when I try to open links to CNN stories from the CNN homepage. Internet Explorer works fine.

I have Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit). The updates that were installed automatically last night were:

Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB982480)

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, Windows Vista SP2, and Windows Server 2008 SP2 Update for x64-based Systems (KB982525)

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB982519)

Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile for Windows Vista x64-based Systems (KB982670)

Definition Update for Windows Defender - KB915597 (Definition 1.85.532.0)

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox, but to not avail. I have also run full system antivirus and anti-spyware scans which found nothing.

Here is the "Troubleshooting Information" from Firefox:



Application Basics

Name
Firefox

Version
3.6.4

Profile Directory

Open Containing Folder

Installed Plugins

aboutlugins

Build Configuration

about:buildconfig

Extensions

Name

Version

Enabled

ID

Java Console
6.0.14
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0014-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

Java Console
6.0.15
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0015-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

Java Console
6.0.17
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0017-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

Java Console
6.0.16
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0016-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
1.2.1
true
{20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

Move Media Player
7
true
[email protected]

NoScript
1.9.9.87
false
{73a6fe31-595d-460b-a920-fcc0f8843232}

Java Console
6.0.19
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0019-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

Java Console
6.0.20
true
{CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0020-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin
1.1.4
true
{ABDE892B-13A8-4d1b-88E6-365A6E755758}

Modified Preferences

Name

Value

accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar
0

browser.history_expire_days.mirror
180

browser.places.importBookmarksHTML
false

browser.places.importDefaults
false

browser.places.leftPaneFolderId
-1

browser.places.migratePostDataAnnotations
false

browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
2

browser.places.updateRecentTagsUri
false

browser.startup.homepage
http://www.cnn.com/

browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
rv:1.9.2.4

browser.tabs.warnOnClose
false

dom.max_script_run_time
1800

extensions.lastAppVersion
3.6.4

general.useragent.extra.firefox
Firefox/3.5.5 NET_mmhpset

general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet
( .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET4.0C)

network.cookie.prefsMigrated
true

places.last_vacuum
1273638098

print.print_printer
HP Officejet 7300 series

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_bgcol or
false

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_bgima ges
false

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_comma nd

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_downl oadfonts
false

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_edge_ bottom
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_edge_ left
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_edge_ right
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_edge_ top
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_evenp ages
true

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_foote rcenter

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_foote rleft
&PT

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_foote rright
&D

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_heade rcenter

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_heade rleft
&T

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_heade rright
&U

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_in_co lor
true

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_margi n_bottom
0.5

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_margi n_left
0.5

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_margi n_right
0.5

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_margi n_top
0.5

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_oddpa ges
true

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_orien tation
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paged elay
500

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paper _data
1

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paper _height
11.00

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paper _size_type
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paper _size_unit
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_paper _width
8.50

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_rever sed
false

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_scali ng
1.00

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_shrin k_to_fit
true

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_to_fi le
false

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_unwri teable_margin_bottom
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_unwri teable_margin_left
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_unwri teable_margin_right
0

print.printer_HP_Officejet_7300_series.print_unwri teable_margin_top
0

privacy.cpd.sessions
false

privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
true

privacy.sanitize.timeSpan
0

security.warn_viewing_mixed
false

security.warn_viewing_mixed.show_once
false

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Kiine]

Quick shots in the dark (in order of ease):
Temporarily disable/unistall noscript? Disable all plugins and add back one-at-a-time? Also, it may be a lingering bias of mine, but realplayer is the devil.

Try setting default browser to internet exploder and then setting it back to firefox?

I see you uninstalled&re-installed FFox, but I'm not sure how complete that procedure is. The residuals it leaves behind may be the source of your problem. See if there is some way of completely scrubbing it from system (be sure to save your favorites).

Do a system restore to before these patches were installed to see if one of these patches is culprit? (unlikely)

[Cheerios]

You can try to get a new profile for Firefox. You can do so by right clicking on Firefox>Properties, and changing the target in the shortcut tab to:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -ProfileManager

Exactly as above (even with the quotes). You can create a new profile that way, but don't delete your old one yet since it saves most of your info.

If doing so fixes your problem, then back up your bookmarks and whatever else you may want and delete your old profile. You can then import your bookmarks into the new, working profile. I wouldn't recommend restoring everything though; just your bookmarks and possibly history.

[Kaishen]

I found a way to uninstall firefox and have it also clear all my personal/saved/preference data for it. Not sure if that wiped literally everything or not, but when I reinstalled, I am now having a similar (though not identical problem). Anytime I try to navigate to any webpages, I get the following error:

ERROR
The requested URL could not be retrieved

While trying to retrieve the URL: http://cnn.com/

The following error was encountered:

* Access Denied.

Access control configuration prevents your request from being allowed at this time. Please contact your service provider if you feel this is incorrect.

Your cache administrator is root.
Generated Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:17:32 GMT by hostname (squid/2.5.STABLE14)

[Kaishen]

Also I just tried downloading Google Chrome, and everytime I try to visit any webpages I get the following error (so it appears this isn't just a firefox problem):

This webpage is not available.

The webpage at http://google.com/ might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.

More information on this error
Below is the original error message

Error 336 (net::ERR_NO_SUPPORTED_PROXIES): Unknown error.

[Kaishen]

I searched for the error number I got on Chrome and it led me to some directions on how to change some proxy settings. I figured out how to do the same on Firefox, and that fixed the problem. No idea how the proxy settings got changed in the first place, but whatever, problem solved!

Thanks for the help.

[Kaishen]

One more quick question. Since I completely uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled it, I lost a lot of my non-bookmark related preferences, addons, etc. I dunno how I did it, but it used to be that when I would open a link in a new tab, if there was a video on the website that loaded in the new tab, the video wouldn't begin playing until I actually looked at that tab. Now, the video begins playing immediately even if I am not looking at the tab. Any ideas how I can get it to go back to what it used to do?

Thanks!