[cfourkays]

Ever since the new site went online, I get a reallly screwed up site view.This only happens with www.pcworld.comHappens with IE7 and 6 and Firefox.Disabled all AV and Counterspy. No firewall, running through Router.Other PC on Net OK. Only, repeat, only web site or any opened doc this happens to.I blame it on Steve Bass if I could.Here's what it looks like:http://treasurecoastcomputing.com/PCWORLDTEST.jpgIf you want me to post this elsewhere, let me know.Pete

[TheNameless]

Trying clearing your cache. Also try pressing F5 to refresh the site.

[KellieCM]

The problem you describe has been reported to us as the result of the installation of a file contained in a download from mvps.org. This file, called hosts.txt, is contained in a download called hosts.zip. This download is typically found online at this location:http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htmWithin this file is an pcworld.com address that will be blocked upon installation. This is most likely why you are getting poor results when you go to our site.The simplest way to correct this problem is to delete or comment out one statement from the hosts.txt file.Here is the statement.127.0.0.1 s.pcworld.com #[adlinks.js][a465.g.akamai.net]You will find the hosts.txt file here:Windows XP = C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32DRIVERSETC Windows 2K = C:WINNTSYSTEM32DRIVERSETC Win 98/ME = C:WINDOWS For your information, s.pcworld.com is a server that contains the CSS files that control much of the display of the PCWorld.com website. Blocking this address is what causes the poor results you've experienced when you attempt to visit our site.We're in communication with the mvps.org folks to have them remove this blocking statement from their hosts.txt file.

[TheNameless]

o-O Or maybe Kellie knows more than me (darn you).

[cfourkays]

Thanks, Kellie.Worked great!!!!!Been using the MVPS Hosts files for quite a while.I never would have even in a million years thought to look there.The site looks great now that I can see it on my 21" LCD.FYI, there are around 16000 host files that Mike keeps adding to.I just deleted all except for the "127.0.0.1 localhost".I'll have to look for an editor since I almost went blind half way through.And I take back what I said about Steve Bass.Pete 8)

[KellieCM]

I'm sure that Steve will appreciate that ;)Yeah, it took us quite a while to figure out the problem too. We're lucky to have such smart members -- one of them actually figured out the problem before we did. Glad to be of assistance!

[AlanTaylor]

I was very glad found this forum tip about making a change in the hosts.txt file but I was getting pretty frustrated before that. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Should you make this tip more prominent by making the subject a sticky? Is it possible that a link to the fix could display if the hosts.txt file is not edited but the link would not be seen if the fix has been done?

[KellieCM]

Hi Alan,We are seeing incidents of this type of problem drop off, and most of the reporting of it has been done via email because people are unable to view the site in any sort of navigatable fashion. However for issues like this in the future, I am more than happy to make the fix a sticky thread in this forum. Unfortunately, though, there is no way to make it visible if you've not applied the fix, and invisible if you haven't.We have also contacted the makers of this file to have our entry removed. But currently, the manual fix is the only fix.Glad you got it resolved!