Google won't load in IE/FireFox

[mewgirl]

When I type in google.com, on IE I get the type of 404 where the browser navigation bar's adress changes to "http:///", and on FireFox I get a regular 404. However, when using AOL (AOL original software, not "AOL Explorer"), Google works just fine as I am Googling to find the Google problem. A ping returns what seems to be normal (Reply from 64.233.187.99 bytes=32 time=55ms TTL=224; then 45ms, 43ms, 42ms, sent/rec. 4 0% loss), and the hosts file is empty except for localhost. There are two computers on this router, and Google does not work in IE on either one. On the computer I am using now Google works through AOL, on the other one I have FF installed and Google does not work. McAfee is installed on both computers, and I have ended the processes for current user on this comp, but on the other computer I went to msconfig (which, contrary to popular belief, actually sets the settings in services to disabled when applicable) and unchecked them all. I have done this on many public computers so I know that doing this does not leave anythinhg "hidden" running the virus software.

I am well aware of the horrible setup of these computers. The owner of these computers is rather stupid in most ways (he asked me, for example, if I had Google installed, and insisted that the computer had a virus because Lavasoft has started hosting their install files at download.com), but he will be aware if I completely disabled McAfee on the current computer or if I install anything (since it gives you the "New Software Installed" note on the Start Menu and his logon is passworded). He's even got a registry cleaner on one of them (and though I believe there are a few that do work, he isn't intelligent enough computer-wise to even try and evaulkate them). I can install software on the other computer but I'd greatly prefer not to. The ISP is Comcast and the router is whatever default router was provided by them. OS is XP Home.

[johnwill]

Truthfully, I wouldn't even begin to try to sort this out until the guy gets his mind right.

[mewgirl]

lol! I couldn't even figure out what you meant by that because I'd forgotten I had posted all that stuff about my dad, but the problem is I've been here for a week so far and I need to be able to use Google without using AOL! Well that and the computer without AOL is just slow anyway, so if there's a virus I want to get rid of it to improve speed, and scans did not catch anything. Although he won't let me install Spybot. It would be a really weird virus, though! Also the "current computer" of yesterday was the one with AOL; on the computer with FireFox (which is the one I normally use) I have disabled McAfee in services and in msconfig.

Although I found some kind-of weird yesterday; AOL doesn't seem to suck so much anymore. The software still slows the hell of your computer if you're running anything else, but then if you're using the AOL browser you wouldn't have any other IE windows open. It's got some cool stuff in the settings area (I don't mean "stupid-people cool stuff," I mean when I start AOL it say "Greetings, Nerd!" instead of "Welcome" and such. And obviously this isn't important, but for some reason the AOL browser was working a lot faster then IE does on that computer (and Google is still the only site that won't load). I've still got my mailbox there from when I was 10 years old and AOL's mail interface is a hell of a lot better then the one that shows at aol.com or aim.com. So at the moment the only reason I'd avoid AOL software if I'm somewhere where it's already installed and I'm not running any games is because of the lack of tabs or taskbar buttons to navigate windows with. There's still a problem with the 4,000 extra programs it installed, but that's irrelevant if you're not the one installing it.