help docs
 

Hi
My problem started when I bought the Winamp Pro a month or so ago. I have the latest Winamp 5.21. I do not know if this is an Internet Explorer problem or a winamp problem. The issue is when I click on the Winamp Help from the menu bar nothing happens. I can not access the help docs from my winamp. I used to when I had the free version and I have not changed any Internet settings. I have contacted tech support but they say to check the forums. I have not seen a similar issue in the forums so I am hoping someone might know what I should do.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

Does the direct link to the Help docs work?
http://winamp.com/support/help/50/Winamp5.htm

What's your Windows OS and Internet Explorer version?

What firewall software are you running (if any?)
and is it configured to allow winamp.exe internet access?

A HijackThis log might also prove useful (info)

Yes, the direct link to the Help docs works
The OS is XP and the IE is version 6.0.2900 (I think)
I am running Windows Firewall. Although it still didn't work when I turned the firewall off. I am not sure about the last question on whether or not it is configured to allow winamp.exe access. I did not change any of the settings in the firewall config.
Brian

No, it's not recommended to turn the firewall off, ever.

Go to: Control Panel > Windows Firewall
Click the "Exceptions" tab
Then click the "Add Program" button
Select "Winamp" from the list
OK everything

If the problem persists, then please provide a HijackThis log as requested in my previous reply.

hijack this scan results
 

I attached the Hijack this file- I hope I did it right

still no luck
 

I set up the firewall to accept the winamp.exe and still nothing happens when I click the help button. I will attach the scan again- I see it didn't work the first time

Ok, you've got a couple of nasties showing in your log, including the Peper trojan.
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [2SWZKN82R5K47C] C:\WINNT\System32\Vqxu.exe

Download the PeperFix tool here
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/peperremover.php | (direct download)

Close all programs & windows

Run PeperFix.exe and click the "Find and Fix" button

Let the tool do its thing, and you will then be prompted to reboot.

After rebooting, if any of the following entries still exist in the HijackThis scan results, place a checkmark next to them ONLY and click "Fix Checked"

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {89F15D86-DA70-40F5-A0BD-71BBE28ECDA3} - C:\WINNT\System32\lfpqsd11n.dll (file missing)

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [2SWZKN82R5K47C] C:\WINNT\System32\Vqxu.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IMSZG] C:\WINNT\IMSZG.exe


Although not necessarily malware, I also recommend that you disable this startup entry:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ViewMgr] C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Viewpoint Manager\ViewMgr.exe

More info on ViewManager here
http://castlecops.com/startuplist-4102.html
http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3561546

You can uninstall Viewpoint via Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

However, it's more than likely that the Peper trojan has caused your problems, so let us know how things go after removing it.


By the way, just hazarding a wild guess here, but do you have any .htm or .html files on your hard drive, and if so, what program opens when you double click them?
It should be your default browser, eg. Internet Explorer, but if not, then right click one and select "Open With", then select "Choose Program".
In the box which pops up, select your default browser, eg. Internet Explorer, checkmark "always open with the selected program..." and click OK.

If you don't have any local .htm files, then go to:
Control Panel > Folder Options > File Types tab
Scroll down for and hi-lite HTM
If it doesn't say "Opens with: Internet Explorer"
then click "Change"
and then follow the same instructions as above (to make a browser the default htm handler).

OK
I ran the peper fix tool and it did not find any peper trojans. I then ran the HJT and checked the appropriate boxes did the find and fix. The files you noted to check, including the peper trojan is no longer in the log when I run the HJT again. I removed viewpoint mgr. The default browser is IE. The htm files open in IE. And I still can not access help docs from the player. It does nothing. I even uninstalled it, then reinstalled it and still nothing.
Brian

walkthrough
 

I also could not get the walkthrough to play after the reinstall. Nothing happens. The internet links do not work
Brian

Well your XP installation may be playing tricks on you.
If you have installed an antivirus lately, or a anti-spyware tool you might want to check your HOSTS file.

This file is located in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ and is read before each program accesses the interent in order to make the necessary redirections, or blockings of some sites.

Some programs wrongfully tend to add sites to this file making individual sites unavailable.

You could try removing all entries and leave only the ###instructions as well as the 127.0.0.1 localhost string.

Also you might want to check if your antivirus is blocking your interent access

host file
 

I don't want to do anything I'll regret, so I want to be clear. I open the host file via notepad? Then delete any entries below the #### section other than the one that says 127.0.0.1 localhost? My Anti-virus is Norton 2006 and under web browsing only spyware and auto-protect are on. I did not see anything to make me think it's Norton.
Brian

On a clean Windows installation the HOSTS file contains only the #### comment section and the 127.0.0.1 localhost string, and under normal conditions should remain as such.

Just to be on the safe side backup the file. (eg. copy teh file to another folder)
Then open the file with Notepad (it is a simple text file)
If there are more entries than the one i specified above then check if you find a value with name www.winamp.com, and then remove that line.

Note that all sites listed there maybe unaccessible until they are removed from the HOSTS file

also something i just learned the other day the link http://www.winamp.com may act differently from the link http://winamp.com, the one DJEgg told you to test. this means that www.winamp.com might be blocked and winamp.com not.

Ok
I checked the hosts file and it is clean. I turned off Norton Internet Worm Protection as I hear it conflicts with Windows Firewall. And both links work when I click them. Still nothing. Help does not work. It works on other programs like Autocad and Windows Media Player and once upon a time did on Winamp. But not now. By the way, Thanks for all the help- I appreciate it.
B

revise
 

After continuous investigation, it appears that the link to IE is broken on all of my media player applications, not just Winamp. It is not broken on AutoCad or others as far as I can tell. I even did a system restore to 12-18-05 and the problem still persists. Every link to IE from the application does not work. Curiously, if I go to help on Windows Media Player, then link to IE from there, it works. But it does not if I try straight from the menu bar. I am stumped
B