Open a browser (IE11, or Chrome, or Firefox, or after reluctantly updating to Windows 10, Edge).
Type in a known good URL into the address box (www.wtop.com, www.google.com, www.yahoo.com) and press Enter.
URL reverts to "blank" and does not go to the website.
OR
Open a browser.
Start typing in a recent (good) URL (www.wtop.com) and select it from the dropdown.
URL briefly shows in address box and then reverts to "blank" and does not go to the website.
OR
Open a browser and homepage (looks recent based on the news stories showing) comes up.
Select a (multiple) link from the homepage.
Link appears in address box but doesn't go to the link.
OR
Select a web page shortcut from Desktop.
Webpage comes up with annoying popover to "sign up" with the webpage.
ESC gets me out of the popover.
Clicking any (all) links on the webpage does nothing.
NOTE: this issue seems to have resolved itself just as I needed to head to work. All the browsers now seem to work.
I manually ran Norton Live Update and it said it updated four files.
I also ran a deep Norton scan which came up with two (what appeared to be) minor issues which defaulted to "Not Fix". I changed them to "Fix".
Norton didn't ask to reboot but I did.
I then ran Windows 10 maintenance and it said it was updating three drivers and appeared to work after the drivers appeared installed BUT this was happening in Windows 7 and I am religious about updates and drivers, so I suspect something else was going on. Maintenance was running for a long time (I think I figured out from Task Manager that it was defragging my "D" drive.), so out of curiosity before I headed to work I tried Firefox and Edge and both seemed to work just fine.
No clue as to what might have fixed it, but happy it is fixed. Just a bizarre experience.
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