Discussion Another update regarding my mystery tech problem.

[couldntthinkofausername]

This is an update to the two threads I created about me suddenly experiencing this tech problem where content is missing for me on all of my devices regardless of what WiFi network I use.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ech-issue-and-i-dont-know-what-it-is.3764850/

and

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ing-my-mystery-networking-tech-issue.3780383/


Ralston18, there is no point in me contacting Twitter (Anyway, X no longer has a tech support team. X's CEO fired all the members of it.) & Reddit.

The reason why there is no point in me contacting the tech support teams of those two websites is because the tech problem I have been talking about has been happening to me on just about every website I go to. With that being said, if I was to contact the tech support teams of websites about this tech issue I am experiencing, then I would have to contact the tech support teams of just about every website out there.

One symptom I forgot to mention is that when I go on some websites and perform a search on them, the clickable horizontal page number list that is at the bottom of their search results pages do not appear.

Again, as I said before, these tech problems I said that I am experiencing is strange because I have not seen anyone on the web say that they experienced them before. The reason why I said that is because usually, when a person makes a post on a website saying that they are experiencing a tech problem, people will comment on it and say that they experienced it too.

Another thing I want to say is that since I have been experiencing all of the tech problems I said I have been recently experiencing in the mentioned threads I created, I have been getting random 404 error messages while browsing the web.

There have been times where people I know offline would call me & tell me that they see something on the web but when I try to see it on my devices at my house, I end up not seeing it.

 

[Ralston18]

Consider that the described problems and past history (previous postings) are an indication that the problem is within your computer(s) and/or network. Possibly corrupted files, embedded malware, buggy updates, mis-configurations....

Work with the premise that you are not being targeted or attacked. My thought is that there is simply some combination of software and the necessary configuration settings being in conflict. All the more so looking at the history and all that has been done.

To take a fresh look at everything do the following:

1) Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

What AV software is installed? What browser's are being used?

2) Uninstall all AV and malware software other than Windows Security/Defender. Ensure that it is up-to-date.

3) Remove all add-on's etc. from browsers. Reduce the browsers (for now) to just Edge and one other browser of your choice.

4) Make and model information for modem and router (or modem/router if combined). Who has full admin rights to the router? Eventually you will need help from that person.

5) On your computer run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt. Copy and past the results.

6) Also run "tracert 8.8.8.8" and post the results. (Targets Google's website.)

7) Ensure that all important data on your system is backed up at least 2 x to locations away from your computer. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable. That should always be being done anyway.

8) Keep a list of any and all error messages presented at the times the mystery tech/content missing problems occur. Make note of the website name, what was missing, and any pop-up windows etc. that appeared.

9) Likewise keep a list of any problems experienced within the network and/or on other network systems.

10) Do not make any other changes unless absolutely necessary. Temporarily disable all updates. Stay out of the registry.

That is a long, tedious, and somewhat demanding "to do" list.

The objective being to delve deeper in and hopefully find the root cause(s) of the problems.

Failing that then the next step will be a complete wipe of the computer followed by a clean Windows install.

Likely being the only way to get everything fixed again.

 

[kanewolf]

This is an update to the two threads I created about me suddenly experiencing this tech problem where content is missing for me on all of my devices regardless of what WiFi network I use.

Your original posts are 1.5 years old. Is your statement that EVERY WIFI, either, a coffee shop, a friend's house or your personal network has this issue for 1.5 years?

 

[couldntthinkofausername]

Consider that the described problems and past history (previous postings) are an indication that the problem is within your computer(s) and/or network. Possibly corrupted files, embedded malware, buggy updates, mis-configurations....

Work with the premise that you are not being targeted or attacked. My thought is that there is simply some combination of software and the necessary configuration settings being in conflict. All the more so looking at the history and all that has been done.

To take a fresh look at everything do the following:

1) Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

What AV software is installed? What browser's are being used?

2) Uninstall all AV and malware software other than Windows Security/Defender. Ensure that it is up-to-date.

3) Remove all add-on's etc. from browsers. Reduce the browsers (for now) to just Edge and one other browser of your choice.

4) Make and model information for modem and router (or modem/router if combined). Who has full admin rights to the router? Eventually you will need help from that person.

5) On your computer run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt. Copy and past the results.

6) Also run "tracert 8.8.8.8" and post the results. (Targets Google's website.)

7) Ensure that all important data on your system is backed up at least 2 x to locations away from your computer. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable. That should always be being done anyway.

8) Keep a list of any and all error messages presented at the times the mystery tech/content missing problems occur. Make note of the website name, what was missing, and any pop-up windows etc. that appeared.

9) Likewise keep a list of any problems experienced within the network and/or on other network systems.

10) Do not make any other changes unless absolutely necessary. Temporarily disable all updates. Stay out of the registry.

That is a long, tedious, and somewhat demanding "to do" list.

The objective being to delve deeper in and hopefully find the root cause(s) of the problems.

Failing that then the next step will be a complete wipe of the computer followed by a clean Windows install.

Likely being the only way to get everything fixed again.

Ralston18, I will try the things you told me to do and tell you the results I ended up getting. Also, I have been doing some thinking and ended up having the theory/hunch as a result of it that this is the work of an AI virus. The reason why I have that theory is there are too many factors at play in regards to this virus, there are too many things going on at the same time in regards to this virus, and it's behavior keeps changing like crazy. I have been having that theory since two years ago.



To be specific, it sounds like I am dealing with an AI Worm. The reason why I said that it sounds like I am dealing with an AI Worm is because I recently saw an article (https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...ms/&usg=AOvVaw1WSfUDYjRH3ckJ2QTQO-Xy&hl=en_US) about AI Worms.


By the way, to address your concern about the different WiFi networks thing, I have not tried using my device to access the web using WiFi networks that are miles away from my home in regards to me using other WiFi networks in an effort to determine what is causing this tech issue. I have only tried using my device to access the web using WiFi networks that are near my house while being at my house in regards to me using other WiFi networks in an effort to determine what is causing this tech issue (I have only tried using my device to access the web using my neighbors' WiFi networks in an effort to determine what to causing this tech issue.).



With that being said, this tech issue I am dealing with seems like a device-level tech issue.


By the way, here is an article about AI viruses: https://huggingface.co/aivirus

 

[couldntthinkofausername]

Your original posts are 1.5 years old. Is your statement that EVERY WIFI, either, a coffee shop, a friend's house or your personal network has this issue for 1.5 years?

kanewolf, I pinpointed the problem and determined that it is not a WiFi network issue but a device-level issue. See my reply to the post reply that Ralston18 made in this thread last Wednesday at 7:53am.

 

[DSzymborski]

You're almost certainly *not* dealing with an "AI worm."

 

[couldntthinkofausername]

Consider that the described problems and past history (previous postings) are an indication that the problem is within your computer(s) and/or network. Possibly corrupted files, embedded malware, buggy updates, mis-configurations....

Work with the premise that you are not being targeted or attacked. My thought is that there is simply some combination of software and the necessary configuration settings being in conflict. All the more so looking at the history and all that has been done.

To take a fresh look at everything do the following:

1) Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

What AV software is installed? What browser's are being used?

2) Uninstall all AV and malware software other than Windows Security/Defender. Ensure that it is up-to-date.

3) Remove all add-on's etc. from browsers. Reduce the browsers (for now) to just Edge and one other browser of your choice.

4) Make and model information for modem and router (or modem/router if combined). Who has full admin rights to the router? Eventually you will need help from that person.

5) On your computer run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt. Copy and past the results.

6) Also run "tracert 8.8.8.8" and post the results. (Targets Google's website.)

7) Ensure that all important data on your system is backed up at least 2 x to locations away from your computer. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable. That should always be being done anyway.

8) Keep a list of any and all error messages presented at the times the mystery tech/content missing problems occur. Make note of the website name, what was missing, and any pop-up windows etc. that appeared.

9) Likewise keep a list of any problems experienced within the network and/or on other network systems.

10) Do not make any other changes unless absolutely necessary. Temporarily disable all updates. Stay out of the registry.

That is a long, tedious, and somewhat demanding "to do" list.

The objective being to delve deeper in and hopefully find the root cause(s) of the problems.

Failing that then the next step will be a complete wipe of the computer followed by a clean Windows install.

Likely being the only way to get everything fixed again.

Ralston18, here is another example of how that tech issue is causing problems for me (By the way, in case you are wondering, I am in the process of performing all of the steps you told me to perform in an effort to solve the tech problem I made these three threads about. I will let you know when I am finished performing all of the steps and let you know the results I got after performing them.): I am browsing Pirate Bay and the horizontal page turner that is at the bottom of Pirate Bay's search results page ends up being missing whenever I search up anything on the website.



Here is a photo of what I am supposed to be seeing at the bottom of Pirate Bay's search results pages: https://ibb.co/PWckt2M


Here is what I am unfortunately seeing at the bottom of Pirate Bay's search results pages: https://ibb.co/hFNjFD3



By the way, in case you are wondering, the horizontal page turner was displayed in-between that list of search results and that VPN web ad.

I have been experiencing that problem since this morning. Here's how it all went down: I searched up "WWE" on the Pirate Bay, exited out of the web browser I was using to conduct that search, opened up that web browser again a few hours later, searched up the "WWE" on Pirate Bay, and the horizontal page turner was still missing for me.


I tried to search up "WWE" on The Pirate Bay using my other devices and the horizontal page turner was missing on those devices too.

 

[Ralston18]

First - forget about AI and AI worms for the time being. AI very much at the top of the general media FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) list for getting clicks.

As for Pirate Bay;

What are the respective full URLs/pathnames for both linked pages?

As for the missing page turner - are you referring to the left and right pointing arrows at the bottom? What do the arrows do via your browser?

The ads may be covering the arrows/page turner. Some sites make it very difficult to banish an ad window.

 

[COLGeek]

Just for grins...

What is the native resolution of your display(s)?

What resolution do you have set in Windows, if not the native resolution?

What magnification/zoom level/percentage do you typically use on your web browsers?

Why are you looking for anything on Pirate Bay? You are flirting with disaster there.

 

[dwd999]

Based on the above pictures, both of which clearly came from a cell phone, this most likely appears to be a problem with the screen size and/or magnification settings. Perhaps if OP decreases the magnification or holds the phone in the landscape mode the result will be more to OP's liking. The remaining questions are what is the specific make and model of the phone, what is the operating system being used IOS or Android and version, that is the specific browser and version being used, etc.

 

[couldntthinkofausername]

First - forget about AI and AI worms for the time being. AI very much at the top of the general media FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) list for getting clicks.

As for Pirate Bay;

What are the respective full URLs/pathnames for both linked pages?

As for the missing page turner - are you referring to the left and right pointing arrows at the bottom? What do the arrows do via your browser?

The ads may be covering the arrows/page turner. Some sites make it very difficult to banish an ad window.

Ralston18 and dwd999, here are the specs of my device that I am experiencing this tech issue on:

Name of the device: Moto G Stylus (2021)

Name of the operating system that I have on it: Android 11


The CPU of my device: Snapdragon 678 processor



The web browser I was using in those two screenshots is the Android version of Opera. The version of Opera I was using in those two screenshots is 81.6.4292.79147.


As for the horizontal page turner thing I was talking about, it is not really called a "horizontal page turner" and I don't know the correct term for it. With that being said, I just call it a horizontal page turner because I don't know the correct term for it (By the way, if the horizontal page turner thing I am talking about ends up looking familiar to you, then it is because Google used to have one at the bottom of its search results page before they removed it not too long ago and replaced it with a "see more results" button.).



To describe the thing I am calling a horizontal page turner so you will know what I am talking about, I am talking that thing in the first image that has a left blue arrow and clickable numbers on the right side of it (This: https://ibb.co/ZgWSp8H).



The full URL of the first page is https://web.archive.org/web/20110117111816/http://thepiratebay.org/search/wwe/0/99/0. In case you're wondering, the reason why I went on The Pirate Bay on Wayback Machine is so I could get an example of how The Pirate Bay's horizontal page turner looks to show you.


The full URL for the second page is https://thepiratebay.org/search.php?q=Wwe&video=on&search=Pirate+Search&page=0&orderby=

 

[Ralston18]

I really cannot address the "pager turner" in any meaningful manner from this end.

I do not use Android and/or Opera in any manner. Nor do I use or visit Pirate Bay.

Many websites use a similar means to advance through mulitple results on a page by page basis versus line by line. Especially useful if the results are sorted in some manner: e.g., alphabetically or date.

Any given page may have just a few results listed. Or dozens.

= = = =

Too many variables as I understand the postings to date.

All I can suggest is that you test "page turning" on other websites. And, as necessary with other devices, and browsers.

Determine which combinations seem to have missing content and under what circumstances or conditions.

Doing so will require some very methodical testing changing only one thing at a time.

Identify a potential culprit be it the screensize, device, OS, browser, or website. Narrow the down the issue as much as possible.