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Fix problems downloading Norton Power Eraser

For Norton Power Eraser to run, you need to have the Internet access. An incorrect DNS setting or Windows host file setting can block the Internet access on your computer. Check whether you can restore the Internet access on your computer by fixing the proxy settings, DNS settings, or Windows host file settings.

STEP 1

Check proxy settings

  1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type in the following text, and then press Enter.

    inetcpl.cpl

  3. In the Internet Properties window, on the Connections tab, click LAN Settings.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • If you do not use any proxy servers, or if you don't know about proxy servers, make sure that the Use a proxy server for your LAN option is unchecked.

    • If you use a proxy server, make sure that the settings are correct.

  5. Click OK.

  6. In the Internet Options window, click Apply and then click OK.

STEP 2

Check for incorrect DNS settings

  1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type in the following text, and then press Enter.

    control

  3. Click the Network and Internet icon, and then click Network and Sharing Center. In the left pane, click Change adapter settings.

    On Windows XP: Double-click the Network Connections icon.

  4. Right-click the network adapter that is currently active, and then click Properties.

    If the User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes or Continue.

  5. In the Network Connection Properties window, under "This connection uses the following items", click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

  6. Click Properties.

  7. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window, on the General tab, check the DNS server settings.

    • If Use the following DNS server addresses radio button is selected, check the server addresses. Make sure that the DNS server addresses displayed are the same that are provided to you by your Internet service provider or your network administrator.

    • If the DNS server address starts with 85.255.11x.x, then it is more likely that the DNS cache has been poisoned as the result of a Pharming attack.

STEP 3

Fix incorrect Windows host file settings

  1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box

  2. Type in the following text, and then press Enter.

    C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\

    Replace the drive letter if C: drive is not the system drive.

  3. For each Hosts file that you find, right-click the file, and then click Open With or Open.

  4. Double-click Notepad from the list of programs.

    The contents of the hosts file may look similar to this window:

  5. Remove any line that appears in your hosts file without an # at the beginning, apart from the "127.0.0.1 localhost" line.

  6. On the File menu, select Save.

  7. Check if you can access the Internet.

STEP 4

Download Norton Power Eraser and run a scan

Norton Power Eraser is compatible with Windows 7 SP1 and newer operating systems.

  1. Depending on your version of Windows, download one of the following: 
    • On 64-bit Windows: Norton Power Eraser
    • On 32-bit Windows: Norton Power Eraser

  2. Press Ctrl + J key, to open the Downloads window in your browser, and double-click the NPE.exe file.

    If the User Account Control window prompts, click Yes or Continue.

  3. Read the license agreement and click Agree.

    If you have already accepted the license agreement, you will not be prompted again.

    Norton Power Eraser checks for and automatically downloads the new version if available.

  4. In the Norton Power Eraser window, select Full System Scan, and click Run Now.

  5. If you want to include the Rootkit scan, click Settings, and under Scan and Log Settings, toggle the option Include Rootkit scan (requires a computer restart) and click Apply.

  6. When you see a prompt to restart the computer, click Restart.

    Wait for the scan to complete. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Did the scan detect any threat?

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DOCID: kb20100815103914EN
Operating System: Windows
Last modified: 10/07/2024