Lately, I've been getting a response from Google when doing searches. I get a 403 error, with this information... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Google Error
We're sorry...
... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other spurious software.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google. ------------------------------------------------------------------
What's interesting is that I can click on any of the other "number" links at the bottom, and go to other pages where I have already been, and I can click on "reload", so I know I'm not just reading cache, and I see the activity light on my ADSL modem flash. But if I try to go on to a page where I haven't been yet, then I get the 403 error.
So, I wonder just what is happening?
Here is an example, which I'm experiencing right now...
Search string:
+schematic +simple +wireless +data +link -ghz -module -optical -bluetooth +rf -infrared
Currently on page 10.
Can't click on "next" or on page 11, 12, 13 without getting the error.
The actual URL for the page I can reload is
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bschematic+%2Bsimple+%2Bwireless+%2Bdata+%2...
I can also go back to pages 1, 2, and 6 with no problem (didn't try others).
So I don't think I have an "infection".
I believe I'm running Mozilla 1.7.10, certainly with FC2. I was using the guidescope proxy, but I reconfigured Mozilla to use a direct connection, and got the same symptoms.
Can anyone shed any light? I wasn't even aware Google had any such "protection" built in.
Mike
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
We're sorry... ... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus
or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
It may be concerned about something on the same network as you (i.e. on your ISPs range of addresses), rather than you directly, as the message says in the last five words.
Tim wrote:
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
We're sorry... ... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus
or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
It may be concerned about something on the same network as you (i.e. on your ISPs range of addresses), rather than you directly, as the message says in the last five words.
I thought of that. But why then can I hop around among the previous 10 screens of information without a problem? And I know it's not due to using cache, because (1) I don't use cache (I have the limit set to 0 in Mozilla) and (2) I can "reload" those pages, and verify that I see activity on my ADSL modem.
Mike
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 13:19 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
But why then can I hop around among the previous 10 screens of information without a problem? And I know it's not due to using cache, because (1) I don't use cache (I have the limit set to 0 in Mozilla) and (2) I can "reload" those pages, and verify that I see activity on my ADSL modem.
You may be getting cached pages from Google's cache (if it has one, many high-load servers do cache their outputs, and it'd make sense for Google to do this with the back-and-forthing that searchers do), or your ISPs (if they have one). Just to make things harder to diagnose...
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
Another thing sprang to mind: Do you have options in your browser to prefetch links? In that case, loading one page may cause the browser to request several other things mentioned on the page, even if you never intend to visit them.
I turn off such options, they waste my bandwith, and slow down things.
Tim wrote:
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
Another thing sprang to mind: Do you have options in your browser to prefetch links? In that case, loading one page may cause the browser to request several other things mentioned on the page, even if you never intend to visit them.
I turn off such options, they waste my bandwith, and slow down things.
Does anyone know how to reset Firefox's config to default? I think a couple of speed up changes is causing me a problem with Google maps. Unfortunately I can't remember what I did.
On Tue, 2005-12-27 at 23:30 -0500, Neil Cherry wrote:
Tim wrote:
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.
Another thing sprang to mind: Do you have options in your browser to prefetch links? In that case, loading one page may cause the browser to request several other things mentioned on the page, even if you never intend to visit them.
I turn off such options, they waste my bandwith, and slow down things.
Does anyone know how to reset Firefox's config to default? I think a couple of speed up changes is causing me a problem with Google maps. Unfortunately I can't remember what I did.
---- Close all open browser windows
mv ~/.mozilla/firefox/SALT_PROFILE.default/prefs.js ~/.mozilla/firefox/SALT_PROFILE.default/prefs.js.bak
The SALT_PROFILE is created randomly, replace with your proper path.
Craig
On Tue, 2005-12-27 at 23:30 -0500, Neil Cherry wrote:
Does anyone know how to reset Firefox's config to default? I think a couple of speed up changes is causing me a problem with Google maps. Unfortunately I can't remember what I did.
You could try renaming it's profile directory from the default ".mozilla" to something like ".mozilla-oldprofile" or similar.
$ cd $HOME && mv .mozilla .mozilla-oldprofile
(Or, if you're using GNOME's or KDE's file managers, ensure that the proper "show hidden files" option is enabled and rename it that way.)
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
Currently on page 10.
Can't click on "next" or on page 11, 12, 13 without getting the error.
The actual URL for the page I can reload is
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bschematic+%2Bsimple+%2Bwireless+% 2Bdata+%2Blink+-ghz+-module+-optical+-bluetooth+%2Brf +-infrared&hl=en&lr=&start=90&sa=N
I can also go back to pages 1, 2, and 6 with no problem (didn't try others).
So I don't think I have an "infection".
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Tim wrote:
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
Currently on page 10.
Can't click on "next" or on page 11, 12, 13 without getting the error.
The actual URL for the page I can reload is
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bschematic+%2Bsimple+%2Bwireless+% 2Bdata+%2Blink+-ghz+-module+-optical+-bluetooth+%2Brf +-infrared&hl=en&lr=&start=90&sa=N
I can also go back to pages 1, 2, and 6 with no problem (didn't try others).
So I don't think I have an "infection".
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
That's what I was beginning to suspect. Thanks for trying. I wonder how one would go about reporting this? BTW, are you using Mozilla? It might be an interaction between Mozilla and Google.
Mike
Tim:
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Mike McCarty:
That's what I was beginning to suspect. Thanks for trying. I wonder how one would go about reporting this? BTW, are you using Mozilla? It might be an interaction between Mozilla and Google.
I was using Firefox. I'd wait and see if Google still does the same thing the next day. I've no idea how to report any problems with Google, I'd just go looking through their help pages.
From: "Tim" ignored_mailbox@yahoo.com.au
Tim:
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Mike McCarty:
That's what I was beginning to suspect. Thanks for trying. I wonder how one would go about reporting this? BTW, are you using Mozilla? It might be an interaction between Mozilla and Google.
I was using Firefox. I'd wait and see if Google still does the same thing the next day. I've no idea how to report any problems with Google, I'd just go looking through their help pages.
Blarph it all over slashdot. That should get their attention.
(And I wish everybody here a Merry Christmas or their local equivalent thereto. At least please have a nice day at least.)
{^_-}
Tim wrote:
Tim:
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Mike McCarty:
That's what I was beginning to suspect. Thanks for trying. I wonder how one would go about reporting this? BTW, are you using Mozilla? It might be an interaction between Mozilla and Google.
I was using Firefox. I'd wait and see if Google still does the same thing the next day. I've no idea how to report any problems with Google, I'd just go looking through their help pages.
I found how to report it, and they confirmed the problem. They had some suggestions, which do no apply in my case (delete Google cookie, get latest update to PHP software).
Anyway, they have no workaround.
Mike
Tim wrote:
Tim:
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Mike McCarty:
That's what I was beginning to suspect. Thanks for trying. I wonder how one would go about reporting this? BTW, are you using Mozilla? It might be an interaction between Mozilla and Google.
I was using Firefox. I'd wait and see if Google still does the same thing the next day. I've no idea how to report any problems with Google, I'd just go looking through their help pages.
I waited a day, and went to a friend's house, and verified the same error using Internet Explorer on a Win95 machine. So I'm morally certain they have a defect in their software.
Mike
Tim wrote:
On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 11:05 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote:
Currently on page 10.
Can't click on "next" or on page 11, 12, 13 without getting the error.
The actual URL for the page I can reload is
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bschematic+%2Bsimple+%2Bwireless+% 2Bdata+%2Blink+-ghz+-module+-optical+-bluetooth+%2Brf +-infrared&hl=en&lr=&start=90&sa=N
I can also go back to pages 1, 2, and 6 with no problem (didn't try others).
So I don't think I have an "infection".
Now that a huge download has finished, and my web browser is living and breathing again, I've had a chance to try this, and see the same response. Perhaps Google has a problem, and is producing erroneous error messages.
Try this: 1. Enable cookies for Google 2. Set your preferences. I ask for 100 responses, in English.
Try again. Even if the problem persists, the chances are good you won't want the next hundred.