Just in case anybody else had the same problem, here`s a fix:

Problem: My old familiar google homepage wouldn`t load anymore. An `Apache placeholder` page appeared in it`s place.



Background: I use IE6 and foolishly tried the new IE7 and found it cumbersome and 7 wouldn`t seem to load google.ca as my usual homepage. I had difficulty adding google as a search engine within 7 also. Other pages loaded fine.

I removed it properly and went back to IE6. Flakiness ensued, google.ca wouldn`t load. The familiar `apache placeholder` page kept appearing. Other pages loaded fine.

I removed IE6 and went with Firefox. It wouldn`t load my google.ca homepage either. The same `apache placeholder` page appeared. Other pages loaded fine.

3 different virus checks, spyware checks, adaware checks didn`t offer any hints.



I`m embarassed that it took so long to find the solution, I`m usually as sharp as a tack.



Solution: the `hosts` file had been modified to ban access to many google variants.

I deleted all entries in the hosts file, and Google loads fine now. No more `apache placeholder` page. IE6 works fine, Firefox works fine.



The hosts file is a text file and can be opened with notepad. For XP, it`s located in windows\system32\drivers\etc. (lmhosts.sam is a text file also, with info about how the hosts file works.)



So, if a similar problem occurs, do the virus checks etc first,

Go and look inside the hosts file and just delete offending lines.

-John C.