PCFormat Forum Archive

My friend's internet has stopped working. Nothing, nada.

We've tried everything short of reinstalling Windows (Rollback, replug networkcable, change IP, double check IP, change port on router) and it refuses to work.

The only 2 things that will work are the MXit PC client, and Skype.

Why anything else won't work, I have no idea.

He's running Vista Home Premium (non SP1).

Any ideas?

what browser is he using??

Firewall?

Turned the firewall on and off and on again. Nothing.

Tried both Firefox and IE.

did you install a plugin some time lately? I ask because the same thing happened to me and it turned out it was my java plugin i downloaded for IE... I just rolled back and all was well after...

When you say rolled back and mean System Restore, then yes. We've done that. Still, not working.

Hmm... If i understand this correctly, your PC is connected to the internet (ie skype and other online services work) but you cant browse the net on a browser....

Sound just like the problem i had a few weeks ago, and the roll back sorted it out...

Google any help?

check your dns settings, try using an alternate adress eg. 196.43.42.190

Ok, it's not the DNS. Can't connect using Google's IP, and all the other PCs on the network can still connect to the net.

He's going to reinstall windows tomorrow.

Just to let you know, he has an nVidia mobo (6100 onboard), AMD CPU. If that helps at all.

Maybe as a last resort before reinstalling Windows you could try resetting Winsock.

from the command line type: "Netsh Winsock Reset" (without quotes) and hit enter.

Can other people connect to the internet through the same device?

The Netsh Winsock Reset thing didn't work.

And yes, all the other PCs connect through the same router.

AND he CAN connect to the other PCs on the network.

Should we just reformat and reinstall Windows? Because, as I'm seeing it, there's nothing else that we can really do.

Are you not maybe missing some setting on the router ?
The router maybe has a certain range of MAC addresses in the list of 'allowed clients' - and this will block the internet ?
just my 2c

Anthropoid wrote:Are you not maybe missing some setting on the router ?
The router maybe has a certain range of MAC addresses in the list of 'allowed clients' - and this will block the internet ?
just my 2c

Odd though since he says Skype and Mixit are working which means the router is allowing his MAC/IP address access.

I'm sensing a reformat coming up..

There is a network file hidden in System32 which sometimes disappears (it gets moved out of the system32 folder for some reason) and causes these sorts of problems. I've seen it happen a few times.
Unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember what the file is called, and I don't have my black book of IT tricks with me . It is a .sys file.
Sorry I'm not very much of a help am I? But maybe do a bit of googling about a missing hidden network .sys file in the system32 folder.
You can't copy the file from another pc, you have to find the one that is on that installation - it is an installation specific file unfortunately.

or just format

Is it NDIS.sys? Cuz if it is, then that file is giving me nightmares.

My bro's PC keeps blue screening because that files has a memory leak.