RESOLUTION
ACW
Guided Help to identify and fix connection problems
Guided Help is available to identify and to fix connection problems. Guided Help can automatically perform the steps for you.
The actions that this Guided Help performs cannot be undone after Guided Help is finished.
For more information about Guided Help, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
915092
Description of Guided Help for Microsoft Knowledge Base articles
Requirements to install and to use this Guided Help
- You must be logged on to Windows by using a computer administrator account to install and to use this Guided Help.
- You must be running Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Media Center Edition, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition to install and to use this Guided Help.
You must first download Guided Help. To start, click the following link.
Download Guided Help To download Guided Help for another computer that does not have a working Internet connection, click
Another Computer when you are prompted by Guided Help. Save the Guided_Help.exe file to a removable medium, such as a USB flash drive. Insert the removable medium in the other computer, and then run the Guided_Help.exe program file.
Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool to help identify and fix connection problems
You can use the Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool to test network connectivity and to determine whether your network-related programs and services are working correctly.
For more information about Network Diagnostics for Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
914440
Network Diagnostics for Windows XP is available to help identify and fix network connection problems
Manual steps to identify and fix connection problems
Where to start
The following steps will help determine which section within this
article to start with. You will have to first verify the network connectivity
and then run the network diagnostics tool.
Note You
may have to follow all the steps in this article. However, depending on the results of
the Network Diagnostic test, you may be able to start your troubleshooting
steps in section 2 to resolve the "Page Cannot Be Displayed" issue.
Test other known good sites
Start
Internet Explorer. Type one of
the following addresses in the Address bar:
-
http://www.microsoft.com
- http://www.msn.com
- http://www.hotmail.com
If the problem does not occur when you type one of these addresses in the Address bar, we recommend that you contact the administrator of the site with which you are having a problem. The site may be temporarily
down or updates may be occurring which are limiting access. If the problem does occur when you type one of these addresses in the Address bar, there may be a conflict with another application. Continue with the
following steps.
Verify connectivity
Make sure that the cables that connect the computer to
the modem (this includes cable, DSL and dial-up modems) are secure and
that there is correct activity from the modem.
Note You may
have to contact your Internet Service Provider or (ISP) to verify connectivity.
Run the Network Diagnostics Tool
The Network Diagnostics tool runs several tests on your computer to
determine and report on network connectivity. To run the tool, follow these steps:
- Click Start,
and then click
Help and Support.
- Click Use
Tools to view your computer information and diagnose the problem.
- Click
Network Diagnostics.
- Click Set Scanning Options. Click to select every check box except the Verbose check box.
- Click
Save
Options,
and then click Scan your System.
Note This may take several minutes to
run. - Expand IP address. Make a note of the IP address that is listed.
- If the IP address which starts with
169.x.x.x, Windows has assigned you an automatic IP because it did not receive one
from your Internet service provider. This prevents you from accessing the
Internet.
- If there are any failures, or if you receive an
Automatic Private IP address (APIPA) 169.x.x.x address, start with Section 1 because there may be a hardware configuration issue or a
hardware issue.
- If you do not receive an error, and you receive an IP address that starts with any other number, you may be experiencing a software conflict or a configuration issue.
Start with Section 2.
Section 1: Connectivity issues or network-related issues
Part 1: Power cycle the modem or router It is sometimes possible that your IP settings or configurations
that you receive from your Internet service provider are misconfigured or have to be updated. Power cycling the modem or router updates these
settings.
- Disconnect the cable that goes from the computer to the
modem.
- Turn off the modem. If the modem does not have a power
switch, disconnect the power.
- Wait several minutes. Then, turn on the modem, connect the
cable from the computer to the modem, and restart the computer.
- Test your connection again and see whether you can browse the Internet.
Part 2: Verify firewall or router settings If you connect to the Internet by using a router, it is possible that
the configuration settings in the device have changed or have to be updated. To
determine whether the router may be in conflict, you can connect your
computer directly to the modem or Internet connection to bypass the
router.
Note This will leave your computer vulnerable to
attacks. Make sure that the Windows Firewall is enabled. To enable
the Windows Firewall in Windows XP with Service Pack 2, follow these steps:
- Click Start,
and
then click Control Panel.
- Click Security Center.
- Click Windows Firewall.
- On
the General tab, select
the option to enable the firewall.
To enable the Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP without SP2, follow these steps:
- Click Start,
and
then click Control Panel.
- If you are in Category View,
click Network and Internet
Connections.
- Click Internet Connections, right-click Internet Connection, and then click
Properties.
- On
the Advanced tab, click to select the To protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet. checkbox, and then click OK.
A padlock icon should now appear for the connection you selected.
This means that the firewall has been enabled for this connection. If you have
multiple connections and are not sure as to which should be selected, enable the
firewall on all connections or contact your Internet service provider for
more help in determining which is the appropriate connection.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
875356
How
to configure the Windows Firewall feature in Windows XP Service Pack
2
After your computer is connected directly,
test Internet Explorer. If you can visit Web sites, contact the router's
manufacturer for help in configuring the device. If you are still unable
to visit Web sites, go to Part 3.Part 3: Verify that the network adapter is enabled and working correctly Make sure your network adapter is compatible with Windows XP. Use
device manager to verify that your network adapter is installed correctly and
is working correctly. Update the driver if you must.
For more information about how to
determine whether your network adapter is compatible with Windows XP, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314062
The latest Windows XP hardware compatibility list
319908 Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP
315275 Your network adapter does not work and Windows XP does not include a compatible driver for the network adapter
If you find that the network adapter is
not functioning or is incompatible with Windows XP, you may have to contact an
independent hardware vendor to purchase a compatible card. If your card's
driver is not installed correctly, you may have to contact the hardware
manufacturer for the latest driver update.
To determine if your
network adapter is not installed or detected correctly, verify the device in
Device Manager. If there is a exclamation mark icon or a question mark icon appears next to
the device, double-click the device, and then verify the error that appears.
To access Device Manager, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click Run,
type devmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
- Right-click My Computer, click
Manage, and then click Device
Manager.
- Right-click My Computer, click
Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then
click Device Manager.
- Type the following at a command prompt:
start devmgmt.msc
To access Device Manager on a local or remote
computer, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click Run,
type mmc, and then click OK..
- Click File, click Add/Remove Snap In,
click Add, and then click Device Manager.
A Device Manager shortcut is
created.
The following list
describes three common error codes and provides possible resolutions:
- Code 10
This device cannot start. (Code 10)
If the device has a FailReasonString value in its hardware
key, that string appears as the error message. The driver or enumerator puts
this registry string value there. If there is no FailReasonString in the
hardware key, you receive the following error message: To resolve this problem, click Update Driver
to update the drivers for this device. Click the General
Properties tab of the device, and then click Troubleshoot to
start the Troubleshooting Wizard. - Code 28
The drivers for this device are not
installed. (Code 28)
To resolve this problem, install the drivers for this device, click Update
Driver. This starts the Hardware Update Wizard. - Code 1
This device is not configured correctly.
(Code 1)
To resolve this problem, update the driver by clicking Update Driver, which starts the Hardware Update Wizard. If updating the driver does not work, see your hardware
documentation for more information.
For more information about Device Manager error codes or if you receive an error code that was not mentioned earlier, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310123
Explanation of error codes generated by Device Manager in Microsoft
Windows XP Professional
If no exclamation mark icons appear and the latest drivers are
installed, go to Part 4.Part 4: Repair the connection The connection settings may have to be renewed or may be misconfigured. Repairing the connection will reset some configuration
settings.
- Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl,
and then click OK.
- Right-click the appropriate network connection, and
then click Repair.
- Test your connection.
For more information about repairing a connection, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
289256
A
description of the Repair option on a local area network or high-speed Internet connection
If you are still unable
to visit Web sites, go to Part 5.Part 5: Repair Winsock These issues may occur if the Winsock registry keys are damaged or corrupted.
Warning Programs that access or monitor the Internet, such as antivirus programs,
firewall programs, and proxy clients, may be negatively affected when you run the
netsh winsock reset command. If you have a program that no longer functions correctly
after you follow these steps, reinstall the program. On computers that are running Windows XP
with Service Pack 2, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click Run, type netsh
winsock reset, and then click OK.
- When the Command Prompt flashes, restart the computer.
On computers that are running Windows XP without Service Pack 2, follow these steps.
Note Editing the registry can cause serious problems with the
operating system and could lead to an unstable environment. Make a backup of the registry key that you are editing before you make any
changes.
Note We recommend that you back up the keys before you continue. To back up
the key, right-click it and select export. This will prompt you for a name
and save it. By default, it is saved in the My Documents folder. You can delete this file after you confirm that the system is working correctly.
Step 1: Delete registry keys
- Click Start, click
Run, type regedit, and
then click OK.
- In Registry Editor, locate the following
keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2
- Right-click each key, and then click Delete
- When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click
Yes.
- Restart the computer.
For more information about Winsock, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
811259
How to determine and recover from Winsock2 corruption
Step 2: Install TCP/IP
- Right-click the network connection, and then click Properties.
- Click Install.
- Click Protocol, and then click Add.
- Click Have Disk.
- Type C:\Windows\inf, and then click OK.
- On the list of available protocols, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click OK.
- Restart the computer.
If you are still unable
to visit Web sites, go to Part 6.Part 6: Reset TCP/IP TCP/IP may have become damaged or some configurations may have
been changed. Resetting TCP/IP should reconfigure these settings
appropriately. To reset TCP/IP, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click
Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
- At the command prompt, type the following information, and then press Enter:
netsh int ip reset filename.txt
For more information about resetting Winsock and TCP/IP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
299357
How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP
Part 7: Verify the Hosts filesHosts files have been used to redirect Web site names to
IP addresses. Some malicious software, such as malware and spyware, can add
entries in this file that can prevent you from browsing.
Note In some cases, legitimate entries are added by system
administrators. Alternatively, you may have added entries yourself. If you rename a Hosts file, the redirections in it will no longer work. For more information, contact your system or network administrator.
To determine whether
the problem is caused by entries in Hosts files, look for Hosts files on
the local computer, and then rename all the Hosts files that you find. To
do this, follow these steps:
- Click Start, point to
Search, and then click For Files and
Folders.
- In the All or part of the file name box,
type hosts.
- In the Look in list, click the hard
disk, and then click Search.
- Click all the Hosts files that are found. If more
than one Hosts file is found, select them all.
- Press F2.
- Type a new name. For example, type oldhosts, and then press ENTER.
Make a note of the
new file name. You may have to change the name back if this does not
resolve the issue.
For more information about renaming multiple files in Windows
XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
320167
How to rename multiple files in Windows XP with Windows Explorer
If you are still unable to browse the Internet, go to Section 2.
Section 2: Third-party software or Internet connections settings issues
The following should help identify and resolve any
software related issues which may be causing the error.Part 1: Test in Safe mode with NetworkingOne thing to note is that any PPPOE connections that require a
user name and password will not work from Safe Mode. Most DSL connections and
dial-up connections are PPPOE. Therefore, they will not work unless they are
persistent connections to the Internet, such as a cable connection.
To start the computer in Safe mode, following these steps:
- Restart the computer. Press the
F8 key repeatedly when the screen goes blank.
- Click Safe
Mode with Networking,
and press ENTER.
- If you are presented with an option to select a version of
Windows, select the appropriate version, and then press ENTER.
- After the computer has started in Safe mode, test your connection.
If you can connect when the computer is in Safe mode, there is usually a
third-party tool or program conflict. A clean boot may help you resolve the conflict. Restart the computer in Normal mode and go to Part 2.
If you cannot browse the Internet when the computer in Safe mode, there may be a
problem with the network adapter. Go to Section 1. If you have already tried the procedures in Section 1, and the network adapter is working
correctly, continue with the following sections.
For more information about Safe Mode options, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
315222
A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP
Part 2: Clean boot Windows XPIf you are running a third-party firewall program, a configuration setting may have changed or may have to be updated. Alternatively, another third-party program may be misconfigured and may be conflicting with Internet
Explorer. Follow these steps to identify a conflicting program.
- Click Start,
click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
- Click the General tab, click Selective
Startup, click to clear all the check boxes except the Load System Services check box.
- Click the Services tab, and then click Hide
all Microsoft Services.
- Click Disable all.
Note By disabling third-party party services, antivirus and firewall software may be disabled. To keep the computer as secure as
possible in this state, we recommend that you enable the Internet
Connection Firewall or Windows Firewall before you try to connect again. See Part 2 of Section 1 for more information about how to do this. - Click OK, and select the option to
restart.
- After the computer has restarted, test the Internet
connection.
If the connection works, there is a conflict with an program or tool that is loads when the computer starts. To identify the program or tool that is causing the conflict, use the Msconfig tool.
Note Be aware that if you disable all the Microsoft services
and restart the computer, the System Restore tool will be disabled. You will
lose all your restore points. Therefore, we do not recommend that you disable all the Microsoft services when you troubleshoot by using Msconfig. Check to see if a third-party service may be causing the conflict
- Click Start,
click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
- Click the Services tab, enable all
the services, and then click OK.
- Restart the computer and test the connection again.
If the connection works, go to the "Check to see if a third-party program may be causing the conflict" section.
If the connection still does not work, a third-party service is conflicting with Internet Explorer.
To identify which one, follow these steps:
- Click Start,
click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
- Click the Services tab.
- Enable half the services on the list, and
then click OK.
- Restart the computer and test the connection.
- Continue this process until you identify the service that is conflicting with Internet Explorer. We recommend that you remove or disable the service.
Note You may
have to contact the developer of the program for information about how to do this.
Check to see if a third-party program may be causing the conflict
- Click Start,
click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
- Click the Startup tab.
Because of the number of entries
that may be listed, we recommend that you find the conflicting program by using a process of elimination. - Click to select half of the items that are listed, and
then click OK.
- Restart the computer, and then test the connection.
- Continue this process until you have identified the conflicting program.
- We
recommend that you remove the program if you are not using it or configure the program so that it does not start when the computer starts.
Note You may
have to contact the developer of the program for information about how to do this.
If a clean boot process does not identify or resolve the issue,
change the settings in the tool so that the computer starts in Normal mode.
Note We recommend that you enable Windows Firewall or Internet
Connection Firewall before disabling any third-party party services as this will
disable any antivirus and Firewall software leaving the computer in a
vulnerable state.
Part 3: Test by using a new user accountIf you still cannot browse the Internet, there may be some corruption with the user account you
are currently using. If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, test this by logging in as a different user. If this resolves the problem, we recommend that you create a new user account and transfer your settings and files
to that new account.
For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
279783
How to create and configure user accounts in Windows XP
If this does not resolve the problem, go to the next step. If you created a new user account and want to remove it, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 279783.
If this resolves the problem, transfer your settings from the old account to the new
account by copying the files from the old user's My Documents folder or
by using the File and Settings Transfer Wizard.
Warning If you copy your files from the My Documents folder, you will not
necessarily transfer all the files that you have created or that you use. You may have saved files to a different location. Also, note that your settings, such as your favorites,
will not be transferred when you use this method. We recommend that you verify
that all your files and settings have been transferred before you delete the old
account.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
306187
How to use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard with a wizard disk in Windows XP
Part 4: Run antivirus software and antispyware softwareIf you have antivirus software or antispyware software installed, update it and run the software. To download third-party antivirus
trial software, visit the following Web site:
For more information about virus software and other malicious
software, visit the following Web site:
After you have determined that your system does not have malicious software installed, test to see if the problem is resolved. If it is not resolved, go to Section 3.
Section 3: Internet Explorer configuration settings
Part 1: Optimize Internet Explorer By optimizing Internet Explorer, you can clear old files and settings
that may be causing conflicts and may be preventing you from connecting to the Internet.
To optimize Internet Explorer, follow these steps:
- In Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet
Options.
- Click the General tab.
- Under Temporary Internet
files, click
Delete Files.
- Click to select the Delete all offline
content check box, and then click OK.
- Click Delete Cookies. When you are prompted to confirm this selection, click
OK.
- Click
Settings.
- Click View Objects.
- Click View, and then click Details.
- If Damaged appears in the Status column for any program file, remove that
program file.
- Close the Downloaded Program Files dialog box.
- In the Settings dialog box, click OK .
- Under History, click Clear
History, and then click Yes when you are
prompted to confirm the selection.
- In the Internet Options dialog box, click
OK.
- Try to browse the Internet.
Part 2: Reset default settings in Internet Explorer Setting security settings too high may prevent Internet
Explorer from displaying a Web site. Therefore, we recommend that you set these
settings to a default level and test whether these settings are causing a conflict. To do this, follow these steps:
- In Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
- Click the Security tab.
- Click Internet, and then click Default Level .
- Click Intranet, and then click Default Level.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click Restore Defaults.
- Close Internet Explorer, reopen Internet Explorer, and then try to browse the Internet.
If this does not resolve the problem, you can return restore Internet Explorer to its previous security level.Part 3: Disable third-party browser extensions Browser extensions are used by some Web sites to provide additional
content, such as Flash movies. It is possible that one of these extensions is
damaged or is conflicting with Internet Explorer. To disable all third-party browser extensions, follow these steps:
- Click Start, right-click Internet
Explorer, and then click Internet
Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Click to clear the Enable third-party browser
extensions (requires restart) check box.
- Click Apply, and then click OK.
- Start Internet Explorer, and then try to browse the Internet.
For more information about how to manage add-ons in Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
883256
How to manage Internet Explorer add-ons in Windows XP Service Pack 2
Part 4: Register Internet Explorer DLLs Some core Internet Explorer files may have been
unregistered. This means that a required file may no longer have its location
identified in the registry. Reregistering Internet Explorer DLLs replaces any
missing links in the registry for these files.
Note For the file to be correctly registered, make sure that you press
ENTER or click
OK after each entry.
- Click Start, click Run, and then type each of the following commands. Press ENTER after you type each command.
regsvr32 urlmon.dll
regsvr32 shdocvw.dll
regsvr32 msjava.dll
regsvr32 browseui.dll
regsvr32 mshtml.dll
regsvr32 jscript.dll
regsvr32 vbscript.dll - Test
to see if the problem is resolved. If it is not resolved, go to step 3.
- Click Start, click Run, and then type each of the following commands. Press ENTER after you type each command.
regsvr32 urlmon.dll
regsvr32 wininet.dll
regsvr32 wintrust.dll
regsvr32 initpki.dll
regsvr32 dssenh.dll
regsvr32 rsaenh.dll
regsvr32 gpkcsp.dll
regsvr32 sccbase.dll
regsvr32 slbcsp.dll
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll
regsvr32 softpub.dll
Registering these DLL files should resolve the problem if it is being caused by unregistered DLL files. However, the following DLL files may also cause the problem if they are unregistered.
actxprxy.dll | mobsync.dll |
asctrls.ocx | msapsspc.dll |
cdfview.dll | mshta.exe |
comcat.dll | mshtmled.dll |
comctl32.dll | msident.dll |
corpol.dll | msieftp.dll |
cryptdlg.dl | msnsspc.dll |
digest.dll | msr2c.dll |
dispex.dll | msrating.dll |
dxtmsft.dll | msxml.dll |
dxtrans.dll | occache.dll |
hlink.dll | oleaut32.dll |
iepeers.dll | plugin.ocx |
iesetup.dll | pngfilt.dll |
imgutil.dll | proctexe.ocx |
inetcpl.cpl | scrobj.dll |
initpki.dll | sendmail.dll |
inseng.dll | setupwbv.dll |
licmgr10.dll | tdc.ocx |
mlang.dll | webcheck.dll |
After you have registered all of these DLL files, try again to browse the Internet. If the problem is not resolved, and you have not tried the procedures in Section 2 or Section 3, try those first. If you have followed the procedures in those sections, go to Section 4.
Section 4: Damaged or missing core Windows files
Part 1: Run System File CheckerThis problem may occur if some core system files have been removed or
replaced. To resolve this problem run System File Checker (SFC) scan to identify missing system files. Then, replace these files.
To run SFC, follow these steps:
- Click Start,
click Run, type cmd, and then click
OK.
- Type sfc
/scannow, and then press ENTER.
For more information about System File Checker and Windows File Protection, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
222193
Description of the Windows File Protection feature
Part 2: System Restore If no other step that was mentioned earlier has resolved the issue and
the problem has only started recently, a System Restore may be performed to
restore the operating system to a previous working state.
Note
This
step will not necessarily help identify the problem, but it will set the
computer to a previous, working state.
Note When you
restore the system to a previous state,
any programs or updates that have been installed since that date are be
removed.
To restore the system to a previous working state, see
the following article:
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
306084
How to restore the operating system to a previous state in Windows XP
This article also provides steps that you can use to undo
the restore if the restore point that you select does not resolve the problem. If the System Restore does not resolve
the issue, you can select an earlier date as the restore point.