[GLLUG] Win XP question

[andres at msu.edu]

Quoting frank.dolinar at comcast.net:

> Good morning everyone,
> I've apparently done something less than optimally intelligent to my 
> home office computer over the weekend and now can't get access to the 
> internet under WinXP
> I don't remember the exact message.
> It appears that it doesn't believe that I have any access to the LAN 
> or beyond.
> I immediately tried to access the internet from my Mac, and did so 
> with no problems. So my LAN is working just fine.
> Windows, however, is being anti-social.
> And the basic troubleshooting items that I'm finding on the web to 
> fix the network / LAN / TCP/IP, while easy to follow through (e.g. 
> Control Panel -> Networks -> Connection -> Properties), don't 
> actually appear to make any difference.
>
> As usual, any help will be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Frank

One of the few really nice things about Windows is that when it finds
new hardware, it can go off on a hunt for the driver for the new item,
install it, and in the case of ethernet cards do a DHCP request and
get online, all within seconds.

If the ethernet card came with the computer XP ought to have the
needed driver in its local cabinet files.  So, do the following:

Get into the control panel, then system, then hardware, and you
should see the "device manager".  Click that and you'll get a iist
of all the hardware on your machine.  Network cards should be
there, along with any wireless devices, etc.  Right click your ether-
net card, and delete it.  Yes, zap it.

This will cause Windows tp rip out the IP stack (if the only net
device) driver, and TCP/IP config for it.

Then reboot.  Whenever making 'interesting' changes to Windows,
reboot.  Do not listen to people who say you don't have to. I've
seen too many glitches with the registry when I didn't do that.

When Windows wakes up it will sniff, see the ethernet card and
start rebuilding things.  About 80% of the time this works for me,
and is nearly painless.  If this does not work, report back and
there are other less pleasent things that can be done.

--STeve Andre'
Certified Windows Bigot
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/public/linux-user/attachments/20100830/b2cbbde3/attachment.html>