Computer not connecting to internet

[mickilee]

If you are running zone alarm, uninstall it. It could be blocking the internet.

 

[Fire14]

Thanks for the update, let us know if you hear anything more. My shutdown button has the update symbol on it but I don't want to run it again until I know the problem is fixed.



Is it Windows 7? My Windows Vista laptop is fine.

Yes windows 7 95% sure. I'm to lazy to fire it back up to look.

 

[Fire14]

If you are running zone alarm, uninstall it. It could be blocking the internet.

no zone alarm here. we are back in running order appears to be windows update issue.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm sort of not surprised this happened (globally) as I've been having similar/related problems all summer, caused by Trojan viruses that mess with Windows Updates and security systems on the computer. I can't even tell you how many hours DH an I have spent on the phone with tech support and how many people have been involved with trying to fix our problems. (Probably 20, if not more, and I've heard bits and pieces of tales and stories from every one I talked to, so I've been piecing it together with the admittedly little knowledge I have of such things. )

Generally our Verizon Security and Malaware Bytes takes care of any threats or malware, but these ones were tricky - because they messed up with Security and Restart (related to Updates), they somehow shut security off and/or wouldn't come off during rebooting. You'd just get "Installing Updates, Do Not Restart" forever. Tech support (from the security software company, the ISP, and others brought in - all kinds of people involved) were really going crazy trying to get these off, using other programs they had themselves.

I was at a point of thinking I'd need to get a new laptop, mine was so screwed up, but I finally got one tech who figured it out and fixed it. (And I have to add with a lot of prompting from me saying please run another malware scan to make sure they're off, cause they'd say they were off but they'd still be on there - finally figured that out but it was frustrating having everyone say "things should be fine now" and you'd go to use it again and it wasn't. )

Anyway, was doing great (so happy!) till last night when I couldn't connect to internet despite other devices in the house being able to connect with WiFi. And thus began the whole fiasco all over again, with remnants of some of the other problems I'd dealt with not too long ago. Tech support (we pay for premium) was very, very busy last night. We were on hold for 86 minutes at one point, they later called us at 2am after we'd hung up and gone to bed!

After they told of us the massive issue, I was wondering if anyone here was going to post about it.

Funny, I know exactly where I'm picking up the Trojans. I suspected it before, but I'm sure of it now. (And no, it's not here!)

HTH someone else somehow. I'll update if I hear more from Verizon.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you are running zone alarm, uninstall it. It could be blocking the internet.

This is very poor advice. While Zone Alarm could be blocking the internet (although we already covered earlier in the thread that wasn't the case), uninstalling it isn't the fix. Simply turn off the firewall. ZoneAlarm is a valid firewall option.

 

[Albort]

This is a little more advanced, but what I would check on a computer...

From the 'Start' button/Windows button, where you can type in what to run... type 'cmd' (no quotes). You should get a list that has 'Command Prompt'. Run that. You should get a black window with white text.

Type the following: ipconfig /all
Hit Enter.
You should get a list of settings.
Look for:
IP Address. Should be in the form of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Default Gateway (same form above)
DNS Servers (should be two of them listed).

Now type the following: ping <insert default gateway numbers>
Hopefully you get something like:
Reply from <IP>: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64 (repeated 4 times).
If you get "Request Timed Out", that means your computer isn't connecting to to router/modem.

Assuming you get the result that has bytes & time, do the following:
Ping <IP of the DNS server.>
I'm guessing it will fail at this point.

This is the correct way to fix Ur problem. It's most likely the DNS settings.
Along those, refreshing Ur connection with ipconfig /release and /renew.
U can also do /flushdns to clear it.

Though there is a simple way that the computer does this automatically through the troubleshoot portion of network adapter.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Update

Here's what Verizon tech support did for us to get my laptop internet connection working again.

They said that the newest Windows update and McAfee security systems aren't communicating.

They did a restore back to 8/16, then shut off automatic updates for Windows, setting to manual updates.

They said to give it a week or two to give Microsoft time to work out this problem.

Uggh.

At least my computer is working ok again, and we did the same to DD's laptop, which is the same as mine.

DD's did have a malware on it, mine did not.

I think it's a little fishy that the problems I had this summer were also related to the security systems and updates, etc., and think it's all somehow probably related, but this is where we are right now.

HTH someone.

 

[Albort]

Update

Here's what Verizon tech support did for us to get my laptop internet connection working again.

They said that the newest Windows update and McAfee security systems aren't communicating.

They did a restore back to 8/16, then shut off automatic updates for Windows, setting to manual updates.

They said to give it a week or two to give Microsoft time to work out this problem.

Uggh.
HTH someone.

That doesnt really make sense... were ALL your computers affected?
Thing about system restore is that you lose everything between 8/16 - today.

Its possible its just your DNS being screwed up.
Back to my own computer problems... lol.

 

[clm10308]

We had similar problems with my DDs netbook for a long time. She even took it to school to have her computer tacher try to help. Well it hooked up to the school wifi with no problem. Turns out our router (from the phone company) only allows 4devices to be connected. We just had too many thing trying to use the wifi at the same time. When we turned off some of the iPhone stat connect to the wifi automatically, she was able to connect with no trouble.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That doesnt really make sense... were ALL your computers affected?
Thing about system restore is that you lose everything between 8/16 - today.

Its possible its just your DNS being screwed up.
Back to my own computer problems... lol.

No, only mine was affected. But her laptop is the same as mine so we figured we'd do the same for hers since she did have a malware on it and it was running slowly, etc. Doing a disc cleanup and defragmentation on hers as well, as we do to keep things running smoothly, etc. Neither of us used the computers much since 8/16 so we won't lose much.

 

[Nolcrest]

I had this same issue at the beginning of the summer. Using my laptop one minute and next time I signed on I had no service. I spent hours trying to figure out why. Other laptops were working fine.

Long story short all I needed to do was press the F2 key and it connected me again. Happened 3 times and each time F2 worked.

 

[msmayor]

Had this issue with my desktop a few months ago. All wireless devices in the house had no issues connecting to the internet, yet the desktop simply had no connection. The desktop is the "mothership", meaning the desktop was wired with an ethernet to the router which is bringing the signal into the house. I tried just connecting the incoming internet signal directly to the desktop (eliminating the router) and still no connection.

The conclusion was that the network card in the PC was shot and no longer capable of receiving the internet signal.

I went to Office Max and invested in a USB Wireless Network Connection. Plugged it into one of the USB ports in the tower and disconnected the ethernet cable from the modem. Now my desktop communicates with the modem wirelessly...just like the laptops...and we have no trouble at all connecting with the internet.

 

[DebbieB]

Update

Here's what Verizon tech support did for us to get my laptop internet connection working again.

They said that the newest Windows update and McAfee security systems aren't communicating.

They did a restore back to 8/16, then shut off automatic updates for Windows, setting to manual updates.

They said to give it a week or two to give Microsoft time to work out this problem.

Uggh.

At least my computer is working ok again, and we did the same to DD's laptop, which is the same as mine.

DD's did have a malware on it, mine did not.

I think it's a little fishy that the problems I had this summer were also related to the security systems and updates, etc., and think it's all somehow probably related, but this is where we are right now.

HTH someone.

I have Windows 7 and McAfee.

I left my computer on overnight and it updated at 3:00am. I just did a restart and it's fine. So I guess the update is fixed. Give yours a shot.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So all of a sudden after my laptop was restarted yesterday, I started having the same problem.

The WiFi indicated it was connected, but I could not access the Internet. I couldn't even ping my router.

The problem is, in fact, due to a McAfee update on Saturday.

McAfee has a solution.

Follow these instructions, they worked for me:

http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?lc=1033&id=TS101446

 

[DebbieB]

So all of a sudden after my laptop was restarted yesterday, I started having the same problem.

The WiFi indicated it was connected, but I could not access the Internet. I couldn't even ping my router.

The problem is, in fact, due to a McAfee update on Saturday.

McAfee has a solution.

Follow these instructions, they worked for me:

http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?lc=1033&id=TS101446

Mine was working fine all week. Then this morning, I turned it on and it would not connect. I did a restore again. I'll checkout that article. Ugh!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am having problems again, too!

Getting notice saying my Malaware Bytes is corrupt; getting balloons about Updates; Homepage missing; and not connecting.

 

[DebbieB]

I got a popup for a McAfee update yesterday, I ran it and then restarted, it was OK. Then I ran the windows updates that were waiting, it ran OK and so far is working.

 

[dodukes]

My mom had the same issue and I spent two hours yesterday before I figured out it was McAffee.
You can restart your computer in safe boot with network and it should connect to internet no probs. Then go to ***.mcafee.com and just follow the prompts and then reboot in normal mode. It should be working then.

My moms works fine now.

 

[Fire14]

My mom had the same issue and I spent two hours yesterday before I figured out it was McAffee.
You can restart your computer in safe boot with network and it should connect to internet no probs. Then go to ***.mcafee.com and just follow the prompts and then reboot in normal mode. It should be working then.

My moms works fine now.

What I had to do on my computer. NOthing like reading instructions from your ipad to fix your desktop.

 

[dodukes]

What I had to do on my computer. NOthing like reading instructions from your ipad to fix your desktop.

funny, i was on my laptop on my lap trying to read instructions on how to fix this for my mom.