Won't connect to networks

ScumLord

I'm trying to fix a friends laptop, its a Compaq Presario CQ60-114EM windows vista.

They said that a few months ago it stopped going on the internet so I brought it home.

It can see networks but it won't pick up an IP address from DHCP and if I put in the IP addresses manually it still can't pick up the net. When I ping the router I get the response "general failure". Some websites say that means the NIC has failed (ping 127.0.0.1 says general failure) but I installed a spare USB NIC I have here and that suffers the same problem.

I've tried updating the driver,
Tried rolling back the driver to the factory one from the restoration partition and reinstalling anti virus Norton using HPs recovery manager as that was recommended on another forum with similar problems but no luck.

I have a spare router and set that up both wirelessly and wired trying to get it working on just that one but no luck, so that's 3 separate routers it's been unable to connect to.

I've tried turning netbios over TCP/IP on and off, I think I've gone through every setting I know of.

Alanstrainor

Moved from laptops.

dub45

Have you turned off any firewall that might be installed?

ScumLord

Sorry yes, firewall completely off. On the reinstall of Norton the Norton firewall service fails to start. I'll get the actual error message when I'm at home again.

ScumLord

The error Norton internet security throws up on startup is

"failed to set up personal firewall
(link to help page I can't follow)
5002,5"

I assume that means it's off, there's no firewall on in security centre.

PogMoThoin

Uninstall Norton. I've seen it cause numerous problems like this. Its worse than a virus IMO

kippy

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Uninstall Norton. I've seen it cause numerous problems like this. Its worse than a virus IMO

100% agree with that comment.
Remove Norton and all its bits and pieces. Use Microsoft Security Essentials or something similar.

ScumLord

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Uninstall Norton. I've seen it cause numerous problems like this. Its worse than a virus IMO

I think Norton may be the cause of the problem but when I got the laptop Norton was gone off it. When I looked around for solutions to this problem people had said that something similar happened to them after they uninstalled Norton. So I tried reinstalling to see if it would fix the problem but it hasn't but it doesn't look like the install is working properly anyway.

kippy

Can you run a system restore?
It may at least bring the PC back to a working state but you may lose some recenting installed files and settings.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/

ScumLord

kippy wrote: »

Can you run a system restore?
It may at least bring the PC back to a working state but you may lose some recenting installed files and settings.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/

I've been trying to avoid that, they do have data on it they want to keep, I'd love to just recommend they upgrade to Win7 as that has been fixing problems with laptops I've seen left right and centre but the money just isn't there.

It's been months since the laptop connected to the internet I think it goes as far back as October.

kippy

ScumLord wrote: »

I've been trying to avoid that, they do have data on it they want to keep, I'd love to just recommend they upgrade to Win7 as that has been fixing problems with laptops I've seen left right and centre but the money just isn't there.

It's been months since the laptop connected to the internet I think it goes as far back as October.

A system restore done in the manner advised in the link wont remove "data" from the laptop. Just revert software and setting back to a point in time.
Office documents, Movie files, MP3 files photos will remain intact.

Why would you recommend an upgrade to win 7? Even if system restore doesnt do the job, back up all their data and reinstall whatever copy of windows came with the machine either via a DVD/CD or recovery partition.

Vanbis

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Uninstall Norton. I've seen it cause numerous problems like this. Its worse than a virus IMO

It is a virus and useless piece of rubbish.

If you can't ping your local host and Norton is removed then its likely a hardware issue.

PogMoThoin

Use the Norton removal tool
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/Norton-Removal-Tool.shtml

ScumLord

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Use the Norton removal tool
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/Norton-Removal-Tool.shtml

That got it, cheers.

I had tried that winsocfix it didn't work but she's flying away there now.

PogMoThoin

Get a proper AV like Avast and use Spybot for spyware, if they insist on paying for a suite get Nod32

ScumLord

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Get a proper AV like Avast and use Spybot for spyware, if they insist on paying for a suite get Nod32

I have Microsoft security essentials installed now it should be enough. They've already been scared away from the likes of bearshare and limeware so I think they'll be alright.