Automatic Dialing (XP Pro)

Topic

New Reply

Hi,

Over the last weekend I’ve installed XP and been trying to solve some issues. The first and most urgent is this one: I set up a dial-up connection to access the Internet, but each time any program thinks it would be a good idea to connect to their server, Windows -I believe- will use my phone line to gently grant access. For example, I left Outlook open and went to have dinner last night. I came back and a gracious monitor was sitting in my systray. It was just half an hour, but I don’t wanna think what would have happened if I had left home for the night
I’ve searched in many places but could not find where to disable this TERRBILY annoying setting. I know I touched some dialog prompt, when Outlook tried to check mail, but I don’t know if it was an Outlook prompt or a Windows prompt. Either way, I looked in both but to no avail.

I already checked posts: 336115, 280939, and 267574.

Can anyone help?

Reply | Quote

Replies

Does it just happen in Outlook, or all programs?

Check you settings in Internet Options and check your Connections tab. Make sure you have not selected Always Dial My Default Connection as shown in the attached.

Reply | Quote

Hi Mark,

Unfortunately this happens with all programs. For example: I launch Winamp, and automatically the “dialing connection to ISP” prompt appears. It’s infuriating. Same happens with many other programs.
What’s worse, I installed ZoneAlarm to restrict access, but it didn’t work. When an app needs to access the Inernet, ZoneAlarm asks me if I want to grant access. Regardless of my instruction, the prompt appears again.

As for the IE Options, I have them set just like yours. I’m wondering whether there is some registry setting I can change for this annoyance to stop.

Thanks

Reply | Quote

Diego,
—————————————
ZoneAlarm asks me if I want to grant access. Regardless of my instruction, the prompt appears again.
————————————–
Did you also check the remember this setting box when you disallowed access? If it’s a different app asking each time, you may have to go through that routine a few times until you disallow them all.

Bob

Reply | Quote

Hi Bob,

Yes, I checked that box. Nevertheless, programs still get away with it

Reply | Quote

Hi Bob,

Yes, I checked that box. Nevertheless, programs still get away with it

Reply | Quote

Bob,

I re-read both posts, yours and the one you were answering to, and I think there might have been a little confusion. When I said that the prompt appears again, I meant the “dialing connection to ISP” prompt, not the ZoneAlarm prompt. As I’ve checked the box, ZoneAlarm prompts don’t kick in anymore. Still I can check the programs keep disabled from the Programs tab in ZA.

Thanks

Reply | Quote

Bob,

I re-read both posts, yours and the one you were answering to, and I think there might have been a little confusion. When I said that the prompt appears again, I meant the “dialing connection to ISP” prompt, not the ZoneAlarm prompt. As I’ve checked the box, ZoneAlarm prompts don’t kick in anymore. Still I can check the programs keep disabled from the Programs tab in ZA.

Thanks

Reply | Quote

Diego,
—————————————
ZoneAlarm asks me if I want to grant access. Regardless of my instruction, the prompt appears again.
————————————–
Did you also check the remember this setting box when you disallowed access? If it’s a different app asking each time, you may have to go through that routine a few times until you disallow them all.

Bob

Reply | Quote

Hi Mark,

Unfortunately this happens with all programs. For example: I launch Winamp, and automatically the “dialing connection to ISP” prompt appears. It’s infuriating. Same happens with many other programs.
What’s worse, I installed ZoneAlarm to restrict access, but it didn’t work. When an app needs to access the Inernet, ZoneAlarm asks me if I want to grant access. Regardless of my instruction, the prompt appears again.

As for the IE Options, I have them set just like yours. I’m wondering whether there is some registry setting I can change for this annoyance to stop.

Thanks

Reply | Quote

Folks,

Thank you for all your support. I’m happy to say I could solve the problem.

The answer? Well, my XP installation not only brought this issue, but some others as well. I was reading posts related to audio problems in XP when I stumbled upon this thread. User jkjpk refers to Service Tools | Services. I went there, and amazed at the number of services listed I investigated a bit and found the “Automatic Remote Access Connection Administrator” (my translation) Service. It was started, I stopped it and the annoyance was gone. Further, I disabled it so it will never ever have control again.

Thanks again.

Reply | Quote

Folks,

Thank you for all your support. I’m happy to say I could solve the problem.

The answer? Well, my XP installation not only brought this issue, but some others as well. I was reading posts related to audio problems in XP when I stumbled upon this thread. User jkjpk refers to Service Tools | Services. I went there, and amazed at the number of services listed I investigated a bit and found the “Automatic Remote Access Connection Administrator” (my translation) Service. It was started, I stopped it and the annoyance was gone. Further, I disabled it so it will never ever have control again.

Thanks again.

Reply | Quote

Does it just happen in Outlook, or all programs?

Check you settings in Internet Options and check your Connections tab. Make sure you have not selected Always Dial My Default Connection as shown in the attached.

Reply | Quote

Hi, Diego ~

Did you set up the dial-up connection through the ISP’s software or through the Windows Internet Wizard?

Reply | Quote

Hi Bruce,

I have set up two dial-up accounts manually from Control Panel, Network Connections, New Connection. I did not use any software neither from ISPs nor from any other 3rd party.
I remember having a similar problem in Win98, but then I somehow found where to disable the autodial setting (presumably in the same place Mark has just pointed me to). There should be some way to kill it in XP, but for the user’s sake one shouldn’t have to dig so deep to unveil it.

Reply | Quote

Hi Bruce,

I have set up two dial-up accounts manually from Control Panel, Network Connections, New Connection. I did not use any software neither from ISPs nor from any other 3rd party.
I remember having a similar problem in Win98, but then I somehow found where to disable the autodial setting (presumably in the same place Mark has just pointed me to). There should be some way to kill it in XP, but for the user’s sake one shouldn’t have to dig so deep to unveil it.

Reply | Quote

Hi, Diego ~

Did you set up the dial-up connection through the ISP’s software or through the Windows Internet Wizard?

Reply | Quote