No Internet, no system restore

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Hi
This is my first post here and I am hoping somebody can help me. Some time ago my brother’s laptop stopped connecting to the internet. He took it to PC World who kept it for a few weeks before telling him they couldn’t fix it as it has no internet drivers. I have therefore been given the task of trying to fix it for him.

I spent all day yesterday on this and this is what I’ve found. when I first turned it on it ran a system check (obviously PC World hadn’t shut down properly) and got a lot of inconsistent errors which Windows XP then fixed. It can connect to the wireless router no problem but simply cannot access the internet. I followed lots of instructions online including renewing the iP address but still wouldn’t connect. I looked in Device Manager and found a big yellow question mark next to the Ethernet Controller so I downloaded one for the Acer 1 Netbook (his laptop) and installed it which fixed the yellow question mark but didn’t fix the connectivity issue. I tried installing chrome to see if it is an IE problem but no. I ran malwarebytes and it found 9 problems which it fixed but still not connecting.

Finally I tried to do a system restore and got an error message that system restore cannot protect my computer and to turn it off and on again then try running it again. I did this a few times but kept getting the same error message. Why won’t system restore even work?

My brother has given me an Acer restore disk etc but as it’s a notebook it has no cd-rom drive and I have no external cd-rom.

I’m pulling my hair out – any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
Caroline

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Forgot to mention that when I ran IPConfig there is nothing in there for DNS – should there be?

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Does the computer get a valid IP? If you run IPConfig, what value does it show for IP?

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Hi
I can’t remember (at work atm) but it was 198.0. something or other so seemed ok?

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If it is such a value, it would be ok, but I would check nonetheless. Is the adapter configured to obtain the IP and DNS server automatically?

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Hi yes thats one of the instructions I found on the internet and checked

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And it doesn’t still get DNS server information from the router? Are there other devices / computers connected to the same router?

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Hi
Yes there are another 6 computers that are able to access it. It is seeing the router but just doesn’t connect to the internet. It was the same at their house. PC World say internet drivers are missing. I’ve reinstalled ethernet controller but not sure if that’s the right thing to do and I’ve tried reinstalling IE and Chrome.

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Can it access other computers on the network and resources shared by those computers?

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I haven’t looked at that yet, but will look tonight when at home. If it can see other computers what would you suggest? Likewise, if it can’t?

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If it can, you can share the cd / dvd reader from one of those to access the Windows XP disk and maybe try a non destructive repair install. Otherwise I would probably try to get XP into a USB flash drive or an external disc, to try to perform the repair install.

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Okay thanks, I’ll give that a try tonight.

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Also, check the router configuration. There are a number of ways to limit internet access at the router level.

Joe

--Joe

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Hi Joe
But surely if all the other laptops and mobile phones can access the internet via the sky router then it has no other limits?

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Hi Joe
But surely if all the other laptops and mobile phones can access the internet via the sky router then it has no other limits?

Not necessarily. It depends on the router.

Joe

--Joe

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Okay thanks

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Hi
I spent another 4 hours last night on my brother’s netbook but still do not get internet connectivity and no system restore working. I have checked the router and it all seems fine. Here is what I have done so far:-

Installed the ethernet controller for the netbook (Acer Aspire One)
Followed instructions for releasing and renewing IP
Checked it is set to get DNS automatically
Downloaded and reinstalled IE
Downloaded and reinstalled Chrome
Nearly chucked it out of the window!!!

This is where I’m at. I cannot see the home network (but I’m not sure if I am supposed to set it up to see it or if it should see it automatically). I am connected to the router with excellent signal strength. When I click on internet I get the Cannot Display message and this has been like this for some months in three different places. It started in October when my brother was using it but he doesn’t know why (maybe SP update?); he took it to PC World who kept it for 3 weeks and then said it was an IE drivers issue and gave it back to him (have to add that when I got it from my brother it was doing a file check as PC world hadn’t even shut it down).

I’ve tried to do a system restore but get the message ‘System Restore is not able to protect your computer. Please restart your computer then run system restore again’. I’ve done that about 10 times but still get the same message.

I have tried pinging google and get request timed out fourtimes and then Packets Sent = 4; Packets Received = 0; Packets Lost = 4 (100%)
I had some instructions to reset ipv6 using netsh command and get the following message ‘ipv6 is not installed’.

This is an Acer Aspire 1 netbook. I have run Malware bytes and it orignally found and removed 19 problems but now it finds none. It has no cd-rom so I can’t run the repair disc that came with it.

Can anyone help me more?

Thanks
Caroline

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Okay thanks

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I think you will need to get XP into a USB flash drive and try a non destructive repair install.

I guess this can be easier or harder depending on what type of disc Acer provided with the netbook. If it provided an OS disc, you could simply copy all the contents to the flash drive. If it is not, then it maybe harder to copy it to a flash drive and reboot from it. Also, in the latter case, once you get it to boot and run the disc, it will wipe everything and restore the disc to factory condition, so you may want to backup all user data. Does the manual provide any suggestions on restoring the netbook to factory condition, or reinstalling Windows?

Can you get a XP disc matching your computer version? Does the laptop have the windows key, that you can then use to validated XP afterwards?

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Hi
I’ve just googled “Acer Aspire 1 recovery” and found that all the recovery files are on the partitioned drive so should be easy enough for me to do. I will try it tonight. Thank you!

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Did you get a thorough explanation of the recovery process? Usually recovery data is in the hard drive, but you still need to boot to a CD / DVD to use them.

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This is what it says:
Step 1
Copy any data that you want to keep onto a removable USB drive. All data stored on the computer will be deleted during the recovery process.

Step 2
Restart the computer and watch the screen for the “Acer” logo. As soon as the logo appears, press the “Alt” and “F10” keys at the same time. This will take you to the Acer eRecovery menu. You will see the Windows XP startup screen appear briefly.

Step 3
Press “Enter” to begin the recovery process. A warning screen will appear, warning you that all data will be lost. Press “Enter” to continue. First, the hard drive will be formatted, followed by Windows being re-installed. The process will take approximately 1 hour. You can follow the progress using the progress bar displayed on the screen during the recovery process.

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Ok, seems you can do it without the need for external devices, so that is good. Be sure to backup all the data you need.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck :).

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I will do….fingers crossed!

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Well I tried but it didn’t work. I tried many times but it just keeps booting into Windows, yet the internet claims that you can do this with Acers. The notebook is now running very very slow in addition to all the other problems.

I have backed up all the data ready but I’m stuck now as to what to do next as there’s no cd-drive and it can’t see networks to use another one.

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Do you have a manual for the computer? Can you post the specific model of the computer?

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Hi
No there is no manual. It’s the Acer Aspire One netbook.
It seems from everything I’ve read that the acer recovery management programme would fix it but Alt + F10 doesn’t work and when I looked in program files last night there was no acer recovery programme. Maybe restoring back to factory settings isn’t going to work for me.

I need to find out why it won’t connect to the internet. It is seeing the wireless no problem but when I ping a website it fails. It’s also soooooo slow I wanted to throw it out of the window last night but my brother really needs it back and I’m trying my hardest. Grrrr

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I need to find out why it won’t connect to the internet. It is seeing the wireless no problem but when I ping a website it fails.

Have you tried manually assigning IP and DNS to the notebook? I would try this..

1. Go to a working computer also connected to the router you’re using, open a DOS command prompt on the working computer and type “ipconfig /all” (without the quotes)

2. Make a note of the following values returned by the working computer:

– IP Address
– Subnet Mask
– Default Gateway
– DNS Servers (there should be two)

3. Back on the problem notebook, bring up the Properties window of the LAN connection you’re using to connect the laptop to the router

4. From the General Tab, edit the “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” properties

5. Select “Use the following IP address:” and “Use the following DNS server addresses:”

Type values identical to the ones you made a note of in step 2, EXCEPT the last three digits of the IP Address – this needs to be unique to your particular LAN, something different to any other computer or device connected to the same LAN. I usually just try a random high number like .189 or .243 as the last three digits of the IP address on a LAN I’m not familiar with. You’ll soon know if you duplicate another machines IP address.

Click OK to save what you’ve just entered and OK again.

Now open a DOS prompt window on the problem laptop that you’ve just manually assigned IP / Gateway / DNS information to the network adapter.

Type the following; ipconfig /flushdns

Now type “ping google.com” – if no result, reboot and try to ping google again. Also try “ping 74.125.237.69” (That’s just one of google.com’s IP addresses..

If you get a reply then you have connectivity and the problem is with Auto DNS.. If you don’t get a reply with “known good” manual settings for the LAN you’re connected to, then I’ve just wasted about 5 minutes of my time

I’ve assumed you have a fairly good working knowledge with my instructions above.. hope it all makes sense and would be interested to know if it helped. Has worked for me many times over the years and given me an idea as to where to start looking to trouble shoot why connectivity won’t work using Auto IP and DNS settings. Just rebooting the modem / router (believe it or not!) has also resolved the issue in the past, despite other machines on the LAN having zero connectivity problems.

Good luck & have fun

Cheers…

[Edit – After Thought]

After re-reading your original post I just wanted to comment on this..

[Quote]I looked in Device Manager and found a big yellow question mark next to the Ethernet Controller so I downloaded one for the Acer 1 Netbook (his laptop) and installed it which fixed the yellow question mark but didn’t fix the connectivity issue.[/Quote]

If you were able to locate an Ethernet driver for the laptop that easily, then in my humble opinion, a Tech did not even look at the laptop at PC World – No computer technician worth his salt would return a laptop with a missing Ethernet driver if they truly attempted to correct the problem. I sure hope they didn’t charge anything for the attempted repair?

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This is the first program I suggest to use for a remedy – Rizone Complete Internet Repair, which can be downloaded from CNET at:
http://download.cnet.com/Complete-Internet-Repair/3000-2094_4-75332305.html
If this does not repair the problem I suggest Windows Repair from Tweaking.com, which has solved many problems for me:
http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html
They will easily fit on a flash drive, and together are a great repair arsenal.

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Other than a factory reset, all I can suggest is a Windows repair install, but you will need Windows XP in a flash drive. I find it surprising that there is no manual and the ones I found online do not provide factory reset instructions.

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I think my brother probably bought it second hand – cash converters is his favourite shop :rolleyes: I don’t suppose there’s a way of downloading the disc from online to get onto a flash drive?

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I am not aware of a way to download XP unless you have a Technet or MSDN license, sorry. Any XP disc with a matching version to the one being used is usable and you can use a tool such as WinToFlash:

http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

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start, run, (type in) cmd
at the prompt (type in)
sfc(space)/scannow
(go take a break, because it will take awhile)

that’s XP’s system file checker, if you are missing any system files that will put them back

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It is unlikely that sfc /scannow will help, unless Caroline has a copy of the original installation program or its I386 folder. The I386 needs to be specific for the OS loaded, and to be available during the sfc process, otherwise the process will stall when the first error is reached.
It is possible to copy I386 into the netbook, and then to amend the registry to reference that copy, but that will depend on whether Caroline has the folder on the recovery disk.
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html for more info.

Garth

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So finally, 4 days later, I got his netbook online. I did this by uninstalling the network adapter and reinstalling a later version – it was that simple. However, the speed of the thing is horrendous. My brother tells me it’s always been slow but this is mad. I’ve looked online and it seems to be a well known problem but I’m not really very technical so don’t want to try anything that may mess it up.

Thanks for everybody’s help this week I truly appreciate it. If anybody has any suggestions on the speed issue that would be much appreciated. When I turn it on it takes around 5 minutes to go through startup before loading Windows Messenger (which I was thinking of disabling).

Thanks Caroline

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When I turn it on it takes around 5 minutes to go through startup before loading Windows Messenger (which I was thinking of disabling).

Perhaps some kind of timeout during startup is occurring (I’ve seen that happen on Windows 2000 – a very close relative of XP – when network hardware is present but connectivity is not). One other thing I saw once on XP was a problem with the combination of the Online Armor firewall and the Avira AntiVir (free) anti-malware application, where once again some kind of timeout seemed to be occurring that took well over a minute to complete.

If booting in Safe Mode goes much faster that would tend to indicate that some startup or driver activity was at fault. Using msconfig to disable startup activities one-by-one until performance improves is one way to try to diagnose what’s delaying things.

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Caroline,

Slow boot is often partly due to the number of services which are started at boot. Some of them don’t need to be running at all, and simply slow the netbook down. Your best bet is to go to a reputable website, and check through recommendation there. Many services can be placed into “manual” – available when needed, rather than disabled completely.

I can recommend the Black Viper site, as being relatively easy to work through. There are various pages for the different operating systems. This is for XP SP3:

http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-xp-x86-32-bit-service-pack-3-service-configurations/

Good luck.

Garth

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Thank you, I’ll give that a try

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