[Mazi]

Hi,

We wiped our old Dell XPS m200s clean and re-installed Windows 98 SE today.
Now we cannot connect to the internet. The computer connects to a LAN via a
PCI NIC card.

Upstairs, we have an Actiontec DSL router that is connected to a switch. The
switch is connected to two computers upstairs and, through a cable, to a
switch downstairs. The computer in question is connected to the downstairs
switch as is another downstairs computer. The 'other downstairs computer'
runs Win2K and can connect to the internet just fine.

By fiddling with the Internet Explorer settings, I was able to get
connected for just one IE session but then it went dead. I used it to
download and install AVG Anti-Virus free version. There was no connection when I tried to get the virus def. updated during installation. This happened before and we thought that it was because it was time to wipe it clean since it had many errors messages. Now I am thinking that AVGfree might have something to do with it.

In trying to get the thing to work, my husband have changed all the TCP-IP settings to just about every possible combination of settings. He has unhooked the
NIC card from the downstairs switch and connected it directly to the cable
coming from the upstairs switch (the one that is directly connected to the
DSL router) and that changed nothing.

Of the 3 computers that can now access the internet, 2 run Win2K and their
DNS settings call for obtaining a server automatically. The other one runs
WinXP Pro and specifies IP address of the DNS server.

Thanks for any ideas. We sure don't want to have to reinstall Win98.

Mazi

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Why don't you simply try uninstalling AVG and seeing if it will work???

[Mazi]

I did unintall AVG and it didn't help. I also tried to do LSP fix the winsock stack. The program said it can't find my winsock. I thought that win98SE has winsock. Thanks.
Mazi

[Mazi]

I also tried to duplicate settings of the one machine that is working and connected to the same switch, to the problamatic one and that didn't work either. When I did start, run, cmd in the troubled machine it says that it can't find the file (in the attemp to find the ipconfig). When I got into DOS mode to try to find it, it gave me 'fatal error'. Does it sounds like I'm missing some file? If so, how do I get it back? Thanks.
Mazi

[Mazi]

My problem is solved, after much reseach and pieces the info. I gathered together. It appears that the AVGfree altered my winsock.dll which prevent the TCP/IP from accessing the internet. Uninstalling AVGfree didn't solve the problem because the damage has already been done. After I restored the original winsock.dll from win98 cd-rom and reconfigured TCP/IP protocol I got the connection back. Thanks for replying to my post, Jake.

[Doby]

Thats strange I have avg free on all my computers and installed it on many more without a problem, I wonder if there wasn't another underlying problem or if this was just a freak thing.

Rick

[Mazi]

Anything is possible but at the moment I'm happy that I can connect. When I looked at winsock.dll's property (prior to restoring it back) it said that it was modified on 4/30/05 @ 5:27pm which is exactly the time that I was installing AVGfree. And when I looked at the version, it was not dated the year 1998 which tells me that it was not the original winsock that comes with the OS. Something has altered it and since it has just been clean installed and the only thing that I did was to get on the internet and downloaded AVGfree. Coincidence? Maybe. But all the fingers are pointing at AVGfree. Needless to say, I'll have to go buy Norton.

Mazi

[Doby]

I would scan for viruses then scan for spyware and redownload and install AVG again, it will work and is better then Norton.

Norton updates about once a week or so, Avg upto 3 times a week, its free and I know its better.

Anything but Norton it puts to much junk on your computer and slows things down, Mcafee use to be better but now there getting the same way and you have to pay for this? I don't think so.

Anyway there are other free virus scans that are good to so I suggest saving your hard earned money and check them out.

Rick

[Mazi]

Thanks Doby. I have heard a lot of good things about AVG and that's why when my Norton subscription ran out I downloaded AVGfree. My son uses AVGfree without any problems as well. So I don't know why I have problem with it twice. I know what you mean about Norton puts a lot of junk on your computer.
Mazi
PS. what are other good free anti virus out there?

[gerryf]

avast antivirus is also good.