Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Thought today I would try and ressurect my old PC before my sis-in-law comes down on holiday. For some reason I can't connect to the internet (used to before) via cable to rueter, it says cable not connected. Also I find the mouse keeps starting and stopping don't know if the two are connected. Any ideas or is it a lost cause? :erm:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

did you reboot the router?

If not give it ago.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

If that doesn't work. if you have a different cable try that. Also try a different port on the router, I've know individual ports to die.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Thank you both for the above suggestions, I have tried both, and tried switching cables, as well as trying different ports on the router (I know how to spell that now lol). It is also making life very difficult when the mouse keeps freezing every 2 seconds.
I did however find a 'Connection Status' which told me 'Limited or no connectivity' You might not be able to access the internet or some network resources. This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer. Maybe some of my settings are wrong? :shrug: Anything else I can try please?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Reboot the PC first.
If its a wireless keyboard and mouse, try changing the batteries and resetting it. Failing that, just plug in a corded keyboard and mouse.;)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Thanks for that Bud, it is not a wireless keyboard or mouse. I've tried taking the lead out for the mouse and reinserting it, but the problem still persists. I may be flogging a dead horse here, but I thought I would just give it a go.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

So are you still stuck with 'limited or no connectivity' after the reboot?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

You did turn the PC off before unplugging/Reinserting the mouse lead didn`t you?

If you still have no joy.
1: Turn the Router and PC both off.
2: Turn on the Router and give it a couple of minutes to settle down, THEN turn the PC back on and see what you`ve got Internet wise.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Given the issues with the mouse I think the problem may be elsewhere.
Personally I would disconnect the ethernet and see if the mouse starts behaving. If it does it could just be as simple as a faulty cable. Or as big as a failed ethernet controller.
If that doesn't work you clearly have bigger issues. Next stop would be to make sure there's nothing else faulty, maybe try unplugging the keyboard or eject any discs in the CD/DVDROM. Also make sure any other peripherals are unplugged. Or try a different mouse if you have one.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Interrupt moderation anyone?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Yes but still no internet Bud.

I tried disconnecting the ethernet cable, and the mouse is back to normal. I don't think it is the ethernet cable because I have switched that to this PC which works fine.

Eh? :shrug:

Yes Dai still stuck. I have managed to find this report, don't know if it helps. Could it be something to do with the internet settings?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Could do with a little more info about this computer before I can say more really. How old is it? (ish) Is the Ethernet on-board or a separate card? If its on-board do you know what motherboard you have?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

From your screenshot it appears the system is not finding a network card. Since you had one when the machine was last used it may have died.
Have a look in Device Manager.
Press the windows + break keys to get system properties.
Under the hardware tab select device manager
see if there's an entry in device manager for 'network adaptors'.
If it's there, expand it by clicking on the + and report what it is showing.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Hmm I would guess it's around 5 years old Zr.......I know, I know, but I'm from the old school where you don't throw things away if you can make em work. As for the motherboard, I wouldn't know where to start looking for this information on this XP machine. To access the internet I connect the ethernet cable to the port on the back of the PC (don't know if this means on-board) and then to the router. Sorry to be so vague, does this answer your questions?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

If both peripherals and NIC is effected then somethings not quite right with the Southbridge.

Firstly I'd reset the bios (just in case it's a irq conflict) then I'd remove and re-install the NIC driver.

Failing that Tinky grab an ISO of puppy linux, burn to CD, boot the PC from the CD and see if that works OK.. If yes then install to HDD and that'll give you a working internet ready PC for the length of the holiday

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

What are the break keys Dai, it would be handy to know? I got to the Device Manager another way it says 'network adaptors'= National Semiconductor DP83815-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter.

Oh Kymmy you are just too clever for me, nevertheless I downloaded the ISO of puppy Linux to a memory stick, but don't know if I've done it properly or how it works. :erm:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

For future reference then Tink, the Break key is up on top right of the keyboard. It's often labelled Pause/Break.

Reassuring to see the system does recognise that there is a network adaptor installed. However, it still remains to get it doing something useful..

Edit:

Do you have a separate modem and router? Just thinking it might be worth trying the pc direct to the modem if possible, just to rule out the router as the problem. You'd need to power-cycle the modem before switching on pc.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

If you want to use it from a flash drive then read this site
http://www.puppylinux.com/flash-puppy.htm

Puppy will not solve the issue in XP but it will tell you if it's a hardware problem or a software problem as if it works in puppy then it'll be the XP at fault. Puppy is an entire quick loading linux operating system that means you can get the PC up and running and connected to the internet in just a few minutes. Easier to burn it to DVD/CD(use IMGBURN or similar) and boot from there.

Firstly though go into your bios and default it.. then try XP and see if it cures the problem, if yes then you don't need to bother with puppy

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Nothing wrong with that, I've got much older machines and they serve me perfectly well :D
Don't worry too much about the motherboard model then.
And to tell if the card is onboard or not depends on the location of the socket. Nine times out of ten If it is grouped next to the main USB sockets sideways and about halfway up the case then it is onboard and if it is mounted parallel to the floor and in the bottom third of the case rear it is a separate adapter.

Your computer isn't branded or anything is it? Dell? HP?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Apologies for not getting back to you all sooner.

Thanks for explaining where the break key is Dai. Also I dug out my old USB ASDL Modem and tried to install with that but no joy, the red light kept flashing, never turned to green.

Kymmy I don't know what I am to default. I also uninstalled my first attempt at downloading with the memory key. Then I burned it to a CD, however the end result looked much like the original. I haven't got a clue how this programme works, I think it may be beyond me.:dunce:

I think it must be a separate adapter Zr as it is at the bottom of the case. It is an HP machine.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

It might not be a separate card if its a HP. Does the system have a model number on the front anywhere?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Zr on the back it says Hewlett Packard HP Vectra XE 310 - on the front it says Intel Celeron inside. Does that help?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

It appears that this is an integral part of the motherboard rather than a removable card. Could you go back to the device manager where this is listed and check to see if the device has any problems.
If you right-click on the device in the list and select properties it should show under the 'general' tab if the device is working correctly.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Hi Dai says device is working properly.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

OK. Let's assume that it's telling the truth for now.
I'd like to try a stepped startup. I'm assuming you have a Virgin modem and separate router. Power everything off including the pc.
Power on the modem first and wait for the lights to settle down.
Power on router and let that settle.
Finally power on the pc.

You must have all the network cables connected before you start the power-on process.

When this is done, check to see if you have internet connectivity.
If you do not please open a CMD window (Start, Run, type 'cmd' without quotes)
In the cmd window type 'ipconfig' and record the values it is showing for IP address and default gateway.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

OK Dai did all the above but still no connection. Tried the cmd only says 'c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>' I've typed in ipconfig after that but all I get is 'Windows IP configuration' then the previous message. I've a feeling this is one we are not going to win. Can't understand it, it was working perfectly only about a month ago.:(

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Hmmm. Now I'm thinking TCP/IP might be broken.

Let's try a reset. Open a CMD window again with Start/Run 'cmd'

at the prompt type this:

netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt

cross fingers and reboot the pc.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Hmmm... I know this is an obvious one ..but.. I don't recall noticing anything about it so far in the thread.

Tinky, doubleclick on the network icon in your tray or use Start/Settings/Netwark Connections.

In the window that appears select Properties.

In the window that appears scroll down to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). select it and click Properties.

In the window that appears make sure Otain an IP address automatically and Otain an DNS Server address automatically are selected. In case alternative settings are in effect then just make a note of them for now.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Sorry been busy trying to sort out an issue with my own servers...

I suggested you default the BIOS, this is when you go to boot up the PC it should say something like "Press F2" (or DEL) to enter setup. In there the last page normally lets you select defaults.

As for the puppy linux I suggested if as you only need the PC working for a short length of time.. You need IMGBURN installed to create a bootable DVD or CD from the puppylinux ISO file. Once created you'd then boot the PC from the disk. Puppy Linux (if it is a XP fault) would let you use the PC for internet and then after your visitors left you can then look at re-installing XP or stick with puppy linux..

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Onboard NIC's can be a barsteward, i once an issue when playing games online the sound would bomb out with squeaks and garbles then the pc would lock up solid.... spent literally months trying to figure it out and it was down to the onboard NIC was bad in some way..

u could try turning off the nic in the bios and see if that sorts out the mouse problem, if it does try and get your hands on a pci based NIC they can be picked up pretty cheap from ebay :)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Thank you Dai you didn't say whether to press enter after typing the above, however I tried it both ways, rebooting after each etc but still no joy.

Thank you Mick, unfortunately the network icon only appears intermitently, at the moment it is not visible, so I'm not able to click on it. I don't know how to view the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) doodah.

Sorry Kymmy if I gave the wrong impression, and I am very grateful for all your help. I don't want to lose my XP system as I have no means of reinstalling it (don't have installation disk). I would like to use the old machine as a standby and not just for a temporary fix, if I could just get the internet connection going permanently it would be brilliant.

Thank you Jade for that, it's just a bit too complicated for my simple mind, and I would rather not tamper with the bios. Your reply is very much appreciated.:)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

I must admit to running short of ideas at this point.

If your router & modem setup is working with a different pc I'd say that is proven OK. You've tried different cables so it can't be that.

If I had the pc in my workshop the next thing I would try is a spare network card in an expansion slot, just in case the on-board network hardware is broken. Windows says it's OK but the fact that ipconfig shows no data at all makes me doubt that.

Kymmy's idea about booting from a linux cd is a good one but requires burning an iso file to cd. Do you feel this is something you could try?

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

turning off the nic in the bios is very very simple as its usually just one option usually called onboard LAN or onboard ethernet. if your managing to follow the instructions of the other posts then trust me its simple :)))

my 2 year old could do it if i showed him what to do :D

its even simpler than adding a gfx card and ram to a pc which my GF has done herself.

as per Dai's post even if you added another hardware NIC then you would still need to turn off the onboard one just to be sure that its not a bad nic causing both the network and mouse problems

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

http://www.ebuyer.com/60065-dynamode...b-nic-1427-100

Could be an option. Though this is assuming that the onboard card is dead and that its not just a software issue (The linux ISO that Kymmy suggested would be able to eliminate the latter as a possibility).

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

I have no doubt Kymmys idea is a good one, and I could do what is required burning file to CD etc, but would rather stay with XP Dai.

Many thanks Jade but I'm not for messing with the bios as yet.

My feeling is that the on board card is dead, so I have ordered the above adaptor to save all the faffing around. Will get back to you when I receive it.

Thank you all for your interest and help in this matter, what would I do without you! :nworthy::clap:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

That's where you;ve assumed that the Linux will replace the XP..

Puppylinux will run from the CD/DVD and will not delete your XP files.. I was giving you the option as it's a quick stop-gap measure to get the PC working for your sister-in-laws holiday if you can't get XP running now..

After she's been/gone you can then concentrate on the XP.

Question.. Do you have the original KEY and DISKS for the XP install??

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Kymmy I did burn the Puppy to CD but I didn't know how to work it so gave up. I've ordered a usb network adaptor, so will be content with that hopefully. May have to seriously consider the puppy alternative if new adaptor doesn't solve the problem, will keep you up to date with position. Many thanks!
PS do not have KEY and DISKS for the XP install.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Is the key not affixed to the case? On HPs they usually are. If it is I can get a copy to you (100% legit) that will install fine on your system.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Zr that is really kind of you and I do appreciate what you are offering. There is a key on the side but puzzlingly it is for 'Microsoft Windows 98 second edition' where as my OS is XP Professional - strange eh? However I digress, at present I am not considering uninstalling/installing a new system, so with respect, unless something catastrophic happens I will have to decline. But believe me if the need arises I will be in touch with you pronto! Going to go first with the new adaptor when it arrives. :) Many thanks once again!

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

For the key download and run this program

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/down...rInstaller.exe

That will tell you the key for the installed XP (and office as well as a few other programs)

As for the disk you might have someone closer who can loan you a copy.. As long as you have the original key you should be fine

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Thank you Kymmy for that, it could certainly come in handy, I've downloaded to my memory stick just in case. :)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Not that odd actually. That model pc was sold with windows 98 installed so it looks like XP is a later upgrade.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

even IF you buy a new network card, if the onboard card is causing the mouse problem then that will still occur and you wont know till that is turned off.

will somebody back me up on how simple it is to turn off the onboard nic plz :)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

It is pretty simple but tink wont need to do it because the onboard NIC is only causing this with a cable connected. The cable will be in the USB NIC so the problem goes away. That is assuming the fault is hardware and not software but either way disabling the card will have little impact now tink has bought the USB.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Jade I believe you, I believe you, honest injuns lol! If the new adaptor (when it arrives) doesn't work I shall be trying all the above, I'm not quite ready to give up yet! Thank you for trying so hard to help me.:)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Yes - but also run it and save the txt file it generates with the info in to the stick as well!

The cable is firmly connected isn't it??

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Cheers for that Lee, the link Kymmy gave is for the .exe file. I have just downloaded it to my main computer just to check, but it seems a pretty simple app. Don't think I'm going to concern myself about the txt file just yet, and yes the cable is well and trully plugged in.:)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

I think what Lee is suggesting is run it now and print out the file so that the keys are safe. Just that with you messing about with the system trying to get things working there's always a chance that something will go wrong and the system will become unbootable. In that case you wouldn't be able to run the keyfinder program later ;)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Get yah, will co Kymmy :tu:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Yes - exactly - grab it now whist the system is running!

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Grabbed!

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Actually you can, I've had to do it several times for people, though it does become monumentally more difficult.

I still think interrupt moderation might be the problem here.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Yeah but grabbing the hive from another drive I don't think was an option in this case so only tend to give out info useful to the OP ;)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Eh? What is interrupt moderation mean please? :dunce:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Some people believe that giving all the information is always the best way to go, yet 90% of that information might not be understood by over half of the people involved.

I was always taught the KISS method.. (Keep it simple Stupid) which basically means that if it's not relevant to the problem then it'll just confuse the issue.

I said that the hive method isn't an option in this case for two reasons

1# The drive is up and running so Jellybean could be used directly on the system
2# Explaining that you could point jellybean towards the hive file either after a rebuild or by removing the drive and putting it into another working system would have confused the issue.

TInky, which would you rather have.. The pure techie talk or the KISS method :D :kiss:

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

As in 'optimise for CPU'?

I think it's unlikely that Tinky would have been messing with settings at that level.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Something like that. This whole thing sounds exactly like interrupt storm or IRQ conflict. He wouldn't have to be messing with the settings to cause it, a change in network devices or traffic patterns might be enough to push it over the edge. Or the OS automatically reassigning IRQs.

Of course there's still the option the NIC is faulty, but he's unwilling to test that theory, so we're kinda stuck.

Every time a piece of hardware (e.g. your network card) has information it needs the computer to process it sends an interrupt to the CPU, which "interrupts" the CPU from whatever it's doing to handle the data. Too many interrupts would stop the processor being free to do other stuff, resulting in your mouse being jerky or freezing, because it's constantly being interrupted by the network card.

Interrupt moderation is a setting that bundles up lots of interrupts into one, so instead of 100 individual interrupts, all 100 bits of data are combined into one interrupt.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Messing with the settings? Optimise the CPU? :erm: This is getting far beyond me.:shocked:

I'm pinning all my hopes on the adaptor, awaiting delivery next week.:)

Oh and Kymmy I prefer the KISS method.:D

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Hence the KISS puppy linux ;)

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

The mouse thing makes it sound possible but I'm going with defective NIC for now.

And he's a she by the way..

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Update:-
We have lift off! :) Adaptor and installation disk received today, now downloading automatic updates. Many thanks for all your help.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

:clap: I'm glad you're now up and running

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

Excellent news. If the mouse problems persist it might be worth disabling the on-board network adaptor but let us know how it goes.

Re: Old XP PC has lost internet connection
 

would be good turning it off as not needed and would save a few resources and possible collisions with software picking the right adapter to get primary ip ?