**** Computer Madness Questions - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

BigAls87Z28 · 02-10-2010, 01:59 PM

Ok, I have had ongoing problems with my laptop.
Whenever I download or install a new program that wants access tot eh internet, it cant find it. Yet, older programs or original programs like AIM and IE connect with no problem, just like now.
I was told it might be your firewall or windows defender, so I did everything possible to allow this to work. I eve disabled firewall and defender. I purchased software on line, ive had people scan the computer to find problems and have them "fixed" but still cant connect to the internet.
Now AIM doesnt work because I downloaded 7.0 for it. For now, Im another AIM program and another sn.

Ok to the new stuff. I keep seeing commercials for make your pc faster over and over. I saw one on TV, just ran the scan, and it says....

user software settings 128 problems
system software settings 374 problems
well a lot of other stff.
the company is called CyberDefender. has anyone had any success with them? Are they just saying I have these problems or is this real? I can never really trust these things as the free test is just a gateway to hav eyou pay them money to fix it.
Ive downloaded other programs like it, and they dont seem to fix the problem.

Masonite · 02-10-2010, 02:57 PM

If you're on the Windows XP operating system, try this link:

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html

It's a last-resort fix for corrupted registry files that link with internet connectivity. I would also recommend going to download.com and downloading a free copy of "CCleaner". Clear all your temporary internet files, fix your registry issues, and see where it goes from there.

Also try removing any third-party firewalls or anti-virus programs, at least temporarily. Do so one at a time to see if any of those is the cause of your problem. Speaking from personal experience, I've seen a few corrupted versions of Symantec Anti-Virus/Firewall completely block all internet access to programs.

Oh, and as far as those programs you see on TV to "magically make your computer faster" (ie, "finallyfast.com"), I can guarantee you that I can find you a program for less cost, if any, less of a memory hog, and more efficient than what they offer.

ryanfx · 02-10-2010, 03:14 PM

Avoid ANY security software you EVER see advertised on TV. Period.

That being said... it sounds like a software firewall issue almost entirely, however you said you attempted to disable them. Whether you did so properly or not is the real question. If you started installing third party firewall software I can't really help you however you can still verify that your windows firewall isn't getting in the way by disabling that temporarily and seeing if that alleviates anything.

ensure that you aren't using any specific proxy settings for your old software and run some anti-malware programs.

Masonite · 02-10-2010, 04:52 PM

Also, some forms of spyware and malware can have a nasty effect on your internet connectivity. While you're on download.com, get "Malwarebytes". That usually takes care of any spyware, malware, and some viruses as well as trojans and worms that might be infecting your computer.

What are the specs of your computer, anyway? Hardware and OS, mainly.

Knipps · 02-10-2010, 07:05 PM

Al, did you really download something because the TV told you to? You should know to at least come on here and ask us first

BigAls87Z28 · 02-10-2010, 07:06 PM

Its an HP Pavilion laptop running Vista.

Also, when ever I download any updates for Vista, NOTHING connects to the internet. It says internet connection cannot be found, yet the icon says Im connected to my home network.
I just go restore the computer to before I updated anything.

ahaha, yes well I saw it on TV, and wanted to give it a shot. It was a quick scan, and I already removed it.

LTb1ow · 02-10-2010, 07:08 PM

Install XP on it, and win.

WildBillyT · 02-11-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Its an HP Pavilion laptop running Vista.

Also, when ever I download any updates for Vista, NOTHING connects to the internet. It says internet connection cannot be found, yet the icon says Im connected to my home network.
I just go restore the computer to before I updated anything.

ahaha, yes well I saw it on TV, and wanted to give it a shot. It was a quick scan, and I already removed it.

That sounds like a network setting. You ARE on your home network, it is just not bridged to the Internet. Check the router settings. I can't recall which one it is, but I hit the same problem with a few Vista machines.