can't configure broadband connection after WinXP repair install

[Guest]

WinXP Home, SP1. Because of ongoing problems with
getting windows updates to work (they would download
but not install) we were instructed to do an XP
repair install, which I did. Afterwards, I found
I could not log on the net because the DSL broadband
connection was no longer in the Network Connections
(under Control Panel). Doing the 'repair' operation
that the DSL connection manager provides did not get
it back, either.

First I tried to re-install my DSL software from the
CD but the install would hang when it got to the
point where it was trying to configure the PPPoE
connection.

So, I called SBC DSL tech and he walked me through
manually establishing a broadband connection under
Network Connections, but we found that upon running
the 'New Connection' wizard (from the Network
Connections window), we could get no further than the
4th step because a needed selection was not enabled:

The full steps thru the wizard were:

1. 'Welcome/explain screen' - clicked Next.
2. 'Network Connection Type' - selected 'Connect to
the Internet', clicked Next.
3. 'Getting Ready' - selected 'Set up my connection
manually', clicked Next.
4. 'Internet Connection' - there are 3 options; we
need to select the 2nd, 'Connect using a broadband
connection that requires a user name and password',
but this (and the first option, 'Connect using a
dial-up modem') are both disabled. Only the 3rd
option, 'Connect using a broadband connection that
is always on', is enabled.

We tried going to 'Phone and Modem Options' in Control
Panel and putting in a new configuration under 'Dialing
Rules' and rebooting, which we did, thinking it might
get them re-enabled, but it made no difference - the
1st two options under step 4 above were still disabled.
At this point the SBC tech said it's 'microsoft's
problem'.

So here I am. Can anyone tell why these options are
disabled and how to get them enabled, so I can complete
my DSL install, so I can get back on the net???

any help greatly appreciated,
-eddo

 

[Ron Lowe]

WinXP Home, SP1. Because of ongoing problems with
getting windows updates to work (they would download
but not install) we were instructed to do an XP
repair install, which I did. Afterwards, I found
I could not log on the net because the DSL broadband
connection was no longer in the Network Connections
(under Control Panel). Doing the 'repair' operation
that the DSL connection manager provides did not get
it back, either.

First I tried to re-install my DSL software from the
CD but the install would hang when it got to the
point where it was trying to configure the PPPoE
connection.

So, I called SBC DSL tech and he walked me through
manually establishing a broadband connection under
Network Connections, but we found that upon running
the 'New Connection' wizard (from the Network
Connections window), we could get no further than the
4th step because a needed selection was not enabled:

The full steps thru the wizard were:

1. 'Welcome/explain screen' - clicked Next.
2. 'Network Connection Type' - selected 'Connect to
the Internet', clicked Next.
3. 'Getting Ready' - selected 'Set up my connection
manually', clicked Next.
4. 'Internet Connection' - there are 3 options; we
need to select the 2nd, 'Connect using a broadband
connection that requires a user name and password',
but this (and the first option, 'Connect using a
dial-up modem') are both disabled. Only the 3rd
option, 'Connect using a broadband connection that
is always on', is enabled.

We tried going to 'Phone and Modem Options' in Control
Panel and putting in a new configuration under 'Dialing
Rules' and rebooting, which we did, thinking it might
get them re-enabled, but it made no difference - the
1st two options under step 4 above were still disabled.
At this point the SBC tech said it's 'microsoft's
problem'.

So here I am. Can anyone tell why these options are
disabled and how to get them enabled, so I can complete
my DSL install, so I can get back on the net???

any help greatly appreciated,
-eddo

This is the usual problem:

You Cannot Create a Network Connection After You Restore Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329441


The usual fix is to re-apply SP1.

Now that SP2 is out, I'm not sure if applying SP2 directly on
such a machine would also fix it.

But I dislike applying new SPs to broken machines.
I'd always rather have the machine working and stable in its
existing state before loading new software.