If so, you have a damaged winsock2 key in the registry.
You should check System Information (winmsd)
START > RUN - type in winmsd and click OK
Expand Components / Network / click on Protocol -
if the section headings item of "Name" have a value
starting with anything other than MSAFD or RSVP
then that is probably what is causing the problem.
Examples:
MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
RSVP UDP Service Provider
RSVP TCP Service Provider
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
and so on
It may be a third-party firewall or a Spyware or a Virus.
("New.Net" is a common spyware for example)
Make sure that MSCONFIG is in Normal Startup
and then see if uninstalling the third party firewall
(best done from its own uninstall program if available)
or the Spyware from Add Remove Programs will
resolve the issue. If it's a virus, then only an Anti
Virus Program
will be able to deal with that.
You may want to try downloading either Ad-Aware 6 or Spybot
to another computer and then installing one of them on the
infected XP Home/Pro
computer and try to wipe out Spyware and see if that
resolves the issue.
Ad-aware 6.0 build 181
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10214379.html?tag=list
Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.2
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html?tag=list
If none of that works or is possible, you could try this
method
for replacing the winsock and winsock2 registry keys:
Uninstall any third-party proxy software or firewall
programs before proceeding.
You may want to consider enabling the XP ICF at least
temporarily especially
if you are not current with the XP Critical Updates.
Step 1: Delete registry keys
A)Open Regedit from the Run line
B)Go to both of the following keys, EXPORT each of them,
and then delete them:
(To export a key, you right click on it and
choose "export" - you can choose where to export them to -
DESKTOP is handy -
and you need to type in a file name such as "exported
Winsock key" / "exported WinSock2 key"
and then click on SAVE)
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2
C)Restart the computer
NOTE: It is important to restart the computer after
deleting the Winsock keys.
Doing so causes the XP operating system to recreate shell
entries for those two
keys. If this is not done, the next step does not work
correctly.
Step 2: Install TCP/IP on top of itself
A)Open the properties window of the network connection
(Local Area Connection)
B)Click Install
C)Click Protocol, then Add
D)Click Have Disk
E)Type the path to the \%systemroot%\inf folder (usually
C:\Windows\inf) and click OK
(if you try to click Browse, then browse to the \inf
folder,
it may not show up in the list)
F)You should now see "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" in the
list of available
protocols. Select it and click OK.
G)Restart the computer
When the computer reboots you will have functional Winsock
keys.
If so, then be sure to delete the exported winsock and
winsock2 reg files.
(You don't want to accidentally put them back in the
registry)
Side effects and possible problems:
This method will restore basic functionality to the
Winsock keys, but is not a
complete rebuild. On a default install of Windows XP the
registry key:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2\
Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9\Catalog_Entries will have 11
sub-keys.
When applying this method, the Catalog_Entries will only
have 3 sub-keys.
However, it works and there does not appear to be any side
effects.
The missing entries relate back to the:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Int
erfaces key.
Also, third-party proxy software or firewalls may need to
be reinstalled.
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