Windows XP WMI error

[elgar22]

I cannot connect to other compouters on my network or to the internet. ipconfig and pinging do not work, Microsoft Network Diagnostics does not work and if I use diagnostics in Help it tells me there is an WMI error. "Unable to connect to WMI service \\.\root\cimv2"

Can't make head or tale of MS gobbledegook does anyone have an idiot proof or simply plain english solution?

Thanks

elgar22