Control Panel

[Guest]

Hi, I have a WindowsXp Pro system with DSL and keep getting “thrown offâ€
(disconnected) every few minutes and when I check Control Panel I noticed
that I have TWO Network Connection icons. This obviously is NOT the way that
it should be so I tried to erase / delete one of the Network Connection icons
but that is not an option (with Windows) and would appreciate your help. Is
there anything that I can do to stop my system “dropping†the DSL connection
and WHAT should I do about the TWO Network Connection icons in Control Panel?
Thanks, Bob

 

[Peter Foldes]

1st thing is that you should run some AV and Malware\Spyware tools on your system. It is most likely that you are infected.

Secondly the 2 Network Connection in Control Panel is normal depending what is set up. I also have 2 and one being is the LAN 100 Mbps and the other one is the 1394 400Mbps. Just leave it alone it does not do any harm.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for getting back to me Peter, I run SpyBot, AdAware and have MS
OneCare installed on all my systems so I thought that I was pretty well
protected.
Any suggestions as to what else / what other Protection Tools (software), I
should run?
As far as the 2 Network Connection icons, I use Control Panel pretty
regularly and have NEVER noticed 2 icons for Network Connection before so I
made the same assumption, that my system might be infected, but am not sure
what to do (how to locate / find, the infected files)?
Also, I have a Wireless SMC Network with 3 computers and the computer in
question is connected via Wireless Adapter card, the 2 other computers on the
system are a Desktop that is "the master" and a Laptop that is connected via
an adapter, both these systems appear to run fine (i.e. they do not "drop"
the Internet connection), this Desktop appears to be the only system with "a
problem".
BTW, would it help if I reinstalled Windows on top of my current version of
Windows (i.e. "repair") on this system or would this be a waste of time?
Thank you again for your help Peter,
Bob

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Two Network Connections in the Control Panel.

ncpa.cpl is Network Connections.

I had the same problem, two Network Connections showed up in the Control
Panel. I have no idea why. I fixed it by using Group Policy: Hide
specified control panel applets.

If XP Pro only, does not exist in XP Home.
Open Group Policy...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | Click OK |
Navigate to >>>

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\
Hide specified control panel applets

Hides specified Control Panel items and folders.
[[This setting removes Control Panel items (such as Display) and folders
(such as Fonts) from the Control Panel window and the Start menu. It can
remove Control Panel items you have added to your system, as well as Control
Panel items included in Windows 2000.

To hide a Control Panel item, type the file name of the item, such as
Ncpa.cpl (for Network). To hide a folder, type the folder name, such as
Fonts.

This setting affects the Start menu and Control Panel window only. It does
not prevent users from running Control Panel items.

Also, see the "Remove Display in Control Panel" setting in User
Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display.

If both the "Hide specified Control Panel applets" setting and the "Show
only specified Control Panel applets" setting are enabled, and the same item
appears in both lists, the "Show only specified Control Panel applets"
setting is ignored.

Note: To find the file name of a Control Panel item, search for files with
the .cpl file name extension in the %Systemroot%\System32 directory. Note:
To create a list of disallowed Control Panel applets, click Show, click Add,
and then enter the Control Panel file name (ends with .cpl) or the name
displayed under that item in the Control Panel. (e.g., desk.cpl,
powercfg.cpl, Printers and Faxes)

Note: This setting does not affect the Categories that are displayed in the
new Control Panel Category view in Windows XP. If you want to control which
items are displayed in Control Panel, enable the "Force classic Control
Panel Style" setting to remove the Category view, and then use this setting
to control which .cpls are not displayed.]]

Items will be listed here...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowCpl
Value Name: 1
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: ncpa.cpl

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestions about the TWO Network Connection icons Wes, do you
have any advice / suggestions as what to do with my computer "dropping" the
Internet Connection? Thanks, Bob

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Bob, I use cable. I know nothing about DSL.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Hi Wes, I tried to make the change (to remove the Duplicate Network
Connection icon and am a little confused.
I opened RUN and followed your directions User
Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Hide specified control
panel applets but am not sure what to do after I open Hide specified
control panel applets?
Thanks again, Bob

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Bob,

A little more detailed this time. ;-)

Open Group Policy...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | Click OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel in the left hand
pane.
In the right hand pane double click: Hide specified control panel applets
Hide specified control panel applets Properties should popup.
Click the O next to Enabled to place a dot in it, this should make the Show
button available.
Click the Show button, Show Contents dialog should popup.
Click the Add button, this should pop up the Ad Item dialog.
Type: ncpa.cpl in the item to be added box and click OK.
Click OK on the Show Contents dialog.
Click Apply on the Hide specified control panel applets Properties and then
click OK.
If you look in the right hand pane of Group Policy, Hide specified control
panel applets should have the word Enabled to the right of it.
Close Group Policy.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In