internet connection keeps changing

[dad2468]

I was trying to help my brother fix his computer. The internet
connection settings won't stay where I put them. He connects to a wireless
cable modem at home and has a cingular wireless modem also. When you go to
the LAN settings it always has the proxy settings checked. You can uncheck
it and say OK and go back to Internet Explorer and everything works just
fine, but after you restart the computer and go back to the internet
connection settings/ LAN it has the proxy servers checked again. I don't
know why it won't stay where I put the settings. Something must be changing
the settings after restarting the computer.

Thanks for any help you can give me....

 

[Computerflyer]

I was trying to help my brother fix his computer. The internet
connection settings won't stay where I put them. He connects to a wireless
cable modem at home and has a cingular wireless modem also. When you go to
the LAN settings it always has the proxy settings checked. You can uncheck
it and say OK and go back to Internet Explorer and everything works just
fine, but after you restart the computer and go back to the internet
connection settings/ LAN it has the proxy servers checked again. I don't
know why it won't stay where I put the settings. Something must be changing
the settings after restarting the computer.

Thanks for any help you can give me....

What was broken in the first place, where you are helping fix it?
Malware invasion perhaps? Does the internet connection not work with
the proxy, or just some sites/messengers (which is often the case)?

If the proxy that is set is a legit ISP proxy my reply is possibly
irrelevant. If it is not from the ISP, the obvious first approach is
to run multiple spyware scanners like counterspyV2 (free for 15 days),
AVG (free), spybot (free), ad-aware (free), noadware, superantipyware
(free), PCDoctor (free scanner, via google), etc. Some like to run
better in safe mode, and others do not. He is running an anti-virus,
yes?

start->run->msconfig and see if there are any suspicious startups that
are set to run on boot.
spybot and others have friendlier startup editors you might wish to try

 

[dad2468]

The connection does not work with the proxy. Once you uncheck the proxy
settings and go back to the browser it works just fine. I just don't
understand why it changes back to proxy after restart. Also he can go into
his wife's profile after the startup and the internet connection works just
fine( no proxy is checked in settings). It only changes his settings...
I tried booting in safe mode and it didn't change anything.

 

[Computerflyer]

Theconnectiondoes not work with the proxy. Once you uncheck the proxy
settings and go back to the browser it works just fine. I just don't
understand why it changes back to proxy after restart. Also he can go into
his wife's profile after the startup and theinternetconnectionworks just
fine( no proxy is checked in settings). It only changes his settings...
I tried booting in safe mode and it didn't change anything.









- Show quoted text -

Let me re-ask- "What was broken in the first place? ... Malware
invasion perhaps? "

If the internet connection does not work with the proxy, do you mean
POP (ISP non-web email host service - ie Outlook Express, etc) and
browsing, or just browsing? "Booting in safe mode does not change
anything" - do you mean the box starts ticked, you untick it, and it
will retick itself even in safe mode?

I have been victim of some malware that actually found a way to
"infect" safe mode. It was a bugger figuring it out and getting rid
of it, and it was able to circumvent the scanners. I forget what it
was, but it was not related to your symptom.

If POP works and browsing does not, it is a bad proxy server entry as
one part of the issue. Regarding the "retick" of the proxy box, let
me start by asking again, "What was broken in the first place?" Since
you report it works properly on other accounts, it is obviously unique
to something on the one account, and that suggests but does not prove
a virus or malware could be doing it.

Did you run the scans? If it removed malware, does the same malware
get found again immediately after a reboot?

If you did run multiple scans as suggested, and nothing has been
found, an ugly work-around might be to make a new account (test it for
correct internet operation), copy the account data files to the new
account, and delete the old after a suitable time. Careful to
properly get the email files and address book. Doing this should only
be a problem if the account was an administrator and had installed
some applications for only the one user rather than all users.

I do not know exactly where Windows keeps "the proxy tick" in the
registry, but you might try a registry cleaner for the account (after
making sure you have done a backup of it). If you install Spybot
Teatimer (or similar) registry guard, it will ask you every time
something tries to add or change something to the registry - a useful
tool.

If you did not do any of the suggestions, to report the results, I am
unable to provide further advice.