XP Home SP2 and Dial-up Web connection

[Wes]

In the past whenever I have updated XP via Windows
Update, I noticed that I would frequently not be able to
connect to the Web, email worked fine, but not the web. I
would get the 'Cannot Find Server' error. Found out that
I had to go to 'Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN
settings' and uncheck the 'Use Proxy Server for LAN'.
Similarly, I would go to 'Tools/Internet
Options/Connections/Dial Up Settings' and uncheck the
same block. From there both web browsing and email would
work.

After installing XP SP2, I encountered the same situation
and proceeded to go through the steps above and
everything worked fine. This time I noticed if I shut
down the computer and restart it, the Proxy settings I
selected above are not 'saved' and the boxes revert to
being checked again; no web browsing, email via pop
server working fine. I get an error that IE 6 cannot
find the server and that the page cannot be displayed.

Why do the proxy boxes revert to being checked whenever I
shutdown the computer? How can I fix this?

Thanks,
Wes

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

In the past whenever I have updated XP via Windows
Update, I noticed that I would frequently not be able to
connect to the Web, email worked fine, but not the web. I
would get the 'Cannot Find Server' error. Found out that
I had to go to 'Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN
settings' and uncheck the 'Use Proxy Server for LAN'.
Similarly, I would go to 'Tools/Internet
Options/Connections/Dial Up Settings' and uncheck the
same block. From there both web browsing and email would
work.

After installing XP SP2, I encountered the same situation
and proceeded to go through the steps above and
everything worked fine. This time I noticed if I shut
down the computer and restart it, the Proxy settings I
selected above are not 'saved' and the boxes revert to
being checked again; no web browsing, email via pop
server working fine. I get an error that IE 6 cannot
find the server and that the page cannot be displayed.

Why do the proxy boxes revert to being checked whenever I
shutdown the computer? How can I fix this?

Wes,

one possibility is that you have some third party software
installed that keeps changing those settings.

Perhaps the proxy server name hints at the culprit?

Another thing to check is the setting: Automatically detect
network settings.

Open Internet Explorer and select Tools, Internet Options,
Connections. Click on the LAN Settings button. Clear the check
box for Automatically detect network settings.

Please have a look at http://www.michna.com/kb/WxNetwork.htm as
well.

Hans-Georg

 

[Wesley Sanders]

Thanks for the info. Everything worked fine until recent install of SP2
(not to say that it is necessarily the culprit, but I would say it is the
leading candidate). I've used both Ad-aware and SpyBot to scrub the
computer of any suspicious software, and again nothing else has been
installed since installing SP2. I have made sure that the setting:
Automatically detect network settings is unchecked for both LAN and the
dial-up connection.

The proxy server name is localhost on port 8082 for http. No other proxies
are named. Any other suggestions or am I missing something? I may try
un-installing SP2, double checking that every virus software and firewall
and the such are disabled and then re-installing SP2.

Ideas?

Thanks,
Wes

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Thanks for the info. Everything worked fine until recent install of SP2
(not to say that it is necessarily the culprit, but I would say it is the
leading candidate). I've used both Ad-aware and SpyBot to scrub the
computer of any suspicious software, and again nothing else has been
installed since installing SP2. I have made sure that the setting:
Automatically detect network settings is unchecked for both LAN and the
dial-up connection.

The proxy server name is localhost on port 8082 for http. No other proxies
are named. Any other suggestions or am I missing something? I may try
un-installing SP2, double checking that every virus software and firewall
and the such are disabled and then re-installing SP2.

Ideas?

Wes,

yes, it's becoming more clear now. It looks as if you have or
had some kind of filter installed, a popup blocker or something
like that. It still seems to be fully or partly active and the
program or its installer is apparently faulty.

If you cannot identify and uninstall it, it is difficult to say
how to excise it. You could look for startup programs by
checking the Startup folder, then running msconfig (Run...,
msconfig, return), then identifying and disabling it.

Another possible explanation is some configuration software you
got from an ISP.

Hans-Georg