Windows - Quick Fix for Networking Problems
| Windows 9x/2000/XP/Vista UNSUPPORTED |
NOTE: Windows 95/98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista are no longer supported by the Help Desk. We can only provide best effort support. If we are unable to resolve your Windows 9x/2000/XP/Vista issue, you may be able to find help in Microsoft's Knowledge Base. These products are no longer actively supported by Microsoft. No further development will take place on these products and security updates are no longer issued. It is highly recommended that you upgrade to Windows 10 or 8. |
NOTE: In some cases, a simple restart of your computer can solve various networking problems. If you restart your device and are still experiencing networking problems, continue through this document.
Programs like firewalls, antivirus applications, VPN clients, and various malware can cause Internet connection problems. When there are Internet connection problems in Windows 7, Vista, or XP, make sure there are no firewalls installed other than the Windows Firewall. If other firewalls are in use, consider uninstalling them and re-enable the Windows Firewall. If problems persist, try the following commands.
To automate this process, download and run networkquickfix.bat.
Note: The processes is the same for Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Windows 10
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Open the Metro screen and type "command" which will automatically open the search bar. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator at the bottom of the screen.
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Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each command:
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netsh int ip reset reset.txt
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netsh winsock reset
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netsh advfirewall reset
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Restart the computer.
Windows 8
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Open the Metro screen and type "command" which will automatically open the search bar. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator at the bottom of the screen.
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Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each command:
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netsh int ip reset reset.txt
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netsh winsock reset
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netsh advfirewall reset
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Restart the computer.
Windows 7 & Vista
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Click Start and type "command" in the search box. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
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Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each command:
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netsh int ip reset reset.txt
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netsh winsock reset
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netsh advfirewall reset
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Restart the computer.
Windows XP
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Click Start, then select Run.
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Type "command" and press enter.
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Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each command:
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netsh int ip reset reset.txt
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netsh winsock reset
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netsh firewall reset
Note: Windows XP must have Service Pack 2 (or later) installed in order for these three commands to work properly. Otherwise, only the first command will work.
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Restart the computer.
Summary
If the commands are typed in properly but errors occur, Windows networking may be heavily damaged. In addition, if these commands do not return errors, yet do not fix the Internet connection after the computer has been restarted, consider further troubleshooting:
- Power-cycle any external networking devices, i.e. routers, cable modems, DSL gateways, etc.
- Check Device Manager for any problems with Network adapters, i.e. if they are disabled or if drivers are not properly installed. See Windows - Troubleshooting Using the Device Manager.