Needed: ipconfig for dummies

Question

I need help with my internet connection.  I have no problem connecting thru IE, but my programs, Windows included, won't connect.  I get errors like 'Navigation to webpage cancelled' and 'Program cannot display webpage.'  Windows Help & Support says I've lost connection.   Here's what I have: Dimension 9200, 2 months old! Vista Business Motorola SB5120 SURFboard Cable Modem   I've done the ipconfig and it looks like I don't have a physical address, but of course I don't know what I'm looking at!   Please help.

Techladynole · Answer

Don't know if this will help or not, but it can't hurt....   1) Have you tried ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew?  This refreshes your IP configuration. 2) I had a problem similar to this at one time and it was a firewall issue.  Try shutting down the Windows and any other anti-virus FIREWALL (not the anti-virus program itself).   If any of this seems to help, let me know and I'll see if there is any thing else I can provide that could assist you!   TechladyNOLE!!:smileyhappy:

LFH321 · Answer

I'll try it, but where to I enter those commands?

Techladynole · Answer

Forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know, but I was not sure if you knew where to go to turn off the firewalls.  Go to START, Control Panel, Windows Firewall and TURN OFF the firewall until you can rule it out as a problem.  If this doesn't seem to be the issue, you can go back in and click on turn on firewall to get the firewall back up.   As far as a firewall with your anti-virus, without seeing your computer or knowing what anti-virus you are using, I couldn't tell you how to temporarily turn it off.  With the issue I faced, it WAS MY ANTI-VIRUS' FIREWALL THAT WAS THE ISSUE.  However, this was a problem I faced at work and we have hardware firewalls and didn't need the software firewall anyway, so there wasn't a big issue in having to turn it off.    At least you can start the troubleshooting here, and rule these items out.

Techladynole · Answer

Go to START, choose Run.  When you get the box, type in cmd (this is short for command).  This will bring up a black box with a path at the top.  At that point,  type in:   ipconfig /release   After you've done this, it will take just a moment and will bring back a listing of ip configurations with 0.0.0.0, etc.  That way you know the command took. NOW, type in:   ipconfig /renew   Give it just a few secs and it will return a new IP address that will have 4 octets (example, 192.168.100.2).  It will also give you other information, but this lets you know that you have reset, basically refreshed, your ip configuration.  This will assist if it somehow got 'hung up' or something.   If this doesn't work, let me know and we'll keep working on it. :womanvery-happy:

flowfast · Answer

Vista == IE7 right?.?.?. Bleh... Have you tried firefox (or any other browser) yet to see if it's the IE? '...I get errors like 'Navigation to webpage cancelled' and 'Program cannot display webpage...' Which programs are you using when you get these error messages? Which site are you going to? (oh, and do what TechladyNOLE says... she sounds like she's been here before)

LFH321 · Answer

flowfast,   I don't know how to try another browser.  I am getting these errors when trying to email from QuickBooks, which worked fine up until last week.  I think I messed things up when I tried to set up an account in Windows Mail (which I still can't do).  I was in and out of the internet info stuff and I have no idea what I might have changed.  Even so, like I said, Windows Help & Support has said my connection is lost from day one.

LFH321 · Answer

techladynole,   I tried turning off the firewall...it didn't change anything.  I am using Windows Defender and I don't know how to change that.

LFH321 · Answer

I tried ipconfig/release and I got the message 'The requested operation requires elevation.'  What does that mean?  After the C prompt I have: \Users\Laura> .  I believe having the Business edition is making this more complicated, but I may be wrong.

flowfast · Answer

Ok, don't worry about another browser. If you go into the Control Panel and click on the Mail icon. Do you see a profile set up? And another question, what is Windows Mail? Do you mean Outlook Express?

LFH321 · Answer

flowfast,   Windows Mail replaced Outlook Express.   When I go to Mail from the Control Panel, a box pops up: Mail Setup - Laura.  It has three options: Email Accounts, Data Files (Change settings for files Outlook uses to store email messages and documents), Show Profiles (Setup multiple profiles of email accounts and data files).    When I open Profiles, the window has one tab: General.  'Laura' is the profile.  When I open 'Properties' from that window, I get Email accounts or Data Files.  Is this helpful?

flowfast · Answer

First of all, do you have a good internet connection? Can Internet Explore go out to the web at all?

LFH321 · Answer

Yes, I have good internet connection.  I have Comcast high speed internet.  The modem is a Motorola SB5120 SURFboard Cable modem.  I thought maybe the modem was the problem, that it might not be compatible with Vista.  I called Comcast and they said it wasn't a problem with their service.  Of course, I believe different day, different tech, different answer.  From the desktop I can open IE with no problems.

flowfast · Answer

Ok, so the Mail icon we looked at in the control panel is your profiles for your mail application. I would suggest that you remove the profile. This of course cause you too loose any information you have on that account, so take down the necessary notes before you remove it. The reason I believe this is that you said you only started having problem once you attempted to set up a mail account, which would have created that profile. You might want to do a little research on the application and see if it used a mail profile for anything. Let us know if this helps.

LFH321 · Answer

I deleted the profile and restarted the computer - no luck.   After I deleted the profile, I tried to send a document thru Quickbooks.  I got the message: navigation to webpage cancelled.  So I went thru QB help menu for internet connections.  It says I am already connected, so something is recognizing the connection.  When Send failed, I chose Diagnose and the message was 'Windows did not find any problems with this computers network connection.'    I mentioned in an earlier reply that I got the message 'The requested operation requires elevation' when I tired to do ipconfig/release.    I saw in another topic someone suggested doing msconfig.  What is that for?   I see one of the options is a diagnostic startup.  Would that be helpful?  Also, would it be helpful to know any of the information under IP Configuration?   I really appreciate everyone's suggestions.  Thanks!!

flowfast · Answer

The QuickBooks Community started this thread. They are suggesting it's an IE 7 problem. Try install IE 6 and see if that solves it. http://www.quickbooksgroup.com/webx?14@@.ef6b834/13

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