Solve : Computer will not connect to functioning connection - HELP!?

1.	Solve : Computer will not connect to functioning connection - HELP!?
Answer» Long story. A while back, I visited the CHF, and was directed in getting rid of a program which had hijacked my installshield. Now, I am unable to install or uninstall anything because in the process, the installshield was either damaged or disabled. Wednesday evening, I left and turned off my machine, a 4-year-old Dell PC. When I returned and turned the computer back on, Sunday afternoon, my computer was connected to the internet, but Firefox, IE, and AIM refused to connect. Now, what I did notice is that the modem lights are still on, the computer claims to have full access to the net (but cannot send packets in network tests...), and the cord definitely works (am using it and the network to use my roommate's computer to make this post). I asked the guys at Circuit City, I did a system restore to try and repair any weird software malfunctions which may have occurred, and I did my best to try and clean up the physical memory in case that was hindering my connection. What I noticed earlier TODAY was that a long-defunct version of Sygate Firewall, which I hadn't seen since I last tried to uninstall nearly a year ago, appeared in my Add/Remove Programs list. I tried to uninstall it again, but it gave me an error message along the lines of "Catastrophic Failure" and mentioned the installshield being damaged. I'm incredibly frustrated. As a college student with limited funds, who tries her damndest to take care of her old computer, and needs her computer to be able to take online classes, I'm panicking. I guess the question is: Could the old firewall be blocking my access to the internet? It doesn't seem to be on, and when I try to turn it on the computer can't FIND it in the system. If it is blocking my access, is there a way to remove it without my installshield or repair the shield? Please, please help. If you think I should post this in the software forum, let me know and I'll copy it there. Thanks! -DassalaHave you tried uninstalling in Safe Mode / using msconfig to see if any remnant of the Sygate firewall is running / backed up all your stuff in case you have to do a reinstall of the OS? Alan <>< Don't have the OS disk, unfortunately. How do I back it up, in case I do decide to reformat? Update: Okay. So the question has changed. I managed to GET rid of Sygate completely, and I played AROUND long enough to fix the issue with my Install Shield. BUT. My programs (IE, Firefox, AIM, Eudora) will not connect to the net...still. I'm going to take this over to Software as well, because it may be an issue for anyone over there. But if anyone has a brilliant computer-saving thought for me here, please feel free to post it! Thanks for the help thus far! - DassalaDo you currently have a firewall active? If so check the settings & see if it's allowing IE & Firefox to connect.No active firewall. The only one that I did have, I turned it off and I still couldn't connect.Do you and your roommate use dialup Internet connection, or do you have broadband (DSL/cable)? If dialup, do you have an internal modem? If broadband, do you and your roommate share an Internet connection via a router? Was anybody else using your computer while you were gone? Does your computer seem to be running right now except for the Internet connection? What does this mean: Quote I did my best to try and clean up the physical memory in case that was hindering my connection. We use a broadband connection which is split via a hub. We tried her line as well as mine in the computer, and neither worked. No one used my computer while I was gone -- It's PASSWORD protected, and my roommate is pretty trustworthy. Sorry, when I said I tried to clean earlier, I meant I ran the disk cleanup application. Yes, the computer is running just fine other than not connecting to the internet. The connection is Enabled and everything, but I get messages like, "The following steps of the repair operation failed: Renewing the IP address." when I try to repair it, and when I use the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite to run a Network Test, it says, "Send Packet Failed." By the way, I'm running Windows XP on a Dell Dimension 2350. Trying to avoid having to pay Dell $200 to fix the problem. Thanks for the help thus far. I'm checking in as often as I can!There could be a few reasons for your computer behaviour... First, find out (and tell us) your computer ip configuration and your room mate computer ip configuration. Start->Run->ipconfig /all >c:\outipconfig.txt (on both computers and paste here the content of c:\outipconfig.txt on both computers). What modem and what hub are you using in your small network? What models? Tell us what is written on them. Tell us how the wires are connected: the network wire from your computers go where, and from there there are other cables, one cable? Your room mate has a proxy noted in her internet options? (IE 7: Tools->Internet Options->Connections->Lan Settings; Firefox 2.0.0.4: Tools->Options->Advanced->Network->Connection Settings) Okay. I couldn't get c:\outipconfig to open on my computer. It would open for a second, then disappear. Not sure what's going on there... I don't know how to do it on this computer, it's a MacBook. I just took a screenshot of the LAN settings for my computer. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/dassala/lansettings.jpg Since I guess the only way to describe them is: empty? Again, I don't know how to open them on this comp, since Safari is totally greek to me. We have a Motorola Cable Modem SB5101 which is connected to a GigaFastEthernet hub that is a few years old. It has five ports. We have one cable which is inputting from the modem and then two that are used to split off to her computer and mine. As I said before, they've worked for 10 months...this is the first problem we've had. The wires move across my bedroom maybe five feet, and then hers goes about ten feet towards her bedroom, behind the television in our living room. I took another screenshot of the connection to show you. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/dassala/activity1hr.jpg This is after one hour (obviously) of the computer claiming to be connected to the net. Does this help at all?

Answer»

Long story. A while back, I visited the CHF, and was directed in getting rid of a program which had hijacked my installshield. Now, I am unable to install or uninstall anything because in the process, the installshield was either damaged or disabled.

Wednesday evening, I left and turned off my machine, a 4-year-old Dell PC. When I returned and turned the computer back on, Sunday afternoon, my computer was connected to the internet, but Firefox, IE, and AIM refused to connect. Now, what I did notice is that the modem lights are still on, the computer claims to have full access to the net (but cannot send packets in network tests...), and the cord definitely works (am using it and the network to use my roommate's computer to make this post). I asked the guys at Circuit City, I did a system restore to try and repair any weird software malfunctions which may have occurred, and I did my best to try and clean up the physical memory in case that was hindering my connection.

What I noticed earlier TODAY was that a long-defunct version of Sygate Firewall, which I hadn't seen since I last tried to uninstall nearly a year ago, appeared in my Add/Remove Programs list. I tried to uninstall it again, but it gave me an error message along the lines of "Catastrophic Failure" and mentioned the installshield being damaged.

I'm incredibly frustrated. As a college student with limited funds, who tries her damndest to take care of her old computer, and needs her computer to be able to take online classes, I'm panicking.

I guess the question is: Could the old firewall be blocking my access to the internet? It doesn't seem to be on, and when I try to turn it on the computer can't FIND it in the system. If it is blocking my access, is there a way to remove it without my installshield or repair the shield? Please, please help. If you think I should post this in the software forum, let me know and I'll copy it there. Thanks!

-DassalaHave you tried uninstalling in Safe Mode / using msconfig to see if any remnant of the Sygate firewall is running / backed up all your stuff in case you have to do a reinstall of the OS?

Alan <>< Don't have the OS disk, unfortunately. How do I back it up, in case I do decide to reformat?

Update: Okay. So the question has changed. I managed to GET rid of Sygate completely, and I played AROUND long enough to fix the issue with my Install Shield. BUT. My programs (IE, Firefox, AIM, Eudora) will not connect to the net...still. I'm going to take this over to Software as well, because it may be an issue for anyone over there. But if anyone has a brilliant computer-saving thought for me here, please feel free to post it! Thanks for the help thus far!

- DassalaDo you currently have a firewall active? If so check the settings & see if it's allowing IE & Firefox to connect.No active firewall. The only one that I did have, I turned it off and I still couldn't connect.Do you and your roommate use dialup Internet connection, or do you have broadband (DSL/cable)? If dialup, do you have an internal modem? If broadband, do you and your roommate share an Internet connection via a router?

Was anybody else using your computer while you were gone?

Does your computer seem to be running right now except for the Internet connection?

What does this mean:
Quote

I did my best to try and clean up the physical memory in case that was hindering my connection.

We use a broadband connection which is split via a hub. We tried her line as well as mine in the computer, and neither worked.

No one used my computer while I was gone -- It's PASSWORD protected, and my roommate is pretty trustworthy.

Sorry, when I said I tried to clean earlier, I meant I ran the disk cleanup application.

Yes, the computer is running just fine other than not connecting to the internet. The connection is Enabled and everything, but I get messages like, "The following steps of the repair operation failed: Renewing the IP address." when I try to repair it, and when I use the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite to run a Network Test, it says, "Send Packet Failed."

By the way, I'm running Windows XP on a Dell Dimension 2350. Trying to avoid having to pay Dell $200 to fix the problem. Thanks for the help thus far. I'm checking in as often as I can!There could be a few reasons for your computer behaviour...

First, find out (and tell us) your computer ip configuration and your room mate computer ip configuration.
Start->Run->ipconfig /all >c:\outipconfig.txt
(on both computers and paste here the content of c:\outipconfig.txt on both computers).

What modem and what hub are you using in your small network? What models? Tell us what is written on them.
Tell us how the wires are connected: the network wire from your computers go where, and from there there are other cables, one cable?
Your room mate has a proxy noted in her internet options? (IE 7: Tools->Internet Options->Connections->Lan Settings; Firefox 2.0.0.4: Tools->Options->Advanced->Network->Connection Settings)

Okay. I couldn't get c:\outipconfig to open on my computer. It would open for a second, then disappear. Not sure what's going on there...
I don't know how to do it on this computer, it's a MacBook.

I just took a screenshot of the LAN settings for my computer. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/dassala/lansettings.jpg Since I guess the only way to describe them is: empty? Again, I don't know how to open them on this comp, since Safari is totally greek to me.

We have a Motorola Cable Modem SB5101 which is connected to a GigaFastEthernet hub that is a few years old. It has five ports. We have one cable which is inputting from the modem and then two that are used to split off to her computer and mine. As I said before, they've worked for 10 months...this is the first problem we've had. The wires move across my bedroom maybe five feet, and then hers goes about ten feet towards her bedroom, behind the television in our living room.

I took another screenshot of the connection to show you. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/dassala/activity1hr.jpg This is after one hour (obviously) of the computer claiming to be connected to the net. Does this help at all?

Solve : Computer will not connect to functioning connection - HELP!?

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