Dimension 2350 - dns / dhcp errors - bizarre problem - help....

Question

I have a network that was working properly until I unistalled some software a coworker installed for PeoplePC and Earthlink  - not understanding that our office has a dsl line - she installed the dial-up software for both of her external home email/internet accounts. Upon uninstalling the software and returning my network to normal - I can not see the LAN or connect to the web with her computer - all others are working fine - her connect light is solid our our router. I can ping other machines and websites if I assign her an ip - but still get the cannot renew IP address errors in ipconfig and network properties and still can't see the LAN or web - I have reset the ip stack , reinstalled drivers, flushed dns cache, set the connection with ip address, default gateway, etc...all with no good results. Can anyone think of any further steps - I don't relish the idea of being on the 'off shore' support as we are a small business and my real job here is retail clerk. Thanks in advance!

volcano11 · Answer

Have you tried using System Restore to restore the computer to a state it was in prior to installing the dialup software? Steve

volcano11 · Answer

I am referring to the System Restore program built into Windows, not restoring to the "as shipped" settings. System Restore allow you go to back to the configuration present on specific dates. For example, let's say that on July 15 the user installed the dialup software. If you open System Restrore and choose to restore to an earlier date, you should be presented with a calendar that show dates when valid restore points were created. If one of the valid dates is July 14 and you choose to restore to that date, then the only thing that will be lost is the software and configuration changes that have been made after July 14. To better understand System Restore, go to Start > Help and Support and type System Restore into the search box.

Steve

davens claygirl · Answer

what impact will that have on other post-factory installed software - sorry for the ignorance...i assume it will remove it?

davens claygirl · Answer

thank you - i assumed the fomer - didn't know the system could restore to a specific date (retail clerks don't get paid enough to diagnose networking errors, restore systems, etc....- back to my real job - selling clay!)- am now banning all coworkers from installing anything w/o my permission - thank you so much for your help

volcano11 · Answer

So was System Restore sucessful in getting you back to a working configuration? Steve

davens claygirl · Answer

sort of - it got the network settings going again - but now I have figured out that the earthlink software is the culprit - if it is uninstalled - the network connection is kaput - if it is installed it constantly loops error messages trying to find .msi files that don't exist - I also am trying to reinstall it from the web and then uninstall - which is what their help suggested - yesterday i uninstalled using add and remove programs then removed it from the registry but upon reboot the same stuff happened - someone i know suggested a way to clean the windows installer to rid it of looking for the .msi files but couldn't figure out how to do that for me

davens claygirl · Answer

problem resolved - with lots of help - thanks to all :) - I used microsoft's beta spyware program to block the earthlink during startup - then I used the add and remove programs to remove the earthlink software - then edited the registry to remove all traces and a subprogram - which installed with the earthlink - an .exe that was called wmonitor - located in the WEGINE folder - that allowed me to completely remove the earthlink junk which caused the network errors

Thank you!

hrova · Answer

If I am understanding correctly, someone installed something you wish they wouldn't have... I think if you set it up to default to a limited account, that problem could be avoided - but my knowledge in  that area is shaky.   Perhaps someone else can say if that is right, and if so, how to do it.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Dimension 2350 - dns / dhcp errors - bizarre problem - help....

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