Notebook with XP Having Problems

[yakers]

I am mostly Apple at home since retiring 5 years ago. I still have one netbook running XP and no one to assist with diagnosis at work anymore. I may have acquired a virus as the thing works fine but no browser will connect to the internet, 'server cannot be found' type message or browser cannot display, tried 3 browsers. The link to my router is excellent, and all the apple products work just fine. I had been running Panda antivirus and downloaded a version of malwarebytes but cannot update that a I cannot connect to the internet. Any suggestions? I can download files to my Mac and move them over on USB drive. Just seem crazy that something got through.

 

[Meadbh]

It's likely that a file has become corrupted. Try system restore. Use a restore point when the PC was working well.

 

[rbmrtn]

Try using a network cable directly to the router to verify it is not a wireless connection issue.

Make sure the wireless shows you are connected, not just that the signal strength is excellent.

You can run malwarebytes without the update, or you can manually update it.

 

[Texas Proud]

Is the connection good with the netbook

We had a problem with my DW's notebook... somehow the wifi was turned off and we could not find out how to turn it back on... it LOOKED like it was connected, but it was not... we kept moving the physical switch on and off and nothing...


Took it to the GeekSquad and they did some keystrokes and it started to work just fine... no charge...

 

[FIRE'd@51]

I had a similar problem. There's a system file (I believe it's a driver) in the Windows folder called ipsec.sys. Norton found a virus in the file and quarantined it, afterwhich I lost my internet connection. After much frustration (System Restore wouldn't work), I gave up and ran a non-destructive System Recovery which re-installed the operating system and returned the computer to its original state when it was purchased without reformatting the hard drive. I lost all my installed programs and windows updates, so I had to download and reinstall Service Pack 3, Norton, Firefox, etc. However, all my data files were preserved including documents, spreadsheets, pictures, music, videos, emails, desktop icons - essentially everything that is preserved with a System Restore.

I suspect there may be a more elegant solution - perhaps if you google ipsec.sys you will come up with something, assuming that file is the cause of your problem.