[PugDad]

This is kinda long but I’ve tried everything I can think of. I outlined what I can remember below.

I upgraded my HP Laptop from XP to Windows Vista Home Premium about six months ago. It worked like a champ. About the same timeframe, I purchased my wife a new Gateway laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium. About 4 mos ago, I upgraded my son's Dell Desktop to Windows Vista Home Premium. All were working Great. We were sharing files, surfing the net, saving data/files to the Western Digital Networked Drive array and printing on the wireless HP OfficeJet 7700.

About a month ago, my HP Laptop would not open my Outlook Mailbox. I tried connecting to the internet using IE7 (v7.0.6000.16546) and it failed to connect. I decided to take down the network to reset everything and clear the problem. So, I powered down:
- My HP Laptop
- The WD NetCenter
- The LinkSys Router
- The Cable Modem
- My wife's Gateway
- My son's Dell
- The HP OfficeJet

After a short wait with everything powered down: I powered up:
- the Cable modem.
- the Router.
- the WD NetCenter.
- the OfficeJet.
- my wife's Gateway and it worked fine.
- my son's Dell and it worked fine.
- my HP

Unfortunately, it still failed to connect to the Network Drive, wireless printer or the Internet.

I recalled that I’d had trouble in the past with Norton blocking traffic so I decided to shut down the Norton Firewall. Windows Firewall was not running either. Still did not connect.

I decided to try connecting with a wired connection. I got the same result as with the Wireless connection. I've Repaired, Diagnosed and Disconnected/Reconnected my network connections many times without success. It is very weird that absolutely NOTHING was changed. It was working one day and not the next.

It is also very odd that the computer can see the LawnTeam Router but it will not allow access to the internet. So I decided to create a static IP connection. Then I got an error from the DNS server that it could not resolve the address.

I get errors when I ping other devices connected to my home network and Ping does not find Yahoo either.

I've looked on numerous sites for similar issues. I find them but folks do not seem to believe that Vista would simply stop connecting for no reason.

I decided to upgrade the drivers for my network adapters. This also did not help. So, I purchased a USB Wireless LAN adapter and installed it. No luck their either. Then, I reinstalled the LinkSys software and that did nothing as well.

Finally I decided to delete the Hardware profiles for the Network adapters. They reinstalled automagically without fixing the problem.

I could not think of anything else to do so I went online to www.support.com and paid my $89.00 for professional support. I spent over four hours on the phone and peer-to-peer without success. They REALLY did not want to refund my fee, but had only repeated the steps that I had already taken.

This forum is about my last attempt at saving the install before I revert to my XP install.

I saved some JPG screen shots of various config settings below:
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/OpSys.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/NetworkSharing.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/LinkSysRouter.jpg
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/IPCONFIG.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/IPCONFIGGatewayPC.jpg (wife’s PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/GatewayNetwork.jpg (Wife’s PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/Driver.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/DeviceMgr.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/Ping.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/WindowsFirewall.jpg (my PC)
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/Norton.jpg (my PC)

Below is a list of the devices on our home network that are working properly:
- LinkSys WRT300N Firmware v1.51.2 (192.168.1.1)
- Gateway MT6706, Intel 1.60 GHz, 1014 MB RAM - Windows Home Premium (IPv4: 192.168.1.101 - Wireless)
- Dell Desktop - Windows Home Premium (IPv4: 192.168.1.104 - Ethernet)
- Western Digital NetCenter (192.168.1.104 - Ethernet)
- HP OfficeJet Pro 7700 (192.168.1.107 - Wireless)

I'd like to point at the Router, but it is working with both wireless and wired devices. I've run out of ideas and would be grateful for any other thoughts before I wipe the computer clean and then reinstall All My Software. I really am not looking forward to that.

[fairnooks]

What did you make a static IP on, your computer or the router? I ask because I'm wondering if you tried manually entering network settings on your compter.

It would be at least diagnostic if you haven't yet to see if they are changed back or if they actually work so...

From the Network and Sharing Center click on Manage Network connections and then right click on the connection you have enabled and are trying to use and choose Status. On the next window choose Properties and then highlight the TCP/IPv4 item and choose Properties again.

In the properties window choose the manual setting entry boxes and enter the following;

IP Address: 192.168.1.125 (or any number between 100 and 149 not in use)
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 (should fill itself in)
Default Gateway 192.168.1.1


Pre DNS Server 208.67.222.222 (these are the Open DNS public DNS servers)
Alt DNS Server 208.67.220.220


Ok,ok,ok,close, etc., wait a bit and see what happens. If nothing, try a repair on the connection. If after a while still nothing go back in and see if the TCP settings stayed on the ones you entered or not which would mean something is overriding the settings. If they remain and everything else is working I gotta think Norton is still blocking even though its disabled (which can happen on purpose or by malfunction (doesn't really disable itself completely)).

Then if it doesn't work for that network adapter you can try disabling tha one, enabling another and try the same thing. If they all fail....yikes! but at least you'll be consistent.

Hope that helps, good luck.

[PugDad]

Yikes is right!

Thank you for the Reply and suggestions Fairnooks... Unfortunately, the problem persists... Here are links to screen shots of the new ipconfig and the error when I tried to diagnose and repair:
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/UpdatedIPCONFIG.jpg
- http://www.lawnteam.com/vista/WindowsPolicy.jpg

So, I've had a sneeking suspicion all along that Symantec was at the bottom of the issue. So when I saw the repair diagnosis, I decided to uninstall Norton Internet Security... I was planning to change to AVG anyway.

Whooooops! Now Norton won't uninstall and I still get the darn Policy Error...

So, do ya think I've jumped out of my comfy Frying Pan? Hey wait, I'm seeing flames!

Any other ideas gratefully accepted. Looking for a nice Xmas Present!

[fairnooks]

I can tel you its not a problem with the Open DNS servers not responding because I'm using one right now.

I suspected you were being blocked as well and now its been forced out into the open!

I think Symantec has a super-duper program remover availible for just such stubborn uninstalls on their website. You'd have to get it with another computer and transfer it over on a thumb drive or CD but hopefully that would get the job done.

[PugDad]

Thanks! I REALLY appreciate you helping this technically challenged and disconnected Vista user on Christmas Eve...

Unfortunately Symantec is not going to make this easy... I had to send them an email since their search engine did not produce anything for uninstall or remove. Of course!

I'm going to try searching the web to see if others may have a tool to do the deed...

[TerryNet]

Disable encryption on the router; use dynamic addressing; do the following repairs and try to connect. Please show another ipconfig if not successful. If successful, re-enable encryption and reconnect.

(From a JohnWill post)

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Vista.

Start, Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset IPv4 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

Reset IPv6 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log

Reboot the machine.

[TerryNet]

Norton Removal Tool: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...05033108162039

[PugDad]

Thanks TerryNet and Fairnooks for the guidance.

I found a link to the Norton Uninstall program on the web. I find it odd that you need to search the web to find the Norton uninstall program on their own site. Further, I find it very interesting that Symantec wrote a separate Uninstaller rather than fixing the process in Windows.

Perhaps that should tell folks something?

Well, thanks to your help I am writing this msg from my HP Laptop connected to my home network now that Norton is History. Seriously, I really appreciate the Christmas Present or should I say "my wife appreciates the Christmas present"...

Now I will stay off her PC... ;o)

Happy Holidays and have a wonderful new year!

[fairnooks]

That'll be $89 please!

You were very good at providing pertinent info and assisting in the diagnostic process. So much so that it allowed me\us to get right to trying to reveal the culprit instead of wondering what all your settings might be in the "layer cake" that networking is.

Merry Chistmas (almost!) and happy New Year!

[PugDad]

You earned it!

I'll tell you, it's nice when folks listen to what you say and then form an opinion rather than assuming you've got an ID-10-T error and force you down paths you've already tried. At any rate, I've got my PC back and am thrilled with this website and the knowhow provided so willingly.

Thank You Very Much!