Can't connect to IM. RESOLVED (NO REPRO)

[Peter]

XP should have a "system restore point" you can use to roll back changes to windows from the last few months.  Try using it to roll back changes to a time when DB was working properly and see if it fixes it.  If so, it's probably a driver or settings thing.

Well, it seems like a good idea, but with the experience I have gotten before with a restore point, I maneged to get a blue screen anytime there was a network-connection, and after the system restore I was just getting a blue screen at every normal startup.   Save-startup worked atleast. In the end I had to reinstall windows.

I thinking a local firewall, perhaps one installed with an anti-virus app - has the DB exe on a local blacklist...

I have had already put anything off including anti-virus and a firewall.

[Peter]

System restore didn't help eather.  

Found something strange again, I am not connected to any other sim and still I see connected to 2sims. It doesn't seem to delete old population files, from previous runs.

[Peter]

You know any programs to check the network-connectivity, or any idea what kind of problem there could be. It seems DB ism't the only program that is having trouble, I am going to get some more info of some other OS's  

I have found already one bug when I tried to repear my lan-connection. ARP-cache can't be deleted, yeah microsoft.  Atleast that piece is fixed, now.

[EricL]

Maybe try releasing and renewing your IP address?

[Peter]

Maybe try releasing and renewing your IP address?

I gues you mean the internal IP-adress, I have done that, and it didn't help  .

If you mean the external, I am wondering how. Now I am looking.

[Garat]

Try to use a proxy ?

[Peter]

Try to use a proxy ?

I could try anything, but I am pretty sure it is something in windows. Oh well let's sum up, maybe someone will see it. I will try proxy, it can't hurt.

Connections from the same network is working.
System restore did'nt help.
With virus-scanners and firewall off it doesn't work.
Reinstalling DB didn't help.

'Funny' thing.
In the modem/router whatever thingy. If I run a connection-test it says there isn't a internet connection  ,I gues I am right now connected, or is the computer fooling me, maybe it is, it is just trying to test me,hmmm.

[Numsgil]

It's your windows install.  All the various things your describing, and the exhausted error checking in other areas, suggests to me that your windows install is broken somehow.  Remember that the old computer managed to work using the existing connection.  And you're variously getting blue screens of death, and experiencing problems with other apps.

If you have the time and patience, I would:

1.  Get a program like Partition Magic and partition your hard drive (if you haven't already.  Partitions are a good idea regardless).

2.  Install a fresh windows install on the new partition.

3.  Slowly install new programs on the new windows version as you need them, only going back to the old windows install occasionally.

My desktop has 3 partitions on the primary hard drive, with 3 OS installed: 2 XP Professional installs (one is about 4 years old.  My Granny OS  ) and an old 98SE install I use to play DOS games.

If this sounds unreasonable, then you have to track down the problem, which could be anything from adware to some obscure registry setting.  If you're lucky it's adware, and can be removed quite easily.  It could also be a recently installed program, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

[Garat]

Or, you could be a little violent and format your computer.

[Peter]

Nah, no formatting.

First it isn't as bad that I am getting blue screens of death jet, this one just has reminded me of the last time I had some network problems.

You have got a special partition for win98, for old games I just use a old computer.  

And I am just going to do a reainstall on the same computer, Means registry will be reset but many programs really don't care, means I have to check witch ones care, means I'd better make a backup.

[Numsgil]

Reinstalling over an existing install isn't quite the same as starting fresh.  At least I don't think so.  I've had to reinstall an OS before, and generally I got the impression that it's more like bulldozing a house and rebuilding on the lot without removing any of the old junk.

[Testlund]

I recommend having your firewall up and running (not windows firewall) BEFORE you make the first internet connection after a fresh windows install, and then immedately update your firewall, then windows update, then install antimalware programs and update those before doing anything else.
After a fresh install of windows all security holes in windows will be wide open for hacker access. There are tons of ways hackers can use windows services to get total control of your computer and do anything they want. If you have internet access without a good firewall for half an hour or more you can expect anything to get messed up inside your computer. In such a case there's no point in even trying to figure out what's wrong. It's better to just format your hard drive and reinstall all over again. I made this mistake myself once.
Just by looking at my current firewall logs I see I get port scans two times per minute from various IP addresses.

Another problem is getting the right drivers for your hardware. The lack of information on manufacturers sites to get the right one is terrible! Usually that is what causes blue screen of deaths, bad drivers, drivers installed over windows drivers messing it up, wrong drivers, bla-bla.

Sorry if I got a bit long winded here but I think this can't be said enough. I have had to fix systems for several friends and family members because they don't follow these rules, and it appears to me most people don't have any knowledge about these things.

And forget system restore. It's a joke. Better to make your own backup of your system if you can.  

[Numsgil]

I think that's a bit extreme Testlund, but I make it a rule not to disillusion people who play it right better than I do   Bottom line, though, is that unless a hacker gets to run* something on your computer, they don't get access to anything.  That's true even from the Windows 3.1 days.

*(Some windows accesseries, like Outlook, can, in older versions more so, automatically run various scripts.  This was used to cause mass email viruses back in the day.  Not really an issue anymore: Microsoft learned its lesson.  And this was a pretty superficial breach of privacy: all it did was propogate itself.  Alot.  So much so that it flooded servers.)

A far bigger threat for the modern internet user is adware.  They install all sorts of crap that the internet tells them too, not knowing what it does.  It mostly causes popups, and makes a computer run and boot slowly.  I haven't had a single virus or trojan on a computer of mine in years.  Much of that time was *gasp* spent unprotected.  No or crippled virus protection.  But adware I end up with out the wazoo.  And I'm a relatively savvy computer user.  It's just packaged with everything free.  And I download free crap all the time.

So I'm thinking that it's possible some adware has mangeld Peter's settings.  Installed a bogus driver or something.  Another possibility is that he's installed a broken VB program that screwed with the VB run times.

[Testlund]

I admit I have no idea HOW they are doing it, I can only go on what I've seen and read about. I agree that it's mostly adware and spyware nowadays, just trying to force people to buy software with annoying popups or browser hijacking, or steal personal information like passwords and credit card numbers, but sometimes they just wants to destroy something, like access deny attacks that causes some things to stop working with windows, maybe a windows service with internet access.
Sometimes they can exploit other programs that uses internet access, or they come bundled with little games and utilities.
And as you say they can very well have bad written drivers that screws your system because they most likely don't care if their software runs nice or not.

[Peter]

Nope it isn't spyware. I did a scan with various scanners, all updated. Result some tracking cookies, yes, that is seen as spyware.

Well I gues your a bit extreme there too, Testlund. A good example is my sister, the computer is running for some time and I am sure there isn't a virus-scanner. The only firewall is from windows, and that one isn't always running eather, the computer runs fine, maybe somewhat slow, but fine.

I don't have much spyware or viruses, and I am just as Numsgil downloading a lot of free stuff.

But, Testlund are you seriously getting every minute a few portscans. My router has got in total not even 10 in the last week, I can't even recall if my computer even has had a portscan.


I haven't done a reinstall windows jet, but.
I have played a little with the register. DB works, don't ask how, but it works. Right now I am going to see if I can recall what steps I have done.