Browsers won't connect to the internet even though wi-fi is connected and working and other programs can connect fine.

[mechfrancis1]

Running a Dell tablet pc with Windows 8.1. It is a touchscreen if that matters to anyone. Intel i5-3317U CPU @ 1.70 GHZ, 64 bit.... etc.... This is a tablet as I've said and does not have an ether net port, only wi-fi. Only browsers installed are Chrome and IE. Only browsers will not connect to the internet. Programs connect to their sources just fine. Just finished another round of Windows updates and thought it was not going to connect, but it did and I hoped that would have corrected the issue... It didn't. Uninstalled Chrome and downloaded the install file to a thumb drive from another laptop that is on the same network. This is how I know the network is fine as well. Downloaded the firefox installer also to a the thumb drive and attempted to install both to the tablet pc. Neither installed because they need to connect to the internet. Disabled windows firewall hoping this would help and attempted the installer again. Results were the same. Rebooted since programs were uninstalled.... same results. Rebooted into safe mode with networking. Using various programs to verify, the system still communicates to the internet, the browsers just won't work. Firewall disabled, browsers uninstalled, system cleaned out thoroughly, perhaps too thorough.... I would prefer not to have to re-image the system... It's beginning to look like that may be the route to go though. Any help is appreciated.

If more information is needed, please let me know and be specific. I am knowledgeable, but not IT tech support knowledgeable.... Thank you for any helping and for reading.

 

[tman1]

have you checked proxy settings?

 

[mechfrancis1]

have you checked proxy settings?

I just double checked the proxy setting and it is turned off. It has the same settings my other laptop has.

The browsers don't say they can't connect either. They say the page cannot be displayed as if the page is not even there.

It's like something is blocking only browser programs from doing things.

 

[joseph p]

Maybe it is a DNS issue if it is only the browser.

Go into a command promt and type

ping www.google.com
then try pinging 8.8.8.8

Post output here.

 

[mechfrancis1]

Maybe it is a DNS issue if it is only the browser.

Go into a command promt and type

ping www.google.com
then try pinging 8.8.8.8

Post output here.

Pings google.com and 8.8.8.8 just fine. No issues there. Pings yahoo.com just fine as well as bing.com.

 

[mechfrancis1]

I kept looking around the internet. I knew someone had to have posted a solution somewhere. I found it one YouTube.

https://youtu.be/J57LhlrW-Xk

He shows two solutions. The first one worked for me.

Solution 1 Commands:
1. netsh winsock reset catalog
2. netsh int ip reset reset.log hit

I had typed a similar command as step 2 in the cmd prompt yesterday and reset the computer. It did not work. Doing both in the order presented did work. Joseph P mentioned DNS issue. It pinged fine, but I got curious and went and checked the actual DNS settings and it had been altered to a set DNS instead of the automatic. So part of the problem, but not the complete part.

Thank you to everyone that read and gave input. Hopefully this helps others having this problem with Windows 8 and 8.1.