Laptop won't access the web despite being "connected" to WIFI

[Math Geek]

i'm scratching my head here with an HP DV6-1355dx that has come into my hands running win 7. it will connect to a network via wifi or ethernet no problem. it knows it is on the network and can even access network resources at my house. problem is it won't get onto the web. any attempt to go to a web page gives the old "unable to connect" error

the laptop was formatted about 6 months ago i am told using the recovery partition it came with. then it sat mostly unused since. as far as i can tell there is only one program installed that is not from the factory and that is some home DJ program. otherwise this is pretty much a vanilla install with only normal hp out of the box bloatware. i can't for the life of me figure out why it won't access the web as everything seems to be working. here is what i have done so far with nothing being successful:

1. reinstalled drivers for the wifi and network card. no change
2. installed 2 new browsers to check if it something in the settings of the stock IE (chrome and firefox) none of them will get to a webpage
3. verified there is nothing running conflicting with anything else (as i said vanilla install) nothing obvious causing problems
4. no virus/malware detected through av or my own visual inspection of files and registry
5. booted into safe mode with networking and am able to access the web no problem from safe mode on all 3 browsers installed. this tells me the hardware and drivers are fine since it does get onto the web this way.

what am i missing? i'm sure a fresh format would correct this but i'd like to avoid it if possible since it is recently done from factory recovery partition. can anyone think of a reason this is happening? i can't think of anything else to try. why would it be able to get to the web in safe mode but not in normal boot-up since there is nothing really installed on the pc to cause issues?

thanks for any ideas

 

[Chicano]

Maybe a Rootkit, Adware, Corrupted Winsock.
Run a Antirootkit, ADWCleaner, Complete Inrternet Repair. Also check your startup programs (msconfig), and check the Taskmanager for unusual/unknown processes.

https://www.malwarebytes.org/antirootkit/
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-portable-rootkit-removers/
https://rizonesoft.com/download/complete-internet-repair/
http://filehippo.com/download_adwcleaner/

 

[jsmithepa]

DNS problem or missing GATEWAY. Or simply ISP down, do you have a green WAN light on the modem?

Do an IPCONFIG /ALL, look at the NIC in question, GATEWAY should have an IP, typically your router.

Do a PING GOOGLE.COM, and if it doesn't come back with an IP, you are not able to reach the DNS. DNS maybe missing or faulty.

 

[Math Geek]

thanks for the ideas

pinged google and it came back fine. 20 ms response time and no packets lost. still unable to connect to any web site. 🙁

trying out the complete internet repair to reset some settings and see if that helps

 

[jsmithepa]

If ping google works, your network is fine.

You have a proxy or browser problem.

May wanna change your DNS just for kicks. Folks here like 8.8.8.8.

 

[Math Geek]

browser problem was what i was thinking first as well but a fresh install of 2 other browsers had no effect. figured if ie was broke at least ff or chrome would work.

as far as i know the proxy settings are in each browser correct? or is there some global proxy setting i may be missing? i made sure each browser was set to auto detect for the proxy and dns.

i'll fiddle a bit with the dns and see if i can have any effect

 

[Math Geek]

sadly, i gave up and am restoring windows to a fresh install and go from there.

i can't think of any reason nor can i find anything in my searching that explains what might be happening to this laptop. if it is a rootkit or something, then it is very well hidden and deserves a cookie for stealth abilities :/

 

[mjslakeridge]

With something that weird, I think a fresh install is the way to go. You have tried almost everything else, and since you can connect in safe mode, that rules out hardware issues.

 

[Math Geek]

been doing this a long time and hate to admit when i am beaten, but in this case it seems i am truly beaten. one of those 1 in a million problems i probably won't ever see again to ever figure out how to fix it.

but i do feel better knowing that others are stumped as well. so at least i know it is truly a rare/odd issue. 😀

 

[Chicano]

Here are some other tests to try:

1. maybe another user profile.
2. an anonymous browser (Tor browser)
3. check/replace the Hosts file
4. automatic proxy detection should always work.
5. temporarily disable the antivirus (just long enough to test web access)
6. From the command line type:
a) ipconfig
b) ipconfig /all
c) netstat
d) ipconfig /allcompartments /all
e) click the Network icon on the taskbar:
e1). click open Network and Sharing Center > right click the Ethernet link > Click Diagnose... a box should tell what the detected issue is.
e2) same info as 6 d). again clicking the Ethernet link; click Details.. See the time and date of Lease Obtained and Lease Expires: The time difference should be days.. If it's in minutes or seconds, the cause should be investigated. This issue is apparently a wireless router issue, check the commented cause (half way down the page) and if it has a relation to your connection issue.
https://forums.techguy.org/threads/solved-dns-client-lease-expires-every-hour-or-30-minutes-router-hates-vista-clien.856934/

I'll see if I can think of anything else.


Install Tor browser (anonymous surf)
https://www.torproject.org/

 

[Math Geek]

there are some good ideas there chicano

the only thing i did not try was the tor browser from your list. did not even think of that one as an option to see what would happen. i have multiple pc's and other devices on my network that have no issues. this laptop is from a client who has this problem at home, at a friends house and now at my house. i doubt we all have a wifi router problem that only shows up on this laptop.

considering i can access the web in safe mode no problem rules out hardware issues. this is something wrong with windows itself but everything is a dead end so far. i have actually finished restoring the laptop to a fresh install and the problem is gone now. actually typing this on the laptop as we speak whatever the problem was had been so obscure nothing could find it. i did use that complete internet repair you suggested which is a nice little utility putting a handful of settings in one place. that reset a lot of stuff to default as well that i had already manually looked at.

i'm just gonna chalk this up as a 1 in a billion issue that i hope does not ever come back.....

 

[Chicano]

Yes, it was a Windows issue no doubt.. Maybe a shortlived DHCP lease, as commented in the article, and same suggestion I gave before on point e2), and as short as seconds in my own experience with the same symptoms as those you had.


Solved: DNS client lease expires every hour, or 30 minutes
https://forums.techguy.org/threads/solved-dns-client-lease-expires-every-hour-or-30-minutes-router-hates-vista-clien.856934/

However, things look good for now. Here's the point: Disabling the NetBIOS connection (and its service through the services.msc box), rewriting the Winsock settings with netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt and adding this command (see quote below). apparently solved the short DHCP lease. I'll give out first the ipconfig /allcompartments /all results first.

C:\Users\The Kitty's Box>ipconfig /allcompartments /all