Internet Connection (XP)

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My internet connection shortcut stops working at least every other day. When I go to Network Connections and look for my connection, it is gone. I have to make a new connection so I can get on the internet.
Does anyone have any ideas why this is happening?
Thanks

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Is the shortcut always present and just not functioning–that is, is the link just breaking or is the icon gone and reappearing? Home or Pro? How are you accessing the icon? Who is ISP? Is the My Network Places there? Can you access it by Rt. clicking My Network Places>Properties?

Exactly what are you seeing in terms of the icon?

Use Event Viewer for Help with Broken ISP Connections and Any Error[/u]

Start>Run>”Eventvwr.msc”>System>Any DHCP or Network Errors when you expand that box and scroll down?

SMBP

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Is the shortcut always present and just not functioning–that is, is the link just breaking or is the icon gone and reappearing? Home or Pro? How are you accessing the icon? Who is ISP? Is the My Network Places there? Can you access it by Rt. clicking My Network Places>Properties?

Exactly what are you seeing in terms of the icon?

Use Event Viewer for Help with Broken ISP Connections and Any Error[/u]

Start>Run>”Eventvwr.msc”>System>Any DHCP or Network Errors when you expand that box and scroll down?

SMBP

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Edited by WyllyWylly to remove whitespace, correct formatting, and make the post more readable. Make sure you preview before posting![/size]

I don’t know exactly what is happening here–how you’re accessing what icon and if you’re on dialup or broadband or network–intermittent broken link/both My Network Places and Network Connections Gone (I shortcut a Lan icon and pin it to start for convenience and quick acess or it could be dragged to the quick launch bar) but going to these places might help fix this:

Repair Your Icon Cache[/u]

Tweak UI has been known to corrupt the icon cache. If you have it you might want to uninstall and reinstall it, but I’d take other steps first. If icons are corrupted, or incorrect icons are displayed, Windows maintains a cached copy of all the icons on the system to avoid having to reload the icons every time they are displayed. If this icon cache becomes corrupt then the wrong icons may be shown. To clear the icons cache make sure you can view hidden files and then open your Windows directory in Explorer and delete the file called “ShellIconCache. When you restart, a new icon cache file will be created.

Deleting ShelliconCache from a Command Prompt:[/u]

1) at a command prompt, change to the %SystemRoot% folder
2) remove the hidden attribute from the file:
3) Type attrib -h shelliconcache and press ENTER.
4) Logoff and back on and the default icons should be restored.

If default icons are gone from any NT kernel system (NT through XP) you can restore the icon(s) using the following steps:

151723: How to Re-create Default Icons Deleted from Desktop

Also for reference here see:

279769: HOW TO: Restore Icons That Have Been Removed from the Desktop in Windows XP
330170: Your Desktop Icons Are Missing in Windows XP
289256: A Description of the Repair Option on a Local Area Network or High-Speed Internet Connection
297415: Repair Option Is Not Available in the Network Connection Properties
819626: Dial-Up Connection Icon Does Not Indicate That It Is the Default Connection

Two Registry Edits to Restore My Network Places>From there access Network Connections Icons:[/u]

Also you may be able to repair/restore your icon from the registry if deleting/restoring ShellIconCache or KB 151723 don’t help you.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel. Once there, locate {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D} in the list on the right. Right click on it and select Modify. Change the value equal to 0. Reboot your computer. Or, check the following registry keys:

User Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer
System Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)[/b]

hth,

SMBP

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Edited by WyllyWylly to remove whitespace, correct formatting, and make the post more readable. Make sure you preview before posting![/size]

I don’t know exactly what is happening here–how you’re accessing what icon and if you’re on dialup or broadband or network–intermittent broken link/both My Network Places and Network Connections Gone (I shortcut a Lan icon and pin it to start for convenience and quick acess or it could be dragged to the quick launch bar) but going to these places might help fix this:

Repair Your Icon Cache[/u]

Tweak UI has been known to corrupt the icon cache. If you have it you might want to uninstall and reinstall it, but I’d take other steps first. If icons are corrupted, or incorrect icons are displayed, Windows maintains a cached copy of all the icons on the system to avoid having to reload the icons every time they are displayed. If this icon cache becomes corrupt then the wrong icons may be shown. To clear the icons cache make sure you can view hidden files and then open your Windows directory in Explorer and delete the file called “ShellIconCache. When you restart, a new icon cache file will be created.

Deleting ShelliconCache from a Command Prompt:[/u]

1) at a command prompt, change to the %SystemRoot% folder
2) remove the hidden attribute from the file:
3) Type attrib -h shelliconcache and press ENTER.
4) Logoff and back on and the default icons should be restored.

If default icons are gone from any NT kernel system (NT through XP) you can restore the icon(s) using the following steps:

151723: How to Re-create Default Icons Deleted from Desktop

Also for reference here see:

279769: HOW TO: Restore Icons That Have Been Removed from the Desktop in Windows XP
330170: Your Desktop Icons Are Missing in Windows XP
289256: A Description of the Repair Option on a Local Area Network or High-Speed Internet Connection
297415: Repair Option Is Not Available in the Network Connection Properties
819626: Dial-Up Connection Icon Does Not Indicate That It Is the Default Connection

Two Registry Edits to Restore My Network Places>From there access Network Connections Icons:[/u]

Also you may be able to repair/restore your icon from the registry if deleting/restoring ShellIconCache or KB 151723 don’t help you.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel. Once there, locate {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D} in the list on the right. Right click on it and select Modify. Change the value equal to 0. Reboot your computer. Or, check the following registry keys:

User Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer
System Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)[/b]

hth,

SMBP

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Lennymay–

Additionally since I don’t have much to go on–whether you have icon problems, shortcut problems, modem connection problems or all the above. I can zero in if I understand your problem better.

SMBP

Windows XP Modem Tweak Guide
163391: Troubleshooting Problems Communicating on the Internet
308022: Resources for Troubleshooting Modem Problems in Windows XP
Why does my modem abruptly disconnect sometimes?
What causes modem disconnects ?

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Lennymay–

Additionally since I don’t have much to go on–whether you have icon problems, shortcut problems, modem connection problems or all the above. I can zero in if I understand your problem better.

SMBP

Windows XP Modem Tweak Guide
163391: Troubleshooting Problems Communicating on the Internet
308022: Resources for Troubleshooting Modem Problems in Windows XP
Why does my modem abruptly disconnect sometimes?
What causes modem disconnects ?

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O.k.-I will try to describe my problem better. I have XP Pro with a Dial-Up connection.
When I click on the shortcut on my desktop it does not work. When I go to start-network connection–the icon and heading that says dial up are gone. I have to use the wizard to do a new connection and then it works again until it disappears again and the shortcut icon quits working again. The icon on my desktop does not dissapear. My modem is not a problem so I am not doing to unplug that.
I hope everyone understand my problem better–any ideas why this is happening?
Lennymay

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Do you have an internal or an external modem?

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Do you have an internal or an external modem?

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Based on my experience with Windows 2000 (I don’t have any dial-up connections yet on Windows XP), the connection details are saved in a file under your profile. It should be saved permanently between logons/restarts. On my old computer, there were two files: one under “All Users” and one under my username:

C:Documents and SettingsUserNameApplication DataMicrosoftNetworkConnectionsPbkrasphone.pbk

Do you have any kind of “system protection” software that might be cleaning out changes when you restart your computer or at scheduled intervals??

You could try locating the dial-up connections file and backing it up after you add the connection. Could save a step in restoring it the next time.

Reply | Quote

Based on my experience with Windows 2000 (I don’t have any dial-up connections yet on Windows XP), the connection details are saved in a file under your profile. It should be saved permanently between logons/restarts. On my old computer, there were two files: one under “All Users” and one under my username:

C:Documents and SettingsUserNameApplication DataMicrosoftNetworkConnectionsPbkrasphone.pbk

Do you have any kind of “system protection” software that might be cleaning out changes when you restart your computer or at scheduled intervals??

You could try locating the dial-up connections file and backing it up after you add the connection. Could save a step in restoring it the next time.

Reply | Quote

You may get some paydirt with Jefferson’s profile suggestion. When I said unplug your modem it was to unplug and reboot and plug in again, along with the context of ipconfig/release and ipconfig/renew first steps for most cable modem troubleshooters and at the time I didn’t know you were on dial up. So you might try unplugging the modem and rebooting as a way of “flushing out the modem” –the Cable ISP’s words–I’m sure the basic concept could apply to a dial up modem and plugging back in. Since you’re sure it’s not the modem, then what happens if you try these?:

1) Check event viewer for error information– takes 5 seconds–do you get any clues?
2) Any info in device manager that will shed light?
3) Repair the icon cache by either of the two methods above no downside hear takes a minute. Won’t hurt you even if it doesn’t fix the problem.
4) KB 151723 linked above or the other 3 KBs under it to restore these icons to fully functional–you can restore the default My Network Places Icon which reaches the Network Connections and Lan Icons and you could park that anywhere if it’s working. My idea there was to repair the icon connections that are concerned with your ISP.
5) Does tech support for your ISP if there is any have any ideas–can they connect to your modem from their end when it disconnects you?

SMBP

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You may get some paydirt with Jefferson’s profile suggestion. When I said unplug your modem it was to unplug and reboot and plug in again, along with the context of ipconfig/release and ipconfig/renew first steps for most cable modem troubleshooters and at the time I didn’t know you were on dial up. So you might try unplugging the modem and rebooting as a way of “flushing out the modem” –the Cable ISP’s words–I’m sure the basic concept could apply to a dial up modem and plugging back in. Since you’re sure it’s not the modem, then what happens if you try these?:

1) Check event viewer for error information– takes 5 seconds–do you get any clues?
2) Any info in device manager that will shed light?
3) Repair the icon cache by either of the two methods above no downside hear takes a minute. Won’t hurt you even if it doesn’t fix the problem.
4) KB 151723 linked above or the other 3 KBs under it to restore these icons to fully functional–you can restore the default My Network Places Icon which reaches the Network Connections and Lan Icons and you could park that anywhere if it’s working. My idea there was to repair the icon connections that are concerned with your ISP.
5) Does tech support for your ISP if there is any have any ideas–can they connect to your modem from their end when it disconnects you?

SMBP

Reply | Quote

O.k.-I will try to describe my problem better. I have XP Pro with a Dial-Up connection.
When I click on the shortcut on my desktop it does not work. When I go to start-network connection–the icon and heading that says dial up are gone. I have to use the wizard to do a new connection and then it works again until it disappears again and the shortcut icon quits working again. The icon on my desktop does not dissapear. My modem is not a problem so I am not doing to unplug that.
I hope everyone understand my problem better–any ideas why this is happening?
Lennymay

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