Replies

You must learn if she is getting a valid IP address. With wireless, there is a radio portion and a networking portion. When connecting, the security side is on the radio portion. When it connects, it first satisfies the security (WiFi ACCESS Code and encryption) and then places the request to a DHCP server for an address. If either, she has a static IP setup in her Wireless configuration (IPV4 properties not set to “obtain automatically” on both address and DNS), or a DHCP server does not respond, she will get the “connected but limited access” message. If it is set to static IP, then it will only work on systems that use that same subnet, and then only if there is no other PC’s using that same static address. If no DHCP server responds, then the card will default to a 69.x.x.x address, which is always invalid. The last possibility is that there is a problem with proper DNS settings. It is possible to satisfy the security, get a valid IP, and then have a wrong value defined for DNS server which then prevents functionality of going to any address that is not in standard IP form (http://www.xxx.yyy.zzz). So with this knowledge:

First launch command prompt: (START-run – cmd), then at the command prompt, type “ipconfig /all” and press enter. This will return the current settings of the Networks. Scroll up and look at the Wireless IPV4 settings. If IP address starts with 69… then the laptop did not get a valid IP from a DHCP server and timed out to the default. – Try resetting the WIFI router or access point.

Second, also look at the DNS server settings just below the IP address in the IPV4 settings. Ensure they are set to proper addresses or the default gateway IP address (See Third step). This info is provided by your ISP.

Third, also look at the Default Gateway IP address in the IPV4 section: Note the address, then at the COMMAND prompt, type “Ping (Default Gateway Address you noted)” without the quotes or Parenthesis. Hit return and see if you get replies.. If yes, then you are connected with a valid address and have just verified that you are talking to the first router on your network. If no replies, then you probably don’t have a valid IP address, or are being blocked by a firewall – unless the router was set to not reply to pings.

Fourth, if you are getting valid replies, then try “ping 198.60.22.2”. This is a valid public IP address for an ISP DNS server in UTah. If you get replies from that address or any other valid public IP, then you are connected to the internet and there may be a problem with your browser, or malware etc. If not, then there is a failure upstream from your Default Gateway Router.

Fifth, if you are able to ping any public IP on the internet, next try pinging a normal address such as “www.google.com” or any other valid URL. If you get replies then your internet connectivity is fine, your DNS values are fine, therefore your network settings are fine, and the problem is in your browser or firewall. Look for malware or browser hijack, or perhaps corrupted browser settings or program files. If using Internet Explorer, try going to TOOLS – Internet Options – Advanced Tab, and press “RESTORE ADVANCED SETTINGS”, then APPLY. Followed by pressing the RESET button. Exit then relaunch. Any other browser like chrome or firefox, try reinstalling.

Good Luck!

Ensure as mentioned above that your CPU is clean of dust. Overheating often causes the chip to go into a slower mode to try and still function. If this is a laptop, this may require disassembly to the point that you can access the backside of the heat sync after removing the fan. Once clean, you can prevent re-clog by monthly using a vacuum to back flush, before enough buildup happens to cause dust bunnies or other more ominous animal look-a-likes!

Another problem that could cause this is the SATA cable. Less likely in a laptop, but on a PC, the SATA cable which connects your hard drive to the system board could have dirty connections due to dust and vibration. Either replace the cable or at least disconnect both ends and then reconnect and test. If the problem changes or comes and goes, then replace. A faulty connection in the SATA cable does not throw any errors, everything just stops or slows way down due to inability to get data across this cable due to errors.

I have also seen Antivirus software act this way. If the above suggestions don’t work, then consider uninstalling your antivirus software. You can always re-install it later if this is not the culprit. I have seen this happen many times and it does not necessarily consume resources that will show up in task manager.

If your internet connection has failed, it can seriously slow down your PC due to all the programs that connect and basically phone home. Many programs phone home and failure to succeed can cause significant delays.

Good luck!

Many are familiar with the older SCSI technology or the old etherlink technology that required a terminating resister to make thinks work properly. What most do not know, is that if there was a problem with a terminating resister such as a poor crimp or solder, the termination was not reliable. When the connection is poor and the termination fails, weather for a few milliseconds or hours, the system usually did not throw any errors, it just waited… I once had a file server that was just slow and sporatically gave us trouble that we could never really figure out why. Years later, I finally came to question the termination and found a poor crimp on the resister in the terminator. Upon replacement, it was like a new computer. Long story short, vibrational environments wreak havoc on poor connections! It turns out that SATA connected devices do share this problem. There is not a terminating resistor required external to the device, but poor connections do result in a system just waiting without throwing any errors. I recently diagnosed a system where it was just slower than tar, and yet it’s twin was super fast. Identical systems! While terminally suffering through a slow chkdsk, I observed the progress to be very sporatic and even stopping for long times. On the hunch, I reached over and lightly tapped the CPU with my foot during one of these stopped periods. The progress instantly started again. Coincidence, I wondered? When it stopped again, I waited a little longer then tapped it again. Instantly it started to progress again! I did this a third time and waited even longer. That sinched it! Figuring that if it only stops when the connection fails, then it should be able to handle a cable replacement while live. (I don’t recommend this. Electronic systems don’t fair well when disconnecting while live!) However, I wanted to test my theory without losing the time already invested in the chkdsk to that point. Upon replacing the cable with a new one, the chkdsk took off at lightning speed and finished only a few minutes later. The PC was instantly acting like it’s twin and worked at full speed from then on. While this was the most definitive instance, I have had 5 or more cases in recent years where the SATA connection was the cause of locking up, or slow systems! Dust and vibration are the cause of many such failures over time. In all cases the cable was in and tight, but the connection still failed!
I have diagnosed many major PC problems related to overheating with exactly the same conditions that you described, several of which resulted in the total failure of the CPU chip or mother board, or power supply. Readers can save themselves alot of trouble by periodically opening the CPU box and blowing all the dust out and keeping it clean! The frequency of this depends on each environment. In high dust environments, perhaps monthly. In lower dust environments, perhaps once or twice a year. Take the CPU outside and blow with canned air or reverse your vacuum cleaner and blow. Ensure that you can see all of the fins of the heatsink on your CPU chip and that the fans are spinning freely! If a fan has failed, replace it, or have serviced.