Network connections blank

I was wondering why I cannot see my network connections.

Recently, I took up the GAOTD free offer for Online Armor.

When I installed it last week, I only disabled the drivers for Sygate and created a System Restore point in XP.

However,I could not connect to the internet. That was the first time that I saw the blank > Network Connections. So I rolled back to a restore point that I had made before the install of Online Armor.

Why I am seeing it now, before I am about to uninstall Sygate, and try to install Online Armor again has got me perplexed.

 

Okay, this may work if your files are still intact and not somehow infected.

But, it is non-destructive and should restore your connection visibility on a "normal" XP system.

Start >> Run
type "CMD" then click "Ok"
(this should bring up cmd.exe)

If not, try the "Win" key (small windows icon) + R (touching the windows key and tapping the R key once, then releasing both)

run the following 3 commands:
regsvr32 netman.dll
regsvr32 netcfgx.dll
regsvr32 netshell.dll

These commands will re-register three important libraries needed for TCP/IP in Windows XP that could have been redirected/shimmed by the program that you uninstalled (which subsequently did not return the dll's to the correct configuration).

Anyway, HTH and good luck!

 

Also, you can try this:

winsockxpfix

It is recommended here:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winsock.htm.

But, I would suggest trying to re-register the dlls manually first due to the simple nature of the method and the likelihood that it will fix your issue.

(plus, I have never actually used the program I linked above, but I did download it - seems to be clean / okay. So, caveat emptor!)

 

Hello 0peratorX,


Thanks for your suggestions. I was about to try them...

However, I thought I would check services.msc and that is when I noticed Network Connections was set to manual, so I changed to automatic and rebooted. The connections folder is no longer blank.

 

Awesome.

I always desire the most simple resolution.

Your answer was better than mine.

I will try to remember to suggest this is checked first if asked again!

X

 

Me, too!

I think I turned it off when I ran into problems after the OA install the other day.

 

I met this problem before when I uninstall Pctools Firewall Plus and install Comodo Firewall.