Strange Windows Network Problems

[webbwbb]

Hello, for the past several days I've been trying to get my primary computer back online. It will not load any websites through IE7 or Opera. Applications such as AIM as well as an SVN client will not connect either. When I try pinging google it does go through without problems and I can also open websites in windows explorer. Everything seems to work perfectly with OpenSUSE 10.3 but not in windows. I've tried disabling all security software and that did not help.

EDIT: I tried both rolling back the network drivers as well as updating them. I have also tried using the "Repair" option in the windows setup and it didn't help. I'm running Windows XP x64 with an ASUS A8N32 SLI-Deluxe Motherboard. It has dual gigabit network cards on board. Neither network card seems to work properly in windows.

I wasn't exactly sure if this should go into the network forum or into the windows forum. Because it works on Linux and some windows applications I decided on posting it here.

[Paul Komski]

What firewall are you running? Despite disabling your security, it sounds as if your browsers could be being blocked as applications by something like that. You have internet connectivity since you can ping and can access using Windows explorer so I doubt you need to mess with the network settings per se. Malware on board could be another possible cause.

[webbwbb]

I've been using AVG Internet Security but when I repaired windows it brought up a licensing error and will not work until I re-enter my serial. Windows firewall is also disabled.

[Paul Komski]

but when I repaired windows Was this a repair installation or another type of repair?

Can you try another browser - never yet used on your system?

Maybe uninstall AVG-IS for now (so that it doesnt even have a chance of running in the background) and just run with the native windows firewall.

[webbwbb]

Yes it was a repair install. I added Opera after running the repair. I just removed AVG but I'm still getting this problem.

[Paul Komski]

I would strongly suspect malware. If you are going on line from a wired NIC you could try SafeMode with networking as a troubleshooter. If the browsers then work OK there then that would indicate nasties on board. A repair install resets the hardware but wont cure malware.

[webbwbb]

Well it will not go into safe mode. I press F8 and it doesn't do anything. The F8 key does work in windows so I know it's not the keyboard. I tried removing power part of the way through startup several times to tryto get it to bring up the advanced boot menu but all I succeeded in doing was make it run chkdisk. I'll try more tomorrow.

[Paul Komski]

You could try running msconfig and under the boot.ini section check /SAFEBOOT and enable the NETWORK radio button. It should then run with this option at the next reboot. Reverse the options to get it to boot normally again. You could also create a two line boot.ini (not a bad idea maybe) one with the safeboot option on just one of the lines. That will give you a dual boot menu and you can choose between them at runtime.

[webbwbb]

You could try running msconfig and under the boot.ini section check /SAFEBOOT and enable the NETWORK radio button. It should then run with this option at the next reboot. Reverse the options to get it to boot normally again. You could also create a two line boot.ini (not a bad idea maybe) one with the safeboot option on just one of the lines. That will give you a dual boot menu and you can choose between them at runtime.

Thanks. I got it into safe mode with networking but it still would not connect.

[Paul Komski]

I think you must exclude malware/spyware. Suggest you post the results of a HijackThis scan in the "Applications and Security" section.