Internet Connectivity Problem(among other issues)

I've been using my computer for a long time and it had been continually slowed down. It just kept getting worse and worse. I decided to stop the processes that come up and slow it down. To do this I used msconfig. I just ran it and for the time being told it to run only processes that were absolutely necessary for windows to start, then if I didn't like something it did, I would just add that process to start. After I did this I found it did fix my slowdown problem, but had other negative results.

Majorly, my Internet connection is no longer working. The rest of my house is fine.(I'm typing from my sisters computer right now) I went ahead and added things here and there that I thought would fix it which soon lead to me telling msconfig to just load every process at start up again. Unfortunately, this did not fix the problem and I'm stuck without Internet. Is there a certain process that I could go in and run to fix this? If there anything I can do with a complete reformat?

Additionally, I can't revert my task bar and other windows from the classic windows 98 skin to the windows skin. The option seems to have been removed and was like that after I ended the processes. I expected that, but even with them supposedly all on it still hasn't come back. Sound also no longer works. In games, music, movies everything. I noted that when I tried using DivX to play a movie it said it was didn't recognize the code and gave a number for that codec. This was something I have played before on my computer before all this. Last, when I try to go to the help and support button it says, "Windows can not go to 'Help and Support' because a system process has been shutdown."

Now my two questions are:

Can this be fixed without reformatting?

And, if so, how would I fix it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Are you on dial-up or on broadband? If broadband, are you using a router, or connected directly to a modem?
What does the properties of the TCP/IP binding for the adapter that you're using to connect say?

 

I am using broadband and I do connect though a router.(connecting though the houses network)

How would I check these settings?

 

To check the properties of your network adapters TCP/IP binding:

1. Right-click my network places, and select properties
2. Right-click the network adapter you're using and select properties
3. Highlight TCP/IP with a single left click, and press the properties button.

Here, you should have specified an internal IP address for the machine, its subnet mask, and the router's IP in default gateway.

Also, to correct the issues with windows "skin" try this:

1. Right-click my computer and select properties.
2. Select the Advanced Tab
3. Press the performance settings button.
4. Select the radial button and/or options that suit your taste.

 

When I go to properties my network adapter isn't there. What does that mean?

 

Heh... if there's no network adapters under the properties of my network places, windows doesn't think you have one installed (which would explain why you can't connect to the internet!)

try this:

open device manager by hitting windows key + r (or clicking start --> run), typing 'devmgmt.msc' (without the quotes) and pressing enter (or click ok).

Do you have a category called network adapters? If so are there any yellow exclamation marks or red x's underneath?

If not, you'll have to tell us more about your network card...is it onboard, or an expansion card? Make? Model?

 

Wow, their was nothing in that devmgmt.msc. Maybe a reformat is in order since that could cause future problems?

My network card is an Intel Pro/100.

 

UPDATE: My computer now thinks that it's hardware has drastically changed and needs to be reactivated in 3 days. My computer hardware hasn't changed at all. I guess the use of RockXP won't work now if a reformat is done.

 

And since there doesn't mean to be an edit button here is post in a row number 3!

I'm glad to say I'm am posting from my own computer again via a Linux Live CD. I'm going to look into at least backing some things up on another computer either through this live CD or installing a Linux Partion on here. I'm also going to try and install my Network Card driver though so far my attempts at getting it on this computer have failed.

Is that what this problem is? It can't detect my sound card either and since the device manager is blank I assume all drivers have been wiped. Also, I've tried restoring things with the XP cd, but that doesn't work either. I also don't have a restore point to go to.

And for my last point of interest, Windows suddently told me that since my hardware has changed so drastically that I need to reactivate. Lovely. I have three days to do this.

Thanks for any help.

 

I have tried putting the driver on a spare hard drive from another computer and then hooking that hard drive up to mine. Unfortunately, whenever I try to install the driver it says, "The windows installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if your running windows in safe mode, or if the windows installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."

Guess I will resort to installing a partition of Linux and putting my stuff on another comp and then completely reformatting the thing.

 

While booting up my Linux install CD something hit me. Why not just put my files on that second hard drive? 30 GB is more then enough to save what you want to save.

..............................................................................................

I then wacked myself for my stupidity.

Well, seems all is well. Though I'm still a little annoyed that I didn't think of it much sooner.