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Hi, I initially had a windupdate issue that has since resolved. However, now, though I can get online, I cannot access usually more than the first page of a website, if I am even that lucky. Ex. I can get to Google, my homepage, and I can search, but if I try to access a webpage from the search list, that's it and I get the "cannot find page" error.

Additionally, I pinged with this "Bad" computer and then with a "Good" computer, and the bad computer took about 70ms to ping, while the good computer took about 17ms.

I thought I had a windsock issue, but then I checked the two computers, which both run Windows ME, using MSINFO32 and saw that they have the same winsock info. I then checked out the IE section and noticed that the "bad" computer indicated = "Problem devices = TCP/IP network\mstcp\0002 Error Code 22" I dont' know what this is, but it looks bad.

If anyone has any ideas, they would be very greatly appreciated. I wouldn't mind switching browsers, but since I can't access anything online, I can't even do that!

Thanks,
kvirl

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Quick, practical follow-up for @kvirl that complements 's comments: the MSINFO32 line TCP/IP network\mstcp\0002 Error Code 22 normally means the TCP/IP component is present but has been disabled at the system/driver layer. That is different from a bad cable or DNS outage, so start with non‑destructive checks that isolate where the stack is failing before attempting any reinstall or OS upgrade.

Check these things in order (easy → more invasive):

  • Verify the TCP/IP binding is enabled: look at Device Manager (Network adapters) and the Network control panel (Protocols/Clients/Services). If an item is marked disabled, enable it.
  • Rule out software filters: temporarily disable or uninstall any personal firewall, suite (Norton, ZoneAlarm, etc.) or packet capture driver (WinPcap). Those install intermediate drivers that can break the TCP/IP binding.
  • Test name vs IP and pathing: ping a site by name and by IP, and run a tracert to see where connections stop. If an IP works but names do not, the problem is DNS. If both fail or hang, the stack or driver binding is suspect.
  • Check browser settings and hosts file: ensure IE has no proxy set (Tools → Internet Options → Connections → LAN settings) and that C:\Windows\hosts has no bad entries.
  • Compare the problem machine to the working one: driver version, adapter settings (speed/duplex), and installed network protocols/filters. If the bad machine’s NIC is forced to a wrong duplex/speed, it can cause long delays and dropped page loads.
  • Boot into Safe Mode with networking (or plain Safe Mode) to see whether the problem persists—if it does not, a third‑party component is likely the culprit.

If these checks point to a disabled TCP/IP binding that won’t re-enable, collect the NIC model, driver version and the exact MSINFO32 output from both machines before proceeding. Back up important data and avoid registry edits unless comfortable—if the stack is truly damaged and cannot be re-enabled safely, plan a controlled repair or clean install rather than an in‑place upgrade.

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Member Avatar for DMR

Your TCP/IP software may have gotten corrupted. Remove and reinstall the software following the instructions in this Microsoft article:

Member Avatar for Member #27050

Your TCP/IP software may have gotten corrupted. Remove and reinstall the software following the instructions in this Microsoft article:

I do not have the original disks that came with this computer. I'm wondering if it would just be wiser to upgrade to Windows XP instead. If so, can I just upgrade the system (99$) or do I have to buy the total/complete system (199$) in order to override whatever is wrong with this computer?

Thanks so much!
kristin

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Upgrading a corrupted installation of Windows to a newer version really isn't advised. The current problems that your system has can be carried over (and even magnified) in the course of the upgrade.

Additionally, with Windows 98/95/ME it's ideally better do buy a full Version of XP and install from scratch rather than doing an upgrade.

Member Avatar for Member #27050

Upgrading a corrupted installation of Windows to a newer version really isn't advised. The current problems that your system has can be carried over (and even magnified) in the course of the upgrade.

Additionally, with Windows 98/95/ME it's ideally better do buy a full Version of XP and install from scratch rather than doing an upgrade.

I had a feeling this was the response I was going to get! Thanks, will try to fix manually.

Member Avatar for DMR

I had a feeling this was the response I was going to get!...

Sorry, I know it's a bummer, but that's the real deal. I'm not going give someone a piece of "Band-Aid" advice for a problem that really requires surgery. :mrgreen:

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