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Hi. I just bought a new laptop and when I tried to connect it to the internet, it said it was connected but I was unable to access any sites. The comp is an HP with Vista Home Premium. When I bought it, I had TrendMicro antivirus and Webroot Spy Sweeper installed, and I also left it at the store for optimization. Whenever I try to get online, IE says it is unable to access the page, but when I try to diagnose the problem, it says there is none. When I tried to set up a new connection in the Networks setup, it said I was already connected. I have tried restarting the comp, but that doesn't work.

My old laptop (which I am currently on - an HP with XP Home) has never had any trouble accessing the internet, and I cannot remember having to do any preference changing when I first connected to the ISP I have.

Any suggestions on how to fix this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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noted the problem was fixed; below is a compact troubleshooting checklist for the same symptom: Windows reports a network connection but web pages do not load.

Start by separating the layers (link, IP routing, name resolution, browser):

  • Open an elevated Command Prompt and run these checks:
ipconfig /all
ping <your-gateway-IP>
ping 8.8.8.8
ping google.com

Interpretation: if ping to the gateway fails, the machine is not truly on the LAN (adapter/driver or Wi-Fi link). If ping to 8.8.8.8 works but name ping fails, it is a DNS problem. If the gateway responds but external pings fail, the router or ISP may be the issue.

Common quick fixes (run from an elevated prompt, then reboot):

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Other checks to isolate the cause:

  • Test with another device on the same network (rules out laptop vs router).
  • Try an Ethernet cable if available (rules out wireless link/auth).
  • In Device Manager, update or reinstall the network adapter driver.
  • Verify IPv4 is set to obtain IP/DNS automatically unless your network uses static addresses.
  • Temporarily disable third-party firewall/antivirus only for testing.
  • Inspect the hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) for unwanted entries.
  • Boot to Safe Mode with Networking to see if a service or app is blocking connectivity.

If the above does not help, note exact error messages and the results of the ping/ipconfig checks before contacting support or the vendor. Keep security software enabled after testing and avoid making permanent changes without a restore point.

Member Avatar for tsukineko9

Issue is resolved. It turns out that when the guys at Best Buy optimized my laptop, they forgot to take off the proxy setting that made it so my computer could only access the internet at a Best Buy store.

I will apologize now for using an inappropriate title for this thread. I of course read the forum rules after I had posted.

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