Windows XP internet connection problems

From: foxxyvixxen (foxxyvixxen.1c22oy_at_pcbanter.net)
Date: 09/04/04 

Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2004 09:46:16 +0100

Hello, this is a rather lengthy and irritating problem. I will start by
saying that I have had and used Windows XP on my HP computer for about a
year now. I have successfully been connecting to the internet using AOL
9.0 the entire time.
About a month ago, I installed Netzero to my computer, and I was
jumping back and forth between netzero and AOL sucessfully. The entire
time I have connected to the internet I have had virus protection -
first with Norton, then with McAfee. Recently, my subscription to
McAfee ran out, and I decided to uninstall and try a free virus
protection program downloaded from the web - BIG mistake. That was
last Thursday, and ever since my computer has not been the same. Other
than THAT incident, I have done NOTHING out of the ordinary, simply
connected to chat with friends and play some games, as I have always
done.
The following evening, my internet connection was behaving oddly,
only allowing me to send and recieve e-mails. I could not view ANY web
pages. I decided to restart the computer, only to find that when I
tried to reconnect, I would get to step 5 of AOL and the connection
would stop - with no error message. I tried logging on through
Netzero; this dialed me up, went through the connection process, said I
was logged in, but then started the dialing process over again, with no
error message. With each ISP, I can hear the computer dial and
connect.
I have checked the phone line, it works. On the Friday following
the download of the supposed virus protection, I unninstalled it,
thinking it was the source of my problems - most likely a trojan. So,
I went to Best Buy and forked out $50 to get McAfee again, thinking it
would surely resolve my issue - 120,000 files scanned, no infected
files, or suspicious files or programs... STILL no internet
connection.
I have run the modem detection, it says it is installed and running
properly. I have gone through the motions of countless troubleshooting
steps, through AOL, Netzero, and Windows XP. None have resolved my
problem. I cannot for the life of me figure out what has happened or
how to resolve it. No other part of my computer has been affected at
all, everything else is running smoothly. While I was poking around,
searching for a possible solution (in vain, of course - I am not very
computer savvy), I came upon a page on my computer that listed all the
technical stuff about my computer - model, maker, hardware installed,
etc. Where it listed my IP address, it said: 0.0.0.0
I am DESPERATE because I have been using a friend's computer to
check e-mail and spend the COUNTLESS hours searching the web for an
explaination, and the most I have come up with is that it is most
likely "a Windows XP problem." I will gladly try any suggestions.
PLEASE help me!!! 

-- 
foxxyvixxen
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