Been Away Now Laptop Will Not Connect To Internet (Plus E Mail Symbol Has Gone)

[kita1]

A relative has just been away at a friends and was using laptop at their house. Returned home and plugged in and now cannot get on internet and the e mail symbol has disappeared.

Any idea's?

Will they have to do something to reconnect to their internet box?

They have done this previously and everything worked OK.

[Buenchico]

Go to the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and to the 'Connections' icon. See if it says something like:
"Connected to xxxx. Internet access"
or
"Connected to xxxx. No internet access"
or
"Not connected: Connections available"

If you see "Not connected: Connections available" and your router is shown, click to connect on it, ensuring that 'connect automatically' has a tick next to it.

If you see "Not connected: Connections available" and your router is not shown, try turning off the router and disconnecting it from the phone line. Then reconnect it and turn it on again. Then check to see if a connection has become available again.

If you see "Connected to xxxx" (irrespective of whether 'Internet access' is shown) try resetting the laptop's TCP/IP stack. (it's easier than it sounds!):
http://www.windows-secrets.co.uk/2013/08/repair-the-windows-87vista-tcpip-stack/

If you need to post again, please tell use which message you see when you go to the 'Connections' icon and which version of Windows the laptop is running.

[kita1]

Just been round to their house.

Running Windows 7. When I look at the 'connections' icon it says 'Name and internet access'.

When I tried to open Internet Explorer it opens the window but is blank and a message comes up that Internet Explorer is broken and then it tries to search Windows for a problem fix but cannot find one, just comes up with close Internet Explorer.

When I tried to open Windows live mail it opens but fails to connect to the server.

Skype works on the machine, as do all other things.

I tried to run System Restore but it said it could not do it as I would need to disable AVG (would I have to remove it?).

I also tried to reset the laptop's TCP/IP stack but it would not let me do it as I needed to be the Administrator - yet there is only one person on the PC - no other accounts.

I tried connecting the EE box with a cable direct to the laptop but it made no difference.

The main big icon for Internet Explorer has also gone (that is what he meant when he said the e mail sign had gone - it was the big E that is the icon for Internet Explorer.

As far as I can tell the EE box is working - certainly all the lights are on as normal.

[Buenchico]

>>>Skype works on the machine.

If Skype is working, the laptop is connected to the internet. Given the disappearance of the Internet Explorer icon, together with the other errors being reported, it sounds like a registry problem. So your suggestion of running System Restore sounds like a good one to me. Here's how to temporarily disable AVG:
http://www.avg.com/gb-en/faq.num-3857

[kita1]

Thanks for the link.

Hoping I may not have to do it now as just talked him through resetting Internet Explorer:

"Step 3 – Return To Defaults, Captain!

If the previous two steps do not repair Internet Explorer 8 for you, you’ll need to try resetting Internet Explorer to its default state. This returns the settings to a like-new condition.

You can achieve this by opening your Control Panel and then opening the Network and Internet menu. Click on Internet Options and then click on the Advanced tab (the furthest tab to the left). At the bottom of the window you’ll see the Reset button. Click on it and all should be well."

For now he is happy that he has his big 'e' back and can get on the internet, hopefully it was that corrupt program that was throwing the other things out of kilter (like the e mail) - can but hope!

Guess I will find out if I get a phone call tomorrow...............