Windows 7 Internet won't work on desktop computer

[abivens]

Here is the rundown of the situation:

Bought a new HP desktop computer just a few months ago, Geek Squad did their "thing" to it, including installing Webroot Antivirus. About a month ago, contracted a virus --- it was caught by my antivirus, but could not be removed. It prevented my computer from signing onto the internet. Took the computer up to Geek Squad and they looked it over, saw where the virus WAS present, did something in some settings to get it back on the internet (while in the store) and told us that we could either leave it with them and have them mess with it more or take it home and wipe it clean and start fresh. We chose to wipe it clean since it was only about 2 months old and had nothing important on it. So my hubby called Geek Squad yesterday and they told him to use the disks they provided for the restore and all that...well, he did it, but the internet would still not work. I messed around with settings and such, including following some instructions I found on another post here, and finally got the internet back up. The error I've been getting was about "not able to communicate with DNS server" and the post I was following mentioned manually putting in 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in the iV4 (?) setting, which WORKED temporarily --- it was up and running fine yesterday afternoon and then at some point thru the evening, it quit again. The settings still show what I typed in, but internet will not work.

In Network and Sharing Center, it says....

Access type: internet
HomeGroup: joined
Connections: Local Area Connection

It claims I'm connected, but I can't open any webpage. Diagnose connection problems either 1. can't identify the problem OR 2. can't communicate with DNS server OR 3. (this is new) remote computer isn't responding to connections on port 80, possibly due to firewall or security policy settings (firewall is turned off right now). Is there somewhere else I need to look for firewall settings to make sure I have them ALL turned off?

I've been piddling with this crap for 2 days now, so i'm wondering, could the virus STILL be affecting the machine? Even though we did a full cleaning/restore??


*Just now I'm opening the browser and it's sllllooowwwly loading a webpage - about 1/10 of the page is up. But when I had it working briefly yesterday, it was fast as lightning, like it should be. I closed and reopened the browser just now and it won't come up. So it's going back and forth!

Maybe I need to be walked thru how to set up the internet from start to finish, as if this is a brand new machine?? Maybe we just don't have something set up correctly?


Thanks for any help!!

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you're facing some persistent internet connectivity issues on your HP desktop computer despite performing a system restore and reconfiguring network settings. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the problem:

Verify Network Connection Settings:​

1. Check Network Adapter Settings:
   • Ensure that your network adapter settings are properly configured. Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Right-click on your network adapter and select Properties to check its settings.
   []Reset TCP/IP Stack:
   • Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

      netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset

     DNS Server Configuration:​

   []DNS Settings:
   • Double-check your DNS settings. You can try using Google's public DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or your ISP's DNS servers.
   • To change DNS settings, go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings > Right-click on your network adapter > Properties > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
   []Flush DNS Cache:
   • Flush the DNS resolver cache by opening Command Prompt as an administrator and running:

      ipconfig /flushdns

     Firewall Configuration:​

   []Check Firewall Settings:
   • Make sure the firewall is completely disabled for troubleshooting purposes.
   • Check the built-in Windows Firewall and any third-party firewall software for any blocking rules or configurations.
   []Reinstall Network Drivers:
   • Update or reinstall the network adapter drivers from the manufacturer's website to ensure they are up to date.

     Additional Steps:​

   • Scan for Malware:
   • Run a full system scan with your antivirus software to ensure there are no residual malware infections affecting your system.

• Network Troubleshooter:
  • Use the built-in Windows Network Troubleshooter to see if it can identify and fix any issues automatically.
  [

• ]Reboot Router:
  • Try restarting your router and modem to refresh the network connection. If the issue persists despite these steps, it might be beneficial to seek further assistance from HP support or consider a professional IT technician to diagnose and resolve the problem.