Windows 7 "No Internet Access" after Windows Update!

[MachinimatorMLG]

I'll preface this by saying that with only one other exception the internet on my Windows 7 system has been rock-steady, and I always install Windows Updates as soon as they're available.

Last night was a large series of updates, and after they installed and the system restarted, the little internet indicator has a yellow triangle on it and the tooltip reads "Unidentified Network No internet access".

This has happened exactly once before, a few months ago, again following a Windows Update, the system lost internet connectivity. I honestly have no idea how I got it working again that time, and all I remember for sure was that I rebooted the system twice.

This time, however, after dinking around with both the Local Area Connection settings, and the Device Manager(and finding absolutely nothing wrong, just like last time), and rebooting a total of SIX times in the process, the system still cannot access the internet in any capacity.

This is infuriating because I depend on the internet for my work and for online tasks I cannot perform on the secondary computer I'm using to make this post.

Skipping right over the ridiculousness of Windows Updates breaking the system's internet access on multiple occasions, I simply need to get it working again, ASAP.

 

[jackoab]

I had the same problem and traced it to an update to my Realtek Lan card, it reset the driver to one dated 2007 from the current one dated 2009, I can't now remember the No. of the update but if you go to Device Manager and reset to previous driver it should cure the problem for you. hope this helps.

 

[jackoab]

I looked up the update that caused the problem, here are the details:

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - Networking - Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Networking software update released in November, 2007
Get help and support
Link Removed due to 404 Error

Hope this helps.

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

Um no that doesn't really help. There haven't been any changes to the network driver on the system since it was first built.

 

[RAK]

What do you see if you click the internet icon in the notification area?
You may find you are having interference from a nearby neighbour. If you can see more than one available connection, click the one which you know is yours, in the "Connect now" box. Make sure you also have ticked, in the same windows "automatically connect"

Are you using a router or direct access?

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

I'm on a WIRED cable connection through a router (every other system in the house goes through the same router, and all work fine). The system doesn't even have the hardward for wireless. Wireless is not in any way involved.

The internet on the system in question worked perfectly before running Windows Updates, and after installing those updates, lost connectivity, so the problem was obviously somehow caused by the Update process.

Which means the problem doesn't have anything to do with my router or my network driver or anything else, that is exactly the same now as it was before the Updates.

 

[Mitchell_A]

You could always try uninstalling the lastest updates, or using System Restore to restore to a time prior to the updates. But either way, I'd definitely find the latest driver for your NIC, regardless of the condition of your current one.

Oh, and welcome to the forums

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

I think the version I'm using is the latest driver. The system isn't that old. And doing a System Restore would be pointless because eventually I'd just have run the Updates again. I need a solution that isn't going to leave my system crippled.

 

[Mitchell_A]

If you could isolate which update has caused the problem, you can hide the update from being installed again.

Maybe re-installing the driver would work:
Open Start and type "devmgmt.msc" and click the one result, from here expand "Network Adapters" and right click your Ethernet and select "Uninstall". Windows will ask for confirmation. Now restart your computer and Windows will automatically reinstall either that specific driver, or a functioning generic driver.

 

[jackoab]

The point I was trying to make in my previous post was that the original driver I had installed was the latest one available but the update reverted it to an earlier one (2 years before) and by reverting to the previous driver through Device Manager corrected the problem, I then ran updates again and hid the necessary update, end of problem.

I'm not saying this is definitely the fault on your machine but to try it cost's nothing.

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

@Mitchel_A I can't fathom how that would fix anything but you never know with windows so I'll give it a try.

Now restart your computer and Windows will automatically reinstall either that specific driver, or a functioning generic driver.

Are you absolutely sure about this part?

I only ask because you don't seem to know that you can open the device manager by right-clicking on the my computer icon, which makes me a little nervous following your advice, no offense.



@jackoab No I got that; I'm saying I already checked and that the driver that's currently right now installed, is the exact same (and only) driver and version that's ever been installed on this system.

 

[Mitchell_A]

Well, I am aware you can get to the DM via that shortcut, but I simply don't do it because it's faster for me to type the direct shortcut.

In the event windows doesn't reinstall drivers, you could always get them on another computer from your manufacturers site and then burn them or copy them to a usb drive and install them on the PC.

 

[jackoab]

OK only pushed the point because I had exactly the same problem on 2 computers and that was the reason on both.

 

[RAK]

Quote "Are you absolutely sure about this part?

I only ask because you don't seem to know that you can open the device manager by right-clicking on the my computer icon, which makes me a little nervous following your advice, no offense."


It is a moot point.
The query came up on a forum I have just this moment come from.
I have "Control Panel", by default, on my desktop. As Windows is designed as a graphical interface, I try to use, and advise, that, whenever it is slighlty possible.
In this example, a quick double mouse click of the Control panel, and a click of the Device manager, gets me there (Three fast clicks) If you are accustomed to the method described, it probably appears faster. (One click for the Start, ten keyboard clicks!)
I would not say either method displays a lack of knowledge of the Windows navigation. In fact there are probably a couple of other ways.

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

Well, that aside, does anyone have any other ideas before I go and uninstall a driver?

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

Whew.

I did the uninstall driver thing.

It came back with the reboot, but it was bit more complicated than that. I had to reset all the settings and then reboot a second time but my Win7 system now has internet access again.

Now can we rage out on how stupid it is of microsoft that has something in windows update that can break your network driver?

 

[Mitchell_A]

Absoltely..
There's always complications, but either way you've got the ethernet working, problem solved

I'm also interested by your username.. Do you enjoy gaming? Are you on the staff for Major League Gaming or Machinima? Jst wondering, because I love gaming

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

No, those are my initials lol.

And /rage I just installed another batch of updates that showed up a few minutes ago, and IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

I hope uninstalling the driver fixes it again, but either way /RAGE!!!!

 

[MachinimatorMLG]

CRAP!!

I repeated the exact steps that fixed it last time and its NOT WORKING this time. Godammit what am I supposed to do now?

 

[Mitchell_A]

Use wireless