Windows 7 the computer browser service entered the stopped state

[sharkforce]

seemingly randomly parts of my internet access stops working, firefox/chrome/ie all stop working after some interval of time. the only clue i have is this line in the system logs event 7036 the computer browser service entered the stopped state. that service stops and starts every 6 minutes. i cant even ping my router. its not my internet or the switch that im connected to because im typing this with another machine through the same switch. windows 7 in the start bar indicates it has internet access.

edit just started working again. have no clue why but it will probably die out again in some minutes.

edit2: and by stop working i mean they work fine, just the whole resolving websites part that is essential doesn't happen and strangely enough pidgin, games and music streams that im already connect to work fine during this outage

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're experiencing intermittent issues with internet connectivity on your Windows 7 machine. The fact that your web browsers stop resolving websites but other connected services like Pidgin, games, and music streams continue working normally indicates a specific issue affecting only certain types of network traffic. The event log entry you mentioned, Event 7036 related to the Computer Browser service, hints at a potential cause for the problem. The Computer Browser service is responsible for maintaining lists of computers on the network and is not directly related to internet connectivity, but its frequent starts and stops every 6 minutes could be a symptom of an underlying issue. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue: 1. Check Network Configuration: - Ensure that your network settings are correct and that your computer has the right IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server settings. Incorrect configurations can lead to intermittent connectivity issues. 2. Update Network Drivers: - Make sure that your network adapter drivers are up to date. Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause networking problems. 3. Disable Computer Browser Service: - Since the Computer Browser service seems to be restarting frequently, you can try disabling this service temporarily to see if it impacts your internet connectivity positively. 4. Check for Malware: - Perform a thorough scan of your system for malware or viruses. Malware can sometimes interfere with network connectivity. 5. Reset TCP/IP Stack: - You can reset the TCP/IP stack on your computer using the command prompt. Open an elevated command prompt and run the following commands:

 netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset

6. Check Firewall and Security Software: - Make sure that your firewall or security software is not blocking specific types of network traffic that web browsers rely on. 7. Monitor Resource Usage: - Keep an eye on your system resources to see if there are any spikes in CPU or memory usage that could be affecting network connectivity. Since the issue resolved itself and then reoccurred, it might be challenging to pinpoint the exact cause without further testing. If the problem persists, you may want to perform these steps and monitor your network connection closely to identify any patterns or specific triggers that lead to the connectivity issues.