I recently restored my laptop to a previous date & time to correct an error. Restoring did not correct this error - so I restored it back to the current date & time. Ever since that restore I can not get on to the internet, I have followed all the prompts from windows (Reboot modem & router, reset IP) I am desperate!! The laptop is an HP running Windows Vista & I believe Internet Explorer 7

One possibility is that your NIC (Network Interface Controller -- your Ethernet adapter) driver isn't loaded or isn't working.

Get into Device Manager and see if your Network Adapter has a "!" on top of it. Even if it doesn't, you can delete it and then click on "FILE | SCAN FOR HARDWARE CHANGES" and reinstall it. If you don't see an entry for your adapter, then you're going to have to locate the driver and install it.

Turn off all software firewalls while troubleshooting. This includes Windows Firewall and other software firewalls or Security Suites. They can prevent outgoing and incoming connections.

Click START | RUN, enter "CMD" and then click "GO". You'll be in a DOS-type window.

Type "ipconfig /all" and hit <ENTER>

Do you have an IP address? What about a "Default Gateway"? Post what you see.

Try to "ping" something like "www.google.com".

"ping www.google.com"

If the response comes back as not found or timed out, try

Ping 209.85.225.103

Post back with your results.

Perito
Thanks for your help! The Network Adapter said it was working properly, I scanned for hardware changes but it did not look like it did anything. After ipconfig/all there were a few things that looked like IP addresses but they all had other characters in front of IP. The Default Gateway was blank. When I tried to ping Google the response was not found & when I tried to ping 209.85.225.103 the response was ping transmit failed error code 1231

From what you've done, it appears that your Network Adapter is working properly. However, you aren't getting an IP address or a default gateway. Without these, you can't get to the Internet.

Error code 1231 basically says that there is a network problem.

From Control Panel, open "Network Connections".

Quickly Open Network Connections List in Windows Vista :: the How-To Geek (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/quickly-open-network-connections-list-in-windows-vista/)

Locate the network connection that you're using to try to connect to the Internet and delete it. You'll have to have administrative privileges to do this, I think. Then, you're going to re-create a connection. I think Vista has a "New Connection Wizard" or a "Network Setup Wizard" like XP, but I'm not sure. It has to have something. Run that and follow the instructions and see if you can create a new connection that works.

Make sure Windows Firewall and all Security suites or firewalls are disabled while you're trouble-shooting.

By the way, are you using a hardware firewall? Are you trying to connect from home? What is your Internet Service Provice (ISP)?