Ok then, from the top...

My missis opened a "look at this picture of you, it made me laugh" which she had received in her Facebook inbox!! Being fairly new to all this, she clicked it and was immediately logged out of the internet.

We use Google chrome on the home computer and now it simply will not connect to the browser. I tried, on the advice of a mate, restoring the computer a week before the crime was committed... but nothing! I have tried going into the windows explorer but this just pops up with the Microsoft send error message. I am now about to format the whole thing as I just simply do not know where to go from here! If the formatting does not work, then I shall smash the thing into millions of tiny computer pieces...

Please help save a computer from an early death...

What you have there sounds simply like a software error. A format will generally fix those. You may also try, before the format, just uninstalling and reinstalling Chrome. Just out of curiosity, does IE connect or some other browser?

Thanks for the reply. Nah that's thing, I go to connect on IE and it comes up with the Microsoft error message and I isn't got any other browser!

Basically, can't connect to the internet on that computer at all.

I was going to format the whole thing, but just wondered if there was an alternative.

Thanks again for your answer. Much appreciated.

What's the exact error message?

Is there any other software you have installed or uninstalled recently?

@ need karma: it's the standard Microsoft error message which flashes up and says "tell microsoft about this error" send/dont send when program not responding.

@infojunkie: nah, the last thing I installed was the music program Reason but that was months and months ago and there hasn't been no problem. It's just been since the missis opened a dodgy Facebook message. Literally, she opened it, computer logged out the internet and simply wouldn't let us connect since!

Nightmare!

Try this (assuming you have high speed internet like cable/dsl)

Start button > run
Cmd.exe

In the window that opens
Type:

Ping www.google.com

Does it give responses back or does it time out?

If it gives responses, then you are connected to the net.. but there is an error with IE and chrome (most likely malware or a virus)

If it does not respond - make sure your network card is working
You need to look in your device manager and make sure that the network card is functioning. If it is.. then again - it's a virus/malware - if not, then uninstall the device & re-install

Now - if you have a virus/malware - the problem is that you need the net to get the software to remove it!
At this point - your best / safest bet is to backup everything you want to keep (photos, music, etc) and format/re-install windows

There are many virus'/malware programs that install right from the web - be VERY wary of links sent by people like that.

After you re-install - then get a good antivirus app (AVAST is free and good) - also download/install Malwarebytes (Malwarebytes.org (http://malwarebytes.org)) its great at removing crap like this.

Good luck!

Nice one, thanks for the words of wisdom.

Unfortunately none of the above worked so I'm going to have to format and re-install the lot...

Moral of this story: dont let wife near computer

(haha, I'm joking)

Nice one

Try Tools, Internet Options, Connections, LAN, and be sure Automatically Detect Settings is selected.
Many Rouge/Scareware sets a Proxy setting.