Limited connection Windows Vista
Trying to get a relative's new computer online. A little awkward as I have to come home to make any inquiries over the net.
Relative's old system was running Windows 2000 on a mere 8GB hard drive. Was acquired second hand and relative has no recovery media and no indication of a recovery partition. While trying to resolve corrupt PFN list error (research indicates might be RAM problems) registry got corrupted. System won't boot in normal or safe mode. Was attached directly to a D-Link cable modem via an Ethernet cable.
I live about four miles away and subscribe to the same ISP (but am using a different brand of cable modem).
Relative's new system is Vista Home Premium SP1 64 bit (quite a step up). Minimal printed setup instructions were included in the box, primarily one of those quick setup sheets that resembles a poster. Quick setup sheet only advised connection of keyboard, mouse, display, speakers and power cord prior to powering up computer and allowing auto configuration to commence. Therefore I didn't connect the Ethernet cable at that time. After some of the auto configuration a screen indicated no network connectivity and offered the option to attempt to detect network again or wait until desktop appeared. At that point I connected the Ethernet cable and clicked the "button" to for the computer to try detecting the network again, but it still failed to connect.
Took the option to wait until the OS was operating to attempt to resolve the networking issue.
Eventually contacted ISP's customer support. Representative reported he was able to communicate with the modem and the NIC in the computer. Despite Vista's connections properties dialog indicating that the IP address and DNS server address was to be automatically assigned, the system is stubbornly refusing to list any addresses for the gateway or the DNS server in the Vista connection status pop-ups or the command prompt's "ipconfig /all" listing. Resetting the modem via the ISP representative's remote control and later disconnecting and reconnecting the modem's power cord did not improve the situation. Disconnection and reconnecting the Ethernet cable at both ends didn't help either. Each of these methods only results in temporary "Identifying Network" message in the connections listing window followed by "Unidentified Network" message.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and thoughts on the possibility that there is a software or hardware problem with the new computer. Should I send her back to the dealer with the system?