I can't even get Windows to load on my computer. AAAgh. I can only get it going in Safe Mode, and when I tried using the Dr. What'sit check thing, it showed no obvious errors.

The problem clearly comes while loading Windows itself, probably during the Windows drivers.

I'm typing this ONLY because I am using my father's computer, using my connection.

Help. <pitiful expression>

I once had this problem on Windows 98, it opened once in safe mode and then refused to believe the drivers were on it after that. The way we fixed it was to tell the drivers to load, unfortunately I cannot remember where exactly you tell it to do this, I have been stuck with XP for a year now and it is not an improvement...

Update:

Bounty (PalmTree) has been terrific, helping me with the steps to reinstall Windows. It's now at the point that I can load normally, BUT... my internet connection, although it's connecting, will not let me load any pages at all.

So ... still going through the possibilities.

I cannot thank Bounty enough for his endless patience.

And Spear, thanks for all the helpful ideas you had - it seems I won't have to try swapping over the HDDs... I hope. (One hand in pocket... <looks nervous>)

If I were you I would call my good for nothing ISP and ask for instructions on how to setup my internet connection girl.

These morons should have phone lines especially for helping in situtations like that.

I agree with Elsa, if a company charges you for a service, they should be ready to help you if they do not live up to their promise, but do try to be reasonable to the tech's they're probably doing the best they can.

I think my IE has somehow become corrupted or otherwise affected. It seems to be the case that my CONNECTION has no problems recognising that I have a modem... I can CONNECT... but I absolutely positively cannot load anything.

If I were home during the day, I could call the provider and talk through it with them. But it's tricky when I am at work NOT in front of my computer, and can't try things.

And I don't think it's my supplier, as I said... The drivers on my computer seem to be wonky. Or unco-operative.

Oh well... your suggestions have all been excellent. I'll just see what happens, I suppose...

One or two more suggestions. <smile>

Please try to see if you can open any html files WITHOUT connecting, that is, any html files that are saved on your hard drive or on a floppy disk, etc. If you can open them, then your IE is working at least in that crucial area. If IE can't do that, then perhaps you should think about re-installing IE... or maybe installing Netscape or another browser - Opera or Mozilla.

The reason that I recommend another browser is that I have heard that IE is EXTREMELY buggy. I can't remember in what way though, unfortunately... sorry about that... So my advice about that can't exactly be taken as gospel. Still, if IE has been giving you grief... try a different browser, and maybe that will work.

Good luck! <smile>

You could always grap the computer and throw it off the window...

Just kidding hehe

Maybe it's a proxy thing? By the way, connecting the modem to your provider succesfully doesn't mean they are ok. It still may happen that they are responsible for the problems. It happened to me yesterday while trying to use my dial-up connection for a few minutes instead of the dsl. The modem connected just fine to the ISP's servers but it wouldn't load anything on the browser. Also after a few minutes when I retried - it loaded but it was too slow to use. So my point is there is more than just connecting the modem to your ISP. It could still be their fault (or yours for not using the right settings and not calling them to ask for instructions).

Well Rath, what I think you're referring to is that IE has many security loopholes in it. Microsoft releases patches as they are found, but they are still there. :shrug:

And Al, tomorrow I'll open up my IE and poke around the settings, see if there's anything I can think of that'll help.

BTW, one thing off the top of my head (tired though it may be): Do you have the TCP/IP protocol installed on Windows? You can check this by going to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network IIRC. Just a quickie thought.

Right, another problem I might have had before (So I once had a laptop), Go to IE advanced settings and check to see it doesn't think you are connecting through a LAN, if you are not indeed connecting on a LAN. I hope this helps...

You're all being so helpful and kind... <gulps hard to stop from weeping, touched>

I got in touch with my provider yesterday, and after going through all sorts of possibilities and checking settings (all of which were okay), the tech suggested setting the modem speed lower. We got the string for that, and I was able to connect and get the homepage, ping, etc. BUT...

... when I restarted, it was back to the same old problem. The modem string is still there in the modem properties, but it won't - ping. Nothing. Zilch.

Bounty once again suggested things, but I happened to mention that I only had 16 colours displaying (as well as the really clunky big settings on the monitor) - I would change them, but the settings wouldn't "take". And at that, the dread suggestion was: it's still a Windows Registry problem.

And I don't have Norton Systemworks. <sigh>

So my only solution seems to be to drop it off, complete with all USB thingies and installation discs and all of that, to the tech who built the computer in the first place, and get him to do what needed to be done.

I'm sorry - it seems I'll still be really limited with online stuff right now...

If you have only 16 colors and can't change them then you need to install your video card drivers.

But still I don't see how that could effect the internet connection. It's a totaly different story.

My video driver is installed already...

And so is my sound card driver...

... and all of that...

... which is why I think there is a more serious or lurking problem linking all of these difficulties. After all, it all seemed to happen at once. Ah well, wish my computer luck! It's being looked at!

The tech has my computer now, and he rang me to say there were THREE DIFFERENT VIRUSES on it... they're causing the problems.

At least one of them is the cause of the Windows registry problem.

I don't yet know which viruses - he'll give me a full report when he's done - but it means a full reinstall of everything. All my programmes will have to be reinstalled, and now I'm worried that all the backing up I did will be tainted. I'll have to find out.

I'm sure you know this Al, but it bears saying just for safety's sake:

Before you test out your backuped data, back up your fresh clean system just in case.