Thank you for the input. This is a good way to troubleshoot. This how to may help,
How to run Windows OS with a clean ...How to run Windows OS with a clean boot ... when you cannot determine the cause of the issue, you may run Windows Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Network. ...
http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=57
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
To Old To . . . said:
I can ping 4.2.2.2 with no problem. I just can't ping any friendly name.
i.e.
yahoo.com localhost, or the computers NetBios Name, etc. I do a repair,
Vista
says it is ok? But, I don't have the internet. A Red X appears and it
tells
me that I have local access only.
Thanks for replying
I've been having similar problems. I've found a number of partial cures. I
don't know whether I've finally managed to fix the problem permanently. Try
this:
1. Programs that install context menus can interfere with networking. Why?
I don't know. I used a program called ShellExView (free download), which
gave an easy interface for disabling context menu additions. I disabled
most everything that wasn't a Microsoft program. This helped, but wasn't a
full cure.
2. I had tried Sphinx firewall. It appeared to interfere with wireless
networking. I removed it. However, either it didn't uninstall entirely or
it was partially recovered when I did a restore. I discovered this when
Security Center gave a "don't run two firewalls at once" warning. I
re-installed Sphinx, then uninstalled it, removed all traces from the
registry with RegSupremePro and manually deleted its directory from
Programs.
3. I deleted all residual files of programs I've uninstalled from Programs.
4. I used RegSupremePro to remove all registry entries for uninstalled
programs.
5. I examined Processes carefully and made sure nothing was running that
shouldn't be.
6. I disabled IPv6 on the network adapter that was giving me the problem (a
wireless adapter).
7. I edited RegEdit to disable the Broadcast flag (Microsoft has
directions).
Since I did all of this, I find that I'm not having "local access only"
internet issues (right now, I've only access to networks via the wireless
adapter -- I don't know whether the wired adapters were effected). I also
find that my internet access is much, much faster. Hopefully, I've fixed
whatever was troubling Vista (probably a combination of factors).
I have an OEM installation of Vista Business, so I couldn't call Microsoft
support. Sony support ran me through endless cycles of flushing the DNS
cache, re-installing the adapter, and all sorts of other obvious stuff, none
of which worked. A lot of what I tried above (and that, unlike Sony's
suggestions, appeared to work) were culled from several hours of internet
searching. Apparently, this Vista problem is relatively common.
Good luck.