Can't connect to internet after installing (possibley) phony system optimizer

[microtim]

Hi, I've recently been getting a lot of tech calls from a friend and uncle. Both seem to have the same problem...

It sums up: Somebody (not everyone is claiming responsibility yet!) downloaded and installed a system optimizer (memorymeter, or possibly from an ad window from inklineglobal.com). Anyway they downloaded a program that was supposed to optimize their system but instead when the computer was restarted they had no internet connection!

Tests to see if the problem is with the internet service company, the modem, or NIC card, all come back aOK, everything is in tip top shape, but still no internet access.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be?

Notes: Both computers with the problem are Windows 98 systems (I was able to fix one that had windows XP), both are connected to the internet using cable and no router (the one I fixed used a router and DSL). And both have static IP addresses.

What am I not checking, or what am I missing?
Thanks for your help!
Tim

[John Prophet]

Welcome to the forum!

You could tell em to go to networking properties..delete everything in there and then add it back again.

Or maybe just delete tcp/ip on the network cards and add it back again.

JP

[microtim]

Thanks for the welcome!
Well, I tried removing all the network stuff and nope doesn't work. My uncle called his ISP and that was exactly the same thing they suggested...remove all adapters and protocols from the network properties box, and then re-install them.

Is it possible that the downloaded program changed some driver, or setting that could cause this problem? Because the internet is working, and they were able to sucessfully ping from the computer. But said something about it not being able to recognize domain names.

I'm going over to my uncles house tomorrow and see if I can check through everything myself. As I had trouble helping him over the phone. The reason being I've worked the problem out on a Windows XP machine and on DSL! But haven't worked on a windows 98 machine in a while!! Also it's a cable modem setup which is a little different from my router/DSL setup.

Anyways, thanks again for the help.
Tim