Repair TCP/IP Stack in Windows Vista

You had a virus, drive corruption, or some other OS altering situation.  But, being the hero you are, you resolved it and your PC is up and running again.  That is, until you try to access the internet or some other network resource.  The computer sits there trying to access that web page but nothing is happening… (Much like a MAC and its “spinning wheel of death“).  First you check your network connection… Then check to see if you have obtained an IP address and other credentials.  All good.  What gives?

One possibility is that you have a corrupt TCP/IP stack.  What is the TCP/IP stack?  First, TCP/IP  is an important part of the operating system that allows it to communicate across a network.  (Transmission Control Protocol /Internet Protocol)  Network architectures are designed in layers, such as TCP/IP, OSI and SNA, and are called “stacks.” (See TCP/IP, OSI model and protocol stack)

What can causes a corrupt TCP/IP stack?  Drive corruption can cause this, or sometimes a virus can re-write your TCP/IP stack to suit it’s purposes – Bend it to it’s will, so to speak.  So when you remove said virus your TCP/IP layer is rendered unusable to the operating system (corrupted).

To fix this issue we use the NetShell utility.  The NetShell utility (netsh) is a command-line scripting interface for the configuring and monitoring of Windows XP, Server 2003 and Windows Vista networking services.  This will reinstall and reset the TCP/IP stack (Internet Protocol) to its original state.  To do this in Windows XP or Server 2003 we used the following command:

netsh int ip reset [ log_file_name ]

Example:
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

The above command will reset the TCP/IP stack and write a log file called resetlog.txt, recording it’s actions.

Windows Vista, adds a little hitch to the process because of the UAC (User Access Control).

To reset the Stack in Windows Vista there are a few more steps:

1. Click the Start Pearl.
2. Type Cmd in the  Search box.
3. Press the Ctrl-Shift-Enter (this is a shortcut that will run the Command Prompt as Administrator. )
4. Type netsh int ip reset at the Command Prompt then press the Enter key.
5. You will then have to restart the computer to complete the reset.

The command will remove all user configured settings on TCP/IP stack and return it to original default state.  After the reboot completes, your network and internet browsing and use should return.

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Vista SP2: At a windows update near you!

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 was made available today through Windows update. I saw that there were some concerns on the web on installing the update.People having “issues”. There was one  report of a User having to do a system restore after the update completed because the machine became unbootable. But, I’m brave and need to test the update so, I plowed right along.

It was a typical multi-stage update, similar to the Service Pack 1 Installation, but took a little longer. The primary download was about 300ish meg so, that took a bit of time. Then the OS portion of the update started. This phase was relatively quick, only taking about 8 or so minutes to complete. Then the OS starts the shut-down and 3 stage install. Stages 1 and 2 in prior to the reboot took about 30 minutes to complete. Once those were done the machine rebooted and finished stage 3 which only lasted a couple of minutes tops.

I read that people noticed an increase of Disc space after the Service Pack was installed. Don’t go getting your hopes up. Although you probably will see a space gain, it is only from the removal of all but the latest restore point. Remember, Vista saves musltiple “Previous Versions” and they tend to take up a bit of space.

What’s included in Vista Sp2? Well, here is the spiel from microsoft:

•  Program compatibility. Microsoft works to ensure that your programs work seamlessly on Windows Vista. We also work with our partners to improve the reliability and compatibility of non-Microsoft programs. So, SP2 includes previously released updates that are available to you when you use Windows Update, and it also includes new compatibility fixes for individual programs.
• Hardware support. Among other improvements, SP2 provides you with additional support for Bluetooth wireless technology and improved performance for Wi-Fi connections after the computer resumes from sleep mode. Additionally, you can now record data to Blu-ray Disc media. 
• General operating system updates. SP2 includes Windows Search 4.0, which has improved indexing and searching capabilities. SP2 also includes fixes that can improve recording TV using Windows Media Center.

There are lots of other things in there as well… for a full account Check out the TechNet Release Notes.

1. How do you get the Service Pack?   Well, it should show up in your Windows updates.
2. Should you do the update?   Well, I would say yes. But, You Have To Have SP 1 Installed First. This update WILL NOT install service pack 1. So, If for some reason, you on’t have that one done, install it and any other update needed first.

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Interesting Problem: Snipping tool is not working

I love the Vista snipping tool! I use it probably, every other day. But today I needed it and got this error:

The Snipping Tool is not working on your computer right now. Restart your computer, and then try again. If the problem persists, contact your system administrator.

Very odd. Of course I had about 12 tabs open in FireFox and three programs running so I resisted the urge to reboot and turned my attention to my friend Google. I ran across several blog posts about this very error. Those with solutions said to run the Microsoft Office Diagnostic tool and for some unknown reason that would fix it.

But alas it was not to be so for me. The only thing that correct my error was to do what the error said. Reboot the machine. *sigh* Oh well, it had been about 3 weeks since my last reboot so this must be my clue it was time. So, sometimes (although it's rare) doing what the error message says may fix the problem.

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Shared Printer on Vista holding Jobs in Que

I had a customer computer start to die recently and we decided, since it was 8 years old, that rather than fix it we would replace it. So, we got a new PC and I set it up. Everything was a breeze with one exception.

The old PC was windows XP Pro had an HP Laserjet 1020 printer attached to it and shared. The new PC is a Vista Ultimate machine and when setting that printer up to share again is when the problem hit. When I tried to test print to this printer from other machines on the network, the Vista machine would accept the print job but just hold it in the Print Spooler. If you stopped and restarted the spooler services on the Vista machine it would then start printing all the spooled jobs. Also, all local print jobs on the Vista machine would print immediately.

After expending a great deal of time working with permissions for the XP machine and messing with various printer settings I found a fix. On the Ports tab of the Vista machine I unchecked the box for bidirectional printing support. And… Boom! That fixed it.

I've not run into this problem before sharing printers from Vista so, I think it may be related to this model HP Printer. So remember, if you are sharing a HP Laserjet 1020 on Vista to an XP machine across a network, disable bidirectional printing support.

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Complete PC Back-up: Pretty dang cool!

A week or so back I got to test the Back-up built into Vista Ultimate. Not due to any problems caused by Vista but, because of some Hard drive issues. I was using the on board Intel RAID controller on my ASUS P5W64-WS Pro Motherboard. This thing has been causing a little trouble for a while. So, hoping it would solve all my woes, I decided to get an above board RAID controller.

Anticipating trouble with the transfer, I decided I needed a full back up of my PC. This was too much to send up to Mozy so I started looking at the back-up built into Vista.

In Vista Ultimate There is a back-up option called “Complete PC Backup”.This lets you back-up an image of your entire computer to multiple CD/DVDs or an external hard drive. It's surprisingly quick… It took 10 minutes or so for it to make the image.

My initial switch over to the new RAID controller went perfectly. No need for the back-up… That was until one of my drives failed. *sigh* The I had trouble. I did a couple of dumb things I won't get into here but, needless to say, I finally needed that backup I made.

Here's the cool part… Once I got my drive situation sorted out I was in business. To restore a “Complete PC Backup” in Vista to new disks boot to the Vista DVD. After it loads, you will see and option to “Repair Vista”. Click that link and you will be taken to another page with the option to “Restore from a Complete PC Backup”. Vista will then look for the back-up. So, make sure your external Hard drive is connected or the First disk of your Back-up set is in the drive.

Vista will then format/partition your disk to match the information contained in the back-up. When the restore is done the PC will reboot and Windows will be back to the state it was in at the time of the backup. This worked perfectly for me and I was extremely relieved when all was done. Here's the bad: I believe the “Complete PC Backup” is only available in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate. So, you Home Premium users will need to upgrade to Ultimate to get this feature. Sorry.

So, If you've picked and poked at your Vista installation until something breaks, you got this nifty feature to save you. Well, only if you have Business or Ultimate AND actually make a back-up first. Otherwise… Well.. umm… oops.

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Vista Shadow Copies

The Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) service is a pretty good feature of Windows Vista. Windows XP offered a similar feature in a “Previous Versions” client that needed to be installed by the user. This allowed users to take advantage of the backups that had been deployed. Vista's Shadow copy is on by default for the “system” drive and is “built-in”.

What VSS does is to write a new copy of the file. So, instead of replacing an existing file, VSS creates a new file in available space and points to the original location for previous versions. Shadow copies are created when restore points are created, about once per day.

Here are some instructions if you need to restore a “previous version” of a file:

1. Locate the folder that contains the file or folder that was deleted or renamed in the Windows File Explorer.
2. Right-click file or folder, then click Restore previous versions.
3. Double-click a previous version of the folder that contains the file or folder you want to restore. (For example, if a file was deleted today, choose a version of the folder from yesterday, which should contain the file.)
4. In the folder, simply click and drag the file or folder that you want to restore to another location in order to restore it to that location.

Like I said above, the VSS service is turned on by default for the System drive. If, like me, you have other disks in your box you can enable this feature for those disks as well. Follow these steps to enable or disable the VSS service for a drive:

1. Open the Control Panel. Click: start button —> Control Panel
2. Click System in the control Panel
3. In the left hand menu of the System window Click: “System Protection”
4. In the new window you will see the options for enabling/disabling Shadow copies.

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The Toshiba A305-S6843 Laptop

The Toshiba A305-S6843 Laptop

Recently I decided it was time to replace my laptop. My old Laptop was a Toshiba 4300 series. The laptop came originally installed with Windows 98SE, 800mhz PIII processor, 16 gig hard drive, DVD rom, 128 meg RAM. When I got this laptop originally it was “The stuff” so to speak.
When Windows XP was released I upgraded the OS to Win XP Pro. Over the years, I maxed out the RAM (384meg) and swapped the 16 gig harddrive to an 80gig. And now this machine was “the stuff” again.

Well, after a life of about 7 years the machine was “showing it’s age” So I decided it was time to update. Needless to say I was happy with the Toshiba so I decided to stay in that brand for the new machine.

I needed a laptop with a good fast processor, lots of RAM and Harddrive, Video with it’s own memory, wireless N, DVD, Vista Ultimate, etc.. Basically a laptop that I could really “work” on and wasn’t too heavy. Tall order, I know. But, after a bit of looking I came across the Toshiba A305-S6843 (at BestBuy of all places) and it nearly had everything I was looking for.

This laptop is packed with features.

It boasts:

• Intel Core2Duo T8100 2.1ghz processor, Intel GM965 Chip set
• 4 gig (4096MB) PC5300 DDR2 SDRAM
• Multi Format DVD+/- RW drive with double-layer support (spports Labelflash direct-disc labels)
• 15.4″ WXGA TFT-LCD widescreen display with TruBrite Technology; native support for 720p HD content
• ATI Mobility Radeon – HD 3470 with 256MB
• 400 gig of hard drive space. (2 x 200gig SATA Drives)
• Builtin Webcam and microphone
• Intel a/b/g/n Wireless Wi-Fi Link 56k modem
• built-in harman/kardon Speakers
• s-video output and HDMI connection
• 5-in-1 bridge media adapter supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card
• i.Link (IEEE 1394) Interface with 4 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
• Weighs approx 6 lbs. measures 1.5″ thin.
• Vista Home Premium 64bit Edition

The only thing that didn’t pass my requirements was the OS. I really wanted Vista Ultimate but, I can do the “Windows anytime upgrade” for $150ish to upgrade to Ultimate.

Here’s the best part… the thing that really sold me on this machine. It was only $1099.00. In my opinion for the RAM, Processor and Harddrive that was an amazing deal. (Since buying this machine the price has increased to $1249.00. Still a good price I think)

Enough for the specs, here is what I think so far.

Pros:

• Quick booting
• Super fast operating (with 4gig RAM and a T8100 processor, it should be)
• Awesome Display, Movies, text, web all display very well
• Sound… Well, the sound is very clear and loud
• Battery life is decent, on average I get about 3hours or so per charge.
• Doesn’t get very hot during operation. (my last Toshiba would burn your lap after a while)
• Quite operation – even when the fans speed up

Cons:

• Vista Home Premium 64bit – Would have preferred a pre-install of Vista Ultimate 64bit
• The glossy finish on the keyboard gets a little “slick and greasy” feeling
• no COM port.. (I know this is dying out but I need it to connect to some equipment)
• Serial to USB adapter wont work. (no Vista 64bit SIGNED drivers)

Overall this has been a great purchase. Super fast, lots of RAM, powerful and not too heavy.

If you are looking to replace your current laptop then, in my opinion, this would be a viable solution for you (it has been for me). You get lots of “bang for the buck”. I think You could definitely do worse for the money, but not much better.

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