Windows XP work offline problem

[breal101]

I use my Windows computer off line for playing computer games. I constantly get interrupted by a message that says the internet is unavailable and do I want to work off line or to try again. It's really annoying, the game pauses and the screen goes back to the desktop with this box, this happens about every half hour or so. It wouldn't be so bad but it also makes the hard drive run like crazy and seems to take over all the computer resources. I can tell when it is about to happen because the hard drive activity light comes on and the game slows to a crawl or freezes altogether. I thought it might be a worm but this computer has never been online and the only thing I remember loading on it were a few games and a patch for one of them from the Microsoft site. I tried doing a search for the problem on the net but the fixes that were suggested didn't work. They involved changing registry settings, I can't be sure I did them correctly but I think I followed the instructions. Before I wipe the drive slick and reinstall XP I thought I would ask here first. This is a retail version of XP home SP2. The computer runs fine otherwise, never has crashed the system although a game has crashed a few times. I don't want to put this computer online as it would involve a wireless setup since I use DSL and don't have a phone line in the room it is in. My question is does this involve a reset of the configuration of the system or should I start fresh and hope for the best.

[OdiN1701]

It could be that one of your games is trying to communicate. Tons of them do these days.

[breal101]

It could be that one of your games is trying to communicate. Tons of them do these days.

I certainly can't discount that possibility but this happens even if there are no applications running at the time, at least none that I started. Surely there must be a way to convince this thing that there is not and never will be an internet connection. No doubt this has made me love my Macs even more, since I don't have a wireless router at home my laptop will give a message when I shut down Photoshop that Adobe update is not available but it doesn't nag me to death about it. Come on windoze fanboys help me love this piece of crap.:lol:

[MaxxuM]

A ton of software looks on the internet for anything from updates to DNS checks. It's pretty easy to find out what's trying to to communicate if you download something like Comodo Firewall (Freeware) and look at 'active connections' to see whats trying to go out. Also, if you want to get a little geeky you can run CMD and then type in netstat /a and it will show you what's communicating (or trying to).

[breal101]

Thanks Maxxum, I just downloaded Comodo. I'll install it and give it a go.

[OdiN1701]

I certainly can't discount that possibility but this happens even if there are no applications running at the time, at least none that I started. Surely there must be a way to convince this thing that there is not and never will be an internet connection. No doubt this has made me love my Macs even more, since I don't have a wireless router at home my laptop will give a message when I shut down Photoshop that Adobe update is not available but it doesn't nag me to death about it. Come on windoze fanboys help me love this piece of crap.:lol:

I doubt that Windows is the problem - it is likely another piece of software which you installed. As stated, netstat /a could help. The only thing in Windows I could think of would be any auto updating, which is easily turned off.

[breal101]

Thanks for the help, it looks like I had a virus which Comodo found and destroyed. No more work off line pop ups, woohoo. I have no idea how it got there but it's gone now. I might learn to love my PC now, OK, to be honest maybe I'll learn to like it a bit more.:lol:

[MaxxuM]

Thanks for the help, it looks like I had a virus which Comodo found and destroyed. No more work off line pop ups, woohoo. I have no idea how it got there but it's gone now. I might learn to love my PC now, OK, to be honest maybe I'll learn to like it a bit more.:lol:


No problem :) If there is one virus/trojan it goes to reason there may be more. I would do a complete scan of the entire computer (all drives) and start it right before bed time. Set it to automatically quarantine or delete so it wont stop and wait for input. A good free AV program is Avast if you don't already have an up to date one. Good luck.

[breal101]

No problem :) If there is one virus/trojan it goes to reason there may be more. I would do a complete scan of the entire computer (all drives) and start it right before bed time. Set it to automatically quarantine or delete so it wont stop and wait for input. A good free AV program is Avast if you don't already have an up to date one. Good luck.

Hey, thanks again, you may have saved the life of this computer. Being the non-violent type it pains me to admit that cyber murder crossed my mind a few times. It actually found and removed 5 files named ADWARE something or another. I let it scan when it first installed and I think it scanned the entire drive. I don't have much on this computer other than a few games and some pictures my nephew put on there from his S3is. I'm happy to report the S3is pictures contained no malware.:lol: I'm letting it scan again just to be sure. Funny thing is I used some other AV scan from the net and it found nothing when I tried it about a year ago, although the nasties must have been there because it was giving me the work offline message before and after that scan. Good for Comodo, it worked. I did turn off all the auto updates I could find on this computer. Something Microsoft reminds me of on nearly every start up.

Is there a virus scan that will check a file I download on my Mac before I write the disc and install it on the PC? Hopefully free because I rarely do that, maybe once or twice a year. As an alternative, will Comodo scan a file on a disc before I install it?

[tim]

Also get "Spybot Search and Destroy", and "Ad Aware". Both are free programs that get rid of spyware and adware. You DON'T NEED TO PAY for either, plenty of sites try to convince you that you should, or upgrade to pro. Don't. But run the free version once a month.

[breal101]

Also get "Spybot Search and Destroy", and "Ad Aware". Both are free programs that get rid of spyware and adware. You DON'T NEED TO PAY for either, plenty of sites try to convince you that you should, or upgrade to pro. Don't. But run the free version once a month.

I'm pretty sure that Spybot was the one I used that didn't catch the malware that was on my computer. When I had it online I did run those regularly, when the hard drive failed I put in a new one and bought a retail version of XP because for some reason the backup discs I had, all 8 or 10 of them, filled with bloatware , wouldn't load on the new drive. After changing systems I took it offline in the mistaken belief that it would be safe to run it naked. I still don't know where the adware came from but looking back I may have downloaded a patch for a game from an unofficial site. Bad idea I now know. Since I loaded Comodo it seems to be somewhat slower to startup and a bunch slower waking from sleep mode. A price I'll have to pay I guess. The good news is that once started it runs a lot better. I never have defragged this drive, I'm wondering if that might help.

[tim]

Sounds like you need to download the service packs, burn them to CD, wipe your drive, and install windows again. Before it goes online install the service packs to prevent adware getting into unpatched holes.