Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Gadgets & Tech Laptop will not start up properly

Can you get to your registry? If you can get to your start button and type in the search box 'regedit' then scroll to 'Local Machine, software, microsoft, windows, current version, run' and remove anything that isn't critical (which is practically everything) it may help!

good Evening DD thanks mate,it is up and running mate thanks to Matts advice (previously I could not even get into start menu)It just won't go on the net now but for a min there it connected to the router and then kicked me off again bud

Matt's good, much better memory than me which helps.

Do you know your WPA or WPA2 key for wireless access and your wireless network name?

Generally I have found with wireless it is better to use Windows WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration) rather than the manufacturers wireless handler. If you are using the Belkin handler then it should have the option to switch to wzc.

To set up the WPA key in WZC, you go to start-settings-network then right click on your wireless thing to get properties and there should be a wireless tab at the top.

Should mention there is a little bug in the WZC setup. If you select WPA2-PSK the key box doesn't let you type anything in. You have to select one of the other PSK (private security key?) settings first then when you go back to wpa2-psk it behaves itself.

This bug has been there at least 2 years but microsoft never fixed it.

Cheers CrocDundee,but I'm not that confident mate to know what I was deleting and would probably make the whole thing worse bud.

I think there is now just an internet connection problem now as everything else seems ok now thanks guys. (except for the net) it briefly connects to the router but then goes off again.
It doesn't seem to sustain a connection.I have used it on the same wireless router before with no problems, but now it won't connect to the net on wired either.I can't re-install my isp disc as my hard drive is nakard.

My head is numb matey's lol

Strange it won't work on wired - I was guessing its an authentication wireless problem which usually does the connect then disconnect thing.

I'm vaguely recalling a version of Internet Explorer that did something like that.

I can't think of anything that would bomb a wired connection ... perhaps its a DNS problem, it connects to obtain a Dynamic DNS, if this fails then it would be connectionless. Can you make sure the router and the PC are both set for DHCP-on/obtain-ip-address-automatically.

Thanks DD,I think I'm going to have to buy another hard drive as now it says my IPP address is invalid mate (don't know how like as my netbook and pc run off the same router)

Cheers bud.

no no no. IP adress is what the DHCP server provides your computer to identify it. There is one IP from your ISP provider which your router uses on the internet. There is another IP provided by your router to your PC on your local network (usually something like 192.168.x.x)

If you open a dos cmd window (start-run .... type in "cmd")

then do ipconfig ....

it will provide you with ip adresses picked up for your PC, there may be two entries or more, one for your wired adaptor(ethernet) and one for your wireless.

Something like this for each one ...

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.27
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::208:2ff:fee2:b89e%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1


Just tell me what the IP address and gateway is.

I should have said, if its comming up with IP address problem then your laptop is asking for an IP address from the router, the routers DHCP should provide it with one. If it doesn't get an address to use then it won't make a connection.

Possible reasons ....

Incorrect gateway specified on laptop, this should be the ip address of the router something like 192.168.2.1 usually for Belkin I think.

Router has not got DHCP switched on.

Router has IP filters set wrong (unlikely)

Subnet mask on laptop and router should be set to 255.255.255.0

Laptop not got automatic IP address switched on.

If this is any good mate (from the netbook as tried laptop to no avail)This is what came up:

I.S.P Virgin Media
CONNECTION Broadband
PROXY none detected
I.P 77.103.61.71

I tried what you said on thee laptop mate but no details came up.I s my ip for the netbook the same as the pc and laptop? they are on the samme router?

I can't get the belkin programme running to get an ip address open for that bud.

You ain't getting an IP ...

Each connection has a separate IP address, that is how the router knows which one to speak to.

On lappy - go to start-settings-network, right click the wired network connection, go to properties.

You should have a list of things it uses, usually at the bottom of the list you have "internet protocol (TCP/IP)". make sure it is ticked (if not tick it and hit the apply button). Select that line and hit the properties button.

You should have the "Obtain IP automatically" button highlighted and also "obtain DNS server address automatically"

"OK" that

"Close" the previous box

Things should start to happen

Sorry about this DD,but computers arent my best subject mate.I don't have any settings options from the start menu bud,although the lappy has now actually locked onto the router,it is using BTopenzone instead of Virgin.

I'm sorry for being an IT throw back mate...Give up if ya want haha

Its locked onto someone elses wireless router.

try and get a wired connection going first - not wireless, they are a slightly bigger nest of problems.

Do you know how to get to "Control Panel" ....

If so then select "Network Connections" from control panel, its another way into the same thing as start-settings-network above.