Everything BUT IE, doesn't connect to the internet?

I have an Hp dv6772nr laptop (specs in sig), and just today my computer started acting up. Firefox for one stopped working, right when I launch it windows tells me Firefox has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. Also AIM doesn't connect. I'm currently routerless, connected straight to the AT&T DSL modem. Maybe its a modem problem? Now anytime I open up a program that uses the internet, it doesnt connect, I close it, and windows says "Program X" has stopped working. So far firefox, aim, xfire, and steam have had this. any ideas?

 

Did you update to SP1?

 

Try unplugging your modem from power and let it set for about 2 minutes or so. Plug it back up, let it sit for another minute or so while it refreshes the connection. Then give it a shot.

 

System Restore?
Or it could be bad RAM...
Also make sure you don't have outbound blocking turned on on your firewall. (Shouldn't really make the programs crash, but...)

 

Yes I did, I think it was that SP1 Cleaner. I also tried unplugging the modem. I unplugged all the wires, even from the wall, and the back of the modem. Then plugged it back in, and I had to use Vista's "Diagnose and Repair" feature, by right clicking on the network icon in the taskbar, just to get Vista to connect to the internet, and now only IE works. Aim, Firefox, etc all don't connect.

Also RAM is good, I believe, I did the bios RAM test that's on HP bios's. It passed.

Edit: gonna try to use system restore (dang, gonna have to re-make my itunes library.)

Edit 2: "System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computers files and settings were not changed.
Details:

An unspecified error occurred during system restore.

You might want to try System Restore again and chose a different restore point."

great, I think its time for another clean install. just did one a few days ago too. this isnt good.

 

I think vista SP1 itself might have broken everything, I'm thinking driver incompatibility. Some people download the .exe update instead of waiting for windows update and have an incompatible driver so they have problems. If you did that, i hope you have a backup from before SP1 since you used SP1 cleaner because you'll need to update your drivers.

 

well, i got the sp1 when they "accidentally" released it. BUT now i'm up and running, using firefox right now. turns out my modem doesn't like to be connected straight to my lappy it'd rather be connected through the router. either that or the clean install did the trick, even though it took a while(few hours) for the little globe thing on the network icon in the taskbar to show up.

 

Well idk what caused your problems, but I know that accidental SP1 was buggy. Maybe it caught up to you. Was that accidental release the final version?

 

I believe so.

 

Proxy settings maybe? You say IE still connects?

 

i never setup a proxy, unless it was a virus? idk. all i know is a clean install + adding a router fixed it.

 

update:

so this happened again today...IE was the only thing working, so I googled the issue and it seems that this is a common problem. In one of the threads that I found, someone suggested to re-install anti-virus, so I uninstalled NOD32, rebooted, and EUREKA! all programs started working again!

turned out to be NOD32 blocking access.

 

I have the latest version of NOD32 and it lets me use any web browser or internet app i want, what version were you using?

 

I was still using the old 2.79 something, switching over to avast, as I've had nothing but problems with NOD32.

 

No wonder dude. Use the latest v3 of NOD32. It's much better than lame old v2.

 

I'll try it out once I get time...spring break is over only gonna get 4 he's sleep tonight