Computer Problem: I screwed up Dial-Up networking and can't fix it!!!

Factual Questions
1

I am in desparate need of help. I screwed up our home computer on Saturday while “checking out” the Network settings and haven’t been able to get on the internet at home ever since.

And my wife’s not really happy with me about that, either.

Here’s the story: my home computer is a homemade P-120, upgraded from a 486-66 years ago by a friend of mine who for years used it as a print server (or something similar) at his work. (It’s got an ethernet card, which is why I was checking out the settings.) Of course, we don’t use the network card–just the modem at home. So, after I was looking at the Network settings, I foolishly clicked “okay” instead of “cancel” and the next thing I know (I was still hooked up to the internet), I could no longer check my mail or open a page without encountering an error. When I logged off, I couldn’t even get reconnected.

So, I follow the instructions. Outlook says to check my Dial-Up settings, which I do. The properties are set to what my local ISP wants them set to. When I try to dial from Dial-Up, it tells me to remove Microsoft Dial-Up Adapter and reinstall it. So, I go to do that…

…and discover that Microsoft Dial-Up Adapter (MDUA from now on) doesn’t even exist anywhere on my computer! It wasn’t there to remove, and when I try to Add it, it doesn’t find it! Apparently, what I’ve got are two adapters, Nisd2(?)–or something like that, and NE 2000 Compatible from Novell. I’ve installed, uninstalled, and reinstalled these (each time with the TCP/IP protocol… I’m not a TOTAL computer idiot!), and still can’t get connected. The modem clicks, dials, hums, and sings, and just when I think I’m on… Disconnect, and a message to remove and reinstall MDUA. Which apparently doesn’t exist on my computer.

SO… I decide to get on-line here at the office (where I, like many, usually do) and find MDUA for Windows 98 and put it on disk and go home and install it. And despite zillions of google searches, I can’t actually find a MDUA file. Just lots of instructions that assume that somewhere on my hard drive there exists MDUA and my computer knows where.

Can anybody help me? As I figure it, either:

  1. One of those other adapters (or perhaps another that I haven’t found yet on the comptuer) can do the job, too, but I don’t know which it is or how to set it up. When NE 2000 is installed, it really screws up. Only when Nisd2(?) is installed can I at least talk to the modem, which still won’t talk to my ISP, or
  2. If I can find MDUA, then I can just install that and everything will work out for me, or
  3. I’m screwed.

That system again: P120, 32Mb RAM, 2Gb HD, Windows98. (We’re getting a new computer.)

Thanks for suffering a poor Windows fool…

2

Boot it in DOS mode, type: scanreg /restore

select an earlier registry before you put in any of that new software, & viola! It works again. Time it takes: 2 min.

3

There’s lots of “hidden” parameters in the network stuff that you can’t reach through the dial-up setting, but you can reach them going through the Control Panel icon for Internet Settings. This includes basic stuff like whether it dials 1 for long distance, your password, and a lot of other stuff. Start there to see if everything looks in order.

You also might want to try a board with a lot more techies posting, like this one:
Computer Help and How-To

4

what is operating system? 95 or 98?
Do a search on your hard drive for [example]: win95*.cab, if you have your .cab files, great, if not, do you have the operating system disk? Windows 95? This will also have those .cab files. After you have one or the other, go into add/remove programs, windows setup tab, remove check from communications and hit OK, let it ‘build’ its ‘driver information database’, it will ask or tell you to restart, but you dont have to, [can also check NETWORK to see if Client for Microsoft Networks and TCP/IP have been removed, then hit CANCEL] Go BACK into add/remove Programs, windows setup tab, put check BACK in Communications and hit OK. Let it build driver information database again, go back into NETORK, the only 3 items you need to connect to the interent are CFMN [client for Microsoft Networks, DUA [dialup adapter] and TCP/IP [internet protocol - ‘language’], If it installs CFNN [client for Netware Networks], IPX/SPX or Netbeui [Network protocols that ‘argue’ with TCP/IP] remove these, or ‘unbind’ them from BINDINGS in DUA properties. This should ‘reinstall’ your DUA problem.

Who is your ISP ? If you need any details for setting up the dialer in DUN [via MY COMPTUER] and ISP is Earthlink Network, let me know, otherwise contact ISP’s tech support.

5

Who needs a more “techie” board that this one? If SOMEONE here can’t solve my problem, it can’t be solved!

Thanks to handy and phantomht for the ideas. I’m going to head home for lunch now, finish my taxes (urp), and try to fix the computer. If it works, I’ll let you know.

phantomht, my ISP is just a local one: brooksdata.net.

6

1: With system off open up your PC and remove the networking card. It will just potentially confuse things re setup and is not necessary for a modem ISP connection.

2: Re-start the system and go into the “Network” applet under “Control Panel”. Remove ALL installed network components and devices and attached TCP_IP drivers. Re-start system.

3: Go to the Dial Up Networking (DUN) applet under “My Computer” and remove/delete any DUN dialups you have created to attach to your ISP. Re-start system.

4: IN DUN applet create a new dial up definition. Make sure
the current modem is correctly selected and that
“enable software compression” and TCP-IP are the ONLY things checked upder the “Server Type” tab. Make sure “area code” and “dialing properties” are also set correctly so the number dialed is not double dialing the area code.

Now try and connect. If it connects with your ISP your email and web connects should straighten themselves out. If they don’t you wil need to change the dialup or connection settings of both your browser and email to use the defined DUN ISP connection.

7

So when you’re in the network control panel, and you click on add, then select adapter and click add again, then select Microsoft in the left window, what DO you have in the right window? If all else fails, you might try removing and reinstalling dial up networking (from the windows setup tab in the add/remove programs control panel) (as I see phantomht already proposed). That’s helped me in the past. If all else fails, you should probably call your ISP’s tech support (as phantomht has also proposed).

8

Nothing. I highlight Adapter, click Add, chose Microsoft, chose Microsoft dial-up adapter, and get… nothing in the left window. When I go ahead and highlight protocol, click Add, and chose TCP/IP, It adds the Nisd2(?) adapter.

I tried phantomht’s advice, but Microsoft DUA still doesn’t exist on my computer. I’ll try again later today, though. After that, I’ll give astro’s idea a try. My local ISP doesn’t really have “tech support” (that must be some kinda big city thing). In fact, they don’t answer their phone.