We have a relatively new (but barebones) PC running Windows XP. We get our Internet via an internal 56K modem and local ISP.
Here’s the problem: About every five minutes the computer dials the ISP phone number and tries to connect to the Internet! It’s been doing this for about 6 months, and it’s really getting aggravating.
Hoe can I stop it from doing this?
When you’re bored at work, what do you do? You go on the net every few minutes.
You have a clear case of bored PC syndrome. 
I guess I should add that at the computer does this on its own…
Not good. Chances are you have some undesireable code running on your PC - IOW, a virus/worm may have gotten to you - or there’s some insidious spyware running.
Are you using an updated virus scanner ?
Also, try using Ad-Aware from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ to get rid of any spyware that may have taken residence.
You probably have some spyware or other software trying to “call home”, and your internet settings are set to “dial when an internet connection is not present.”. In your Internet Options in your control panel, select “Connections” and choose “Never dial a connection”.
If you do this, from now on you’ll need to manually connect to your ISP by clicking the Dial-Up Networking icon and selecting your ISP.
You can find out by pressing ctrl-alt-delete when your computer tries to dial and the task manager will show what programs are active.
It may be a dialer program you’ve inadvertantly downloaded, or it may be one of the twenty thousand “deals” that come with a new computer that try to get you to subscribe to them, like aol or norton.
Oh, and do what Spiny Norman suggests and scan your computer for spyware.
If it’s calling your ISP, it’s gotta be the thing I posted. But just as a FYI, there are viruses and trojan dialers that try to dial 1-900 numbers through your modem. People have been stung for thousands of dollars by their computer automatically dialing offshore numbers.
It can also be as innocent as your email program being inadvertantly set to check your mailbox every 5 minutes. Check that too.
You could download the trial version of ZoneAlarm, a popular firewall application, and it will warn you when ASHCROFT.EXE is trying to use your computer to connect. The CTRL-ALT-DEL method will also do this but requires a slightly more aggressive and informed attitude towards poking around in your OS’s innards since you might accidentally kill a process that needs to be running (worst case, though: you need to reboot and remember not to kill that process in the future).
You don’t have any programs that access the internet open, do you?
If I forget and accidentally leave AIM or Netscape or something open, it will see that I’ve signed off and try to dial again. Of course, I’ve got a Mac and I’m not sure how your PC is set up.
Jurph recommended what I was going to suggest. ZoneAlarm (or most other software firewalls; go to SpyChecker for a selection) can be configured to tell you what application, exactly, is trying to access the 'net. Then you can decide whether to allow or deny it, and whether to make that decision permanent.
You’ll be surprised just how often Microsoft’s apps ping the mothership…
Has it done this since you got the computer? If so, your “preferences” or another program (e-mail) are probably calling for an internet connection. Even other types of software may have a “switch” for dialing an internet connection, like ICQ or other messaging software. XP may have a few programs that require a connection and your virus software may automatically try to look for updates.
If this is a new activity, and you have not installed software that requires an internet connection to use, you may have downloaded some malicious software.
Is it possible that its xp phoning home to check for updates , on a scheduled task ?
Every so often , mine shows up with a message that says updates have been downloaded , ( which means that I must have turned off the warning that it was going to download stuff) do I want to install yada yada.
I have highspeed , so I would not even notice , but if its a dial up , then it could be a reason its dialing up the ISP rather than the high toll telephone #
Declan
FYI, under Internet Properties – Connections, “Never dial a connection” is selected. I also installed and ran SpyBot (including all the latest updates), but it’s still doing it.
Except that Microsoft Outlook is not running when it happens.
Jurph: I have ZoneAlarm installed.
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I wondered how many people here have been stung by this. I just was and I’m pretty ticked. Anyone know if there’s anything that can be done?
Get DSL or a Cable modem and remove your PC’s modem
You can try calling your phone company’s fraud department, they will probably heard of this scam. One of the most common ones I’ve seen redirects your dialup connection to a phone number in Guinea Bissau, Africa. You can Google for the country name that shows up on your bill and I bet you’ll see people with similar complaints. The phone company can be helpful or not, I’ve found. I work for a dialup ISP and have had a few customers call to find out why “we made them call” an international 900 number. Most have contacted their phone company and will get some restitution, and also they can put 900 number blocks on your phone line.
As for the computer dialing up randomly, it’s pretty much been covered… but, even if you check “Never dial a connection” in Internet Options, any program loading when Windows starts that has a “Always connect to the Internet when necessary” or “Connect when Windows starts” option will override that. Check your Windows startup items, etc. etc. and see what’s loading with Windows and work from there. Fax software, antivirus software, messaging apps are all common culprits.
most likely suspects
worm or virus
program checking for updates
I also had this problem in W95 that wa driving me nuts. Until I noticed it was the download manager trying to resume download of a file I thought I had killed. It was so big it never completed it.
sounds pretty creepy. If you’ve been surfing porn or warez sites, occasionally they put a dial-out thing on your computer, trying to get you to dial in to them, usually overseas. I know nothing about computers, but I remember this happening until I erased it. Go to add/remove and start there. I have Webroot Spy Sweeper and ZoneAlarm and no probs lately. good luck