Hello RickandRana, Sunday, August 8, 2010, 7:45:01 PM, you wrote: R> We were given a used laptop a couple of years ago and until about a R> week ago it worked just fine. We did research online, we had email R> accounts. Now, we cannot access the internet and have no email. R> When clicking on the diagnostics icon, here are some of the error R> messages: R> 1. problems with the ethernet cable. Is it securely connected? R> Damaged? We have never used an eternet cable and do not know what R> they are used for, nor even what they look like. You'll always get that if you aren't using the ethernet side so if you've never used a cable to connect the laptop to the router then you can ignore this. R> 2. On wireless connection, the error messages are something like R> this: Cannot connect to HTTP, HTTPS, FTP (and a couple of other R> things) so check your modem. R> The modem info says it is working fine. Windows tells lies - at least the hardware info does <lol> What it means is that the software side appears to be fine but it cannot check everything. R> 3. Your network connection is not working. R> Our router is working as well as ever. Something has happened to the wireless on this laptop and usually it's a driver that's gone awry but a useful thing to do is use System Restore to roll back to before this happened - [ Start / All Programs / Accessories / System Restore ]. Hopefully that will sort it but if not then get back. Is the system you are using now on the same router and using wireless, i.e. there's no cable connecting it to the router ? R> Questions: we talked to folks at a computer store and were told R> that without Ethernet cable we could not access the internet nor R> use email. What do we say to that when in fact we have used both R> the web and received email on this laptop since we have had it? R> Have we just had a streak of freaky good luck? R> 2. we were told to purchase a modem that is wireless and that will R> take care of both our desk tops as well as the laptop. Again, we R> have always used just what we now have. Don't go back to that computer store again, they don't know what they are talking about and just out to fleece you it seems !!! -- Best regards, Barry mailto:[email protected] MicroSoft Free Zone running Ubuntu 9.10'Karmic'

Barry, bless you! Your calm response has helped calm us and helped us to believe there is hope for us to continue with the laptop. To answer your only question: yes, nothing has changed since first we were given this laptop. Rick has retired for the evening, so I will wait for morning to try your instructions. We will get back to you. Barry, we appreciate your time and your help. Rana On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 5:28 PM, Barry <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello RickandRana, > > Sunday, August 8, 2010, 7:45:01 PM, you wrote: > > ********* > Visit the threaded archives of this list: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SENIOR-NEWBIE > ********* > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 5:28 PM, Barry <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello RickandRana, > -----Is the system you are using now on the same router and using wireless, i.e. there's no cable connecting it to the router ? In previous response, I did not fully address your question, Barry. Yes, the router is the same and we are still using wireless, no cables. Thank you very much. Rana > > > ********* > Visit the threaded archives of this list: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SENIOR-NEWBIE > ********* > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

My laptop is on a wireless router also. On the front of my laptop is a small (what I call slide bar) to turn the internet off or on. Basically an on, off switch. There is a red light if it is Off and a blue light if it is On. See if somewhere on your laptop there is something like that. Lisa

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 5:28 PM, Barry <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello RickandRana, > -----Something has happened to the wireless on this laptop and usually it's > a driver that's gone awry but a useful thing to do is use System > Restore to roll back to before this happened - [ Start / All Programs > / Accessories / System Restore ]. Hopefully that will sort it but if > not then get back. > Barry, over the past couple of days we have moved the System Restore back in five day increments. With each move backwards, we let the computer be idle and after about three or four hours, attempted to use it. Each move backwards causes the computer to behave much worse than in present condition in that not even the IE page will come up. Our System Restore only went back to some date in May, but this problem was not occurring in May. This morning, the laptop error message tells a network cable is unplugged. If that is the case, we don't know where to begin looking for an unplugged network cable as we have never used one. In addition, a network named Flynn popped up and the message told we are now connected to Flynn so to access the internet click on connect. Well! the places that click took us were into the depths of the computer that we never knew existed! So, we closed the computer and are now writing to you. One interesting thing to us: when we sign off _shut down_, a message appears that the computer updates will be added and afterwords the computer will close automatically. That does happen every single time we close the laptop. Also, avast tells us it has been updated. How can that be without internet access? Is there any hope/likelihood this computer can be "saved"? The local computer shop charges eighty five dollars to put the laptop "on the bench", then seventy five dollars per hour while it runs through its tests. There is then a charge for the repair. We are wondering if purchase of a new computer might be more prudent? Thank you very much for your time and your help. Rana > > > ********* > Visit the threaded archives of this list: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SENIOR-NEWBIE > ********* > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >