[Solved] Windows producing code 31 errors on all network devices

[shrimply]

OK well first, hey guys its been a while. Secondly, most frustratingly you seem to have banned my ip address. More frustrating is that I emailed the administrator about it nearly 24 hours ago and have heard nothing back. Anyway I have big networking problems. Basically windows is refusing to load drivers for any network device, producing a code 31 error. The situation just now is that I can restore the computer back a couple of days and the ethernet will work fine, but as soon as windows is asked to reinstall the driver it fails with a code 31 error I also have a wireless card doing the same thing, the only difference being I don't have a restore point for when it is working. I have a sneaking suspicion that Cisco VPN client may have caused this but have no real evidence, in any case I have now uninstalled it and the problem still exists. I know this isn't a problem unique to me and I've spent days crawling the internet trying various reg changes and command prompts to reset windows networking. In general the only solution seems to be a repair install, which I would like to avoid if at all possible, would be really grateful is anyone has any new suggestions on how to fix this. Edit - Should probably add the computer is running Windows 7 x64 Edited July 21, 2012 by shrimply

[KenB]

Hi,

 

you seem to have banned my ip address. More frustrating is that I emailed the administrator about it nearly 24 hours ago and have heard nothing back.

You are not alone - one of our Moderators had been "Banned" too.

Not sure why this has happened - I managed to sort him out.

I will take a look at your profile and see if I can see anything untoward.

 

You certainly have not been banned - and I have not received an email ??

 

EDIT:

I have just checked - and you had no IP Address stored in your profile.

This was the same problem as our moderator.

I have pasted in your present IP Address and saved it.

 

Is all OK now ?

[shrimply]

NO sadly not, but I get up the message before i ever try to log on. If it helps I can PM you the ip address I am using which it is blocking.

[KenB]

If it helps I can PM you the ip address I am using

Yes please - I can compare that with the one from your last post.

 

Do you use the "Remember me" option when you log on ?

[shrimply]

So now that my ip issues are sorted ( thanks KenB) can anyone assist with the more pressing issue of my majorly messed up networking.

 

Cheers

[Synapse]

Uninstall any drivers for the network cards, shutdown, then remove the cards. Start up again, check Device Manager for any 'funnies', if all is ok restart in Safe Mode.

 

Check Device Manager again for any networking devices still shown, if there any remove them.

 

I've seen something similar once or twice in the distant past and for some strange reason Safe Mode showed extra devices, preventing the 'real' devices being installed. It may not be the same problem, let us know how you get on.

[shrimply]

I'll give it a go but I can kinda predict what will happen ( nothing haha). Umm the ethernet is on board so I can't remove that, so when I restart windows it will try and fail to re-install that.

 

I've already enabled hidden devices in the device manager and uninstalled all the network ones so I doubt anything will show up, but all I can do is try.

[shrimply]

Yup sadly as expected, did as you said, even disabelled onboard LAN in the bios for good measure, made sure there was no network adapters in either normal or safe mode, but on enabling LAN again I got a code 31 error :(.

 

Is it OK to restore the computer back to the point the ethernet is working or is is best to continue as is?

[Synapse]

Don't do a restore, I think at times like this they can hinder fault finding.

 

To confirm, you now have two network adapters with NO drivers installed, they have been removed?

 

Do you need both wireless and onboard LAN operational?

 

If not, which is is your preferred card?

 

Let us know the brand and model of both, I guess for the onboard one, your main board make and model is enough.

 

Also, which drivers have you used so far?

[shrimply]

OK , I won't restore for now but you have to understand that it is my main computer, I can only be without internet on it for so long.

 

The wireless PCI card is a Tenda W322P card which uses a ralink RT3026F chip

The motherboard is a ASRock G31M-S

 

Currently windows has tried and failed to install (code 31) the most recent LAN drivers from ASRock, which are needed as windows doesn't natively have drivers for it. This is the driver which works if I restore the computer back.

 

The wireless card currently is not in the PC, but there are no drivers for it on the PC other than windows native ones, although I have previously tried every available driver from both Tenda and Ralink, always getting a code 31 error.

 

I want them both operational in as much as I believe its a windows issue not one related to the devices and in the future I want to be able to uninstall and re-install device drivers without removing my access to the internet. I mainly use the LAN but there are occasions when I'd like a wireless option.

[maynardvdm]

Hi

 

Did you use these:

 

motherboard LAN: http://www.asrock.com/mb/download.asp?Model=G31M-S&o=Win764

 

Tenda network card: http://www.tenda.cn/tendacn/downloads/show.aspx?productid=364

 

Synapse will advise further once he is online again.

[shrimply]

As I said, I have tried all the available drivers

[Synapse]

Ok, fair enough, if you have to restore, I guess you have to.

 

It looks like a Realtek 8102/3 E (L) LAN. Is it an HP machine or unbranded. HP seem to have used that LAN on their PC's.

 

There is a different driver on the HP support website for that card

 

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&softwareitem=ob-75268-1

 

Another thought, I wonder if there has been a Windows update between your restore point and the cards not working, have you checked?

[shrimply]

Hi, the PC is an own build, so no, nothing to do with hp.

 

The restore point is my own, I created it after I realised what was going to to make sure I was able to keep a internet connection. It back only a couple of days to before I touched the LAN driver in windows.

 

See I've been trying to solve a code 31 error on the wireless card for around a week now. ( The card had been disabled for a long time and wasn't connecting properly when re-enabled so I tried to reinstall the driver leading to the code 31 error), thinking it was an isolated incident. This means lots of uninstalling and reinstalling of drivers which are provided as .exe files. This means lots of recent restore points and no distant ones.

 

During trying to fix the problem, I uninstalled cisco vpn client, which seemed to mess up how my connection was displayed in the task bar ( it showed no connection when there was one) so to solve this is tried to reinstall the driver which resulted in the LAN code 31 and I realised I had a more serious problem.

 

I don't know if Cisco VPN client was ever to blame, but I've tried reinstalling and removing manually all registry and system files related to it which made no difference.

 

What I guess I am trying to say if I have absolutely no idea when the problem actually arose, if I'd not touched any network drivers then I may still not know about the problem even though its there.

 

And I will hold off restoring for just now if that is what you think is best, I will make do with my laptop, but I prefer using the desktop for any real work :)

Edited July 22, 2012 by shrimply

[Synapse]

Thanks for all the background info.

 

I have managed to find an updated driver on the Realtek site, it is worth giving it a try as it is a 2012 driver. I have always found ASRock a bit behind with driver updates.

 

http://218.210.127.131/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=7&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

 

Just confirm yours is the 8102, the manual suggests it is that or 8103

[shrimply]

I tried that driver, still code 31 :(

 

PC Wizard reports the LAN as RTL8101

[Synapse]

Ok, that driver link covers the 8101.

 

Uninstall the Realtek driver.

 

Last idea is that of the updates since your working restore point. Look at the updates that have been installed since your restore point date/time stamp. Remove those updates.

 

Reboot.

 

Reinstall the latest driver again.

[shrimply]

My "working" restore point is only 3 days ago, and the only update during that time is a windows defender definition update. My point being the system isn't actually working correctly at this point, the LAN is just working. I can take it back to that point, immediately try to update the driver and still get the code 31 error. But i can try.

[Synapse]

Ok, you are probably right in that taking it back to there won't help.

 

If I had it in for repair I would take all of the recent updates off, work backwards to a known point of reliability.

 

If that didn't work, at that point I would do a Windows clean install. Seems drastic, but without any other pointers as to what is wrong I would need a clean install to validate the hardware is functioning correctly. Also I would have both network cards fitted on install.

 

Sorry I can't help you further, hopefully someone else will have some ideas.

[shrimply]

Thanks, I will try uninstalling some recent updates see if I get anywhere. If not I guess I'm gonna have to attempt a repair install ( which I would rather avoid) and if that fails a full re-install.

 

That is unless anyone else has any bright ideas, which would be very very welcome.

[shrimply]

On another note I can almost guarantee it is not hardware causing the problem, as it worked in the past and if I boot to a Ubuntu live CD both the wireless and LAN function properly.

[shrimply]

Well I've stripped off all the updates installed in the last month with no luck, I think its probably futile to go back further.

 

I guess my only opition is to back up and hope a repair install resolves the issue.

[KenB]

Hi

 

If updating the drivers / deleting updates / plus the other things you have tried hasn't fixed it for you ............and you can confirm that the device actually is working then it would seem that a repair install is the way to go.

 

You could try sfc /scannow

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833

 

It certainly won't do any harm.

You may be asked for the installation disk.

[shrimply]

Hi KenB

 

I ran the thing you suggested.

 

Windows can't repair two files

 

MMDev.API.dll

mscft.dll.mui

 

Googling both didn't get me very much information.

 

Don't know if its worth trying to repair/replace them manually or how I would go about doing so.

[KenB]

You could try the sfc /scannow again - likelihood is that you will get the same result.

 

Looks like a repair install.