Older PC netwrok issues

[Osprey]

my sons PC has been getting very slow .... Dell E521 but no errors and no network issues.

 

Decided to do a clean install of all.

So used the Dell OS re-install to put in a clean install of XP-Professional

Obviously first thing to do is to get network connectivity all OK ... then I can look at newer OS

All OK ... other than it is prompting for network validation.

 

Also ran the Dell drivers resource cd to install all the drivers.

At this point Ethernet works - to a fashion - but not correctly.

 

By default it has IE6 ... when I for example type in bbc.co.uk it will go to that site OK (site complains browser is too old)

If I try Amazon.co.uk - fails

Google - fails

Microsoft update site - fails

Microsoft activation site fails

Kaspersky main site fails

Kaspersky HTTPS for download fails

 

The failure is 'cannot find server or DNS error'

I went to IE

>Tools

>internet options

>connections

> LAN settings : set to Automatically detect settings

 

then tried

 

>Tools

>internet options

>connections

>Setup

>connect to internet

>set up connection manually

>connect using Broadband that is always on

 

Still the same.

 

Also tried using set up a home network ... it was happy to connect to router but still browsing issues.

 

 

What am I missing ?

[Osprey]

OK .. just spent another several Hrs of fun.

 

One important thing I found it is IE related ONLYI

installed FireFox and that works fine .. allowed me to manually get SP3. & Kaspersky

 

Ran diagnostics it says HTTP, HTTPS & FTP is blocked .. and to change Firewall settings.

 

I disabled Windows Firewall as Kasperky installed (and working fine with Firefox)

 

Run diagnostics - same error

 

 

 

I found some IE and internet diagnostics on MS web site .. CAB files .... but XP does not know what to do with them, even if I unzip first it still does not know what to run files with.

 

I then found another IE fix entitled IEFIX .... ran all of that and it reports all is fine.

 

 

Need to get IE working as I can't get MS updates without it.

[Starbuck]

Hi Osprey,

 

Need to get IE working as I can't get MS updates without it.

To be honest, you're fighting a losing battle.

Most sites won't work with IE6 .... it hasn't been supported for years.

Win updates for XP are basically a waste of time as well.

Support for XP ended on April 8, 2014 .... so no updates from then.

XP is so unsecured it's not worth using.

 

my sons PC has been getting very slow .... Dell E521 but no errors and no network issues.

Any XP m/c will be very slow now.

It probably only had 512mb of ram and that alone would mean that the system would struggle to run programs/software of today.

 

It seems that this system should be compatible with Vista .... but I'd take that with a pinch of salt. (it'll still run very slow )

 

Bottom line is..... it's not worth the effort.

[Osprey]

it has 1GB ram and an Athlon 64X2 dual processor 2.5GHz

 

I certainly would not install Vista .......... though it might be worthwhile installing W7

[Starbuck]

though it might be worthwhile installing W7

Yes, the 32bit version of Win7 should be ok..... but 2GB of ram is recommended for the 64bit version.

 

With a name like 'Osprey' I'd guess maybe from the Swansea area.

My wife is from Neath and I actually lived in Neath for 10 years before we moved back to the Midlands.

[Osprey]

I'd stick to 32bit ... not worth spending money of new RAM