Socket Error?

[Bryan]

The truth is I am helping a friend out with this and I
didn't have the oppty. to see what the exact error
message was. All I was told is that it was a 'socket
error'. It is a broadband connection- via cable modem.
The system pulls a valid address from the ISP (not a 169
address). I have run release/renew and flushed dns...
still get valid address.

In the meantime I did some more searching and came upon
article 817571- which suggests something very similar to
what you were saying. It looks like there could be some
corrupted entries in the registry, so I am going to
delete the winsock & winsock2 entries then reboot. After
rebooting I'm going to run the netsh int ip reset
resetlog.txt command (while crossing my fingers the
entire time).

I hope this does it- and I def. appreciate your
assistance....

-B
-----Original Message-----

>"Bryan" <bryank2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:00dc01c347bd$a3c789a0$a101280a@phx.gbl...

>> I have a system running XP which is directly connected

to

>> the internet. It pulls a dynamic address from my ISP

and

>> I am able to ping inside the gateway and outside the
>> gateway. Yet when I run I.E./AIM/etc nothing seems to

be

>> working. I tried an FTP connection from the command
>> prompt and got a socket error..
>>
>> Has anyone seen something similar to this or have any
>> advice?? It would be greatly appreciated....
>>
>> thx-
>> B

>
>========================================
>Does your description "directly connected to the

internet"

>mean that this is a broadband connection such as cable

modem?

>What socket error exactly did you get previously?
>If it is broadband, what IP Address do you get when you

run

>"ipconfig /all" from the command prompt window?
>What happens if you then run "ipconfig /renew"?
>
>Do you get this error?
>"An operation was attempted on something that is not a

socket"

>
>If so, then your winsock keys are damaged in the

registry.

>
>Please read this whole reply before proceeding with any

suggestions:

>
>Issue:
>
>on this XP Home/Pro computer,
>when trying to browse the Internet,
>you are getting "Page Cannot Be Displayed" and
>when you go to the command prompt window
>and run ipconfig /all, you get an APIPA in the form of

169.254.x.x.

>Then immediately run ipconfig /renew, you get this error

message:

>
>"An operation was attempted on something that is not a

socket"

>
>If so, you have a damaged winsock2 key in the registry.
>
>You should check System Information (winmsd)
>Expand Components / Network / click on Protocol -
>if the section headings item of "Name" have a value
>starting with with anything other than MSAFD or RSVP
>then that is probably what is causing the problem.
>
>Examples:
>
>MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
>MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
>RSVP UDP Service Provider
>RSVP TCP Service Provider
>MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
>and so on
>
>It may be a third-party firewall or a Spyware or a Virus.
>("New.Net" is a common spyware for example)
>Make sure that MSCONFIG is in Normal Startup
>and then see if uninstalling the third party firewall
>(best done from its own uninstall program if available)
>or the Spyware from Add Remove Programs will
>resolve the issue. If it's a virus, then only an Anti

Virus Program

>will be able to deal with that.
>
>You may want to try downloading either Ad-Aware 6 or

Spybot

>to another computer and then installing one of them on

the infected XP

>Home/Pro
>computer and try to wipe out Spyware and see if that

resolves the issue.

>
>[url]http://spybot.eon.net.au/[/url]
>
>[url]http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10186632.html?tag=list[/url]
>
>If none of that works or is possible, you could try this

method

>for replacing the winsock and winsock2 registry keys:
>
>Step 1: Delete registry keys
>
>A)Open Regedit from the Run line
>B)Go to both of the following keys, EXPORT each of them,

and then delete

>them:
>(To export a key, you right click on it and

choose "export" - you can choose

>where to export them to -
>DESKTOP is handy -
>and you need to type in a file name such as "exported

Winsock key" /

>"exported WinSock2 key"
>and then click on SAVE)
>
>HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
>HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2
>C)Restart the computer
>
>NOTE: It is important to restart the computer after

deleting the Winsock

>keys.
>Doing so causes the XP operating system to recreate

shell entries for those

>two
>keys. If this is not done, the next step does not work

correctly.

>
>Step 2: Install TCP/IP on top of itself
>
>A)Open the properties window of the network connection

(Local Area

>Connection)
>B)Click Install
>C)Click Protocol, then Add
>D)Click Have Disk
>E)Type the path to the \%systemroot%\inf folder (usually

C:\Windows\inf) and

>click OK
>(if you try to click Browse, then browse to the \inf

folder,

>it may not show up in the list)
>F)You should now see "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" in the

list of available

>protocols. Select it and click OK.
>G)Restart the computer
>
>When the computer reboots you will have functional

Winsock keys.

>If so, then be sure to delete the exported winsock and

winsock2 reg files.

>(You don't want to accidentally put them back in the

registry)

>
>Side effects and possible problems:
>
>This method will restore basic functionality to the

Winsock keys, but is not

>a
>complete rebuild. On a default install of Windows XP the

registry key:

>HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2 \
>Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9\Catalog_Entries will have

11 sub-keys.

>When applying this method, the Catalog_Entries will only

have 3 sub-keys.

>However, it works and there does not appear to be any

side effects.

>The missing entries relate back to the:
>HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Para meters\I

nterfaces key.

>Also, third-party proxy software or firewalls may need

to be reinstalled.

>
>If issue is resolved, then be sure to delete the

exported Winsock / WinSock2

>..reg keys
>as you don't want to accidentally end up importing those

damaged keys back

>into the registry.
>
>================================================= ========

=

>
>
>
>
>
>.
>

[XPUSER]

"Bryan" <bryank2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:01c401c347c7$a82273c0$a101280a@phx.gbl...

> The truth is I am helping a friend out with this and I
> didn't have the oppty. to see what the exact error
> message was. All I was told is that it was a 'socket
> error'. It is a broadband connection- via cable modem.
> The system pulls a valid address from the ISP (not a 169
> address). I have run release/renew and flushed dns...
> still get valid address.
>
> In the meantime I did some more searching and came upon
> article 817571- which suggests something very similar to
> what you were saying. It looks like there could be some
> corrupted entries in the registry, so I am going to
> delete the winsock & winsock2 entries then reboot. After
> rebooting I'm going to run the netsh int ip reset
> resetlog.txt command (while crossing my fingers the
> entire time).
>
> I hope this does it- and I def. appreciate your
> assistance....

=========================================

[url]http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817571[/url]

Error Message When You Try to Connect to Network: An Operation Was Attempted
on Something That Is Not a Socket

817571 contains some serious errors at least in regards to Windows XP:

1. No advisory to back up the Winsock and WinSock2 keys by exporting them,
before deleting them.

2. No advisory to restart after deleting the Winsock and WinSock2 keys.
(at least not clearly stated)

3. Running the "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt" command and restarting does
not restore functionality in this situation.
Also, right clicking on \%systemroot%\inf\nettcpip.inf and then clicking
on "install" and then
running the "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt" command and restarting does
not work either.

(I tested this out on one of my XP computers)

I have submitted these comments to Microsoft, but who knows when or if
anyone will make any changes to the article.
I also realize that others have probably made the same comments before me.

If you are having the "Something That Is Not a Socket" issue, or "Page
Cannot Be Displayed",
before you even go to the registry, you should try this first:

You should check System Information (winmsd)
Expand Components / Network / click on Protocol -
if the section headings item of "Name" have a value
starting with with anything other than MSAFD or RSVP
then that is probably what is causing the problem.

Examples:

MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
RSVP UDP Service Provider
RSVP TCP Service Provider
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
and so on

It may be a third-party firewall or a Spyware or a Virus.
("New.Net" is a common spyware for example)
Make sure that MSCONFIG is in Normal Startup
and then see if uninstalling the third party firewall
(best done from its own uninstall program if available)
or the Spyware from Add Remove Programs will
resolve the issue. If it's a virus, then only an Anti Virus Program
will be able to deal with that.

You may want to try downloading either Ad-Aware 6 or Spybot
to another computer and then installing one of them on the infected XP
Home/Pro
computer and try to wipe out Spyware and see if that resolves the issue.

[url]http://spybot.eon.net.au/[/url]

[url]http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10186632.html?tag=list[/url]

If none of that works or is possible, you could try this method
for replacing the winsock and winsock2 registry keys:

Step 1: Delete registry keys

A)Open Regedit from the Run line
B)Go to both of the following keys, EXPORT each of them, and then delete
them:
(To export a key, you right click on it and choose "export" - you can choose
where to export them to -
DESKTOP is handy -
and you need to type in a file name such as "exported Winsock key" /
"exported WinSock2 key"
and then click on SAVE)

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2
C)Restart the computer

NOTE: It is important to restart the computer after deleting the Winsock
keys.
Doing so causes the XP operating system to recreate shell entries for those
two
keys. If this is not done, the next step does not work correctly.

Step 2: Install TCP/IP on top of itself

A)Open the properties window of the network connection (Local Area
Connection)
B)Click Install
C)Click Protocol, then Add
D)Click Have Disk
E)Type the path to the \%systemroot%\inf folder (usually C:\Windows\inf) and
click OK
(if you try to click Browse, then browse to the \inf folder,
it may not show up in the list)
F)You should now see "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" in the list of available
protocols. Select it and click OK.
G)Restart the computer

When the computer reboots you will have functional Winsock keys.
If so, then be sure to delete the exported winsock and winsock2 reg files.
(You don't want to accidentally put them back in the registry)

Side effects and possible problems:

This method will restore basic functionality to the Winsock keys, but is not
a
complete rebuild. On a default install of Windows XP the registry key:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2\
Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9\Catalog_Entries will have 11 sub-keys.
When applying this method, the Catalog_Entries will only have 3 sub-keys.
However, it works and there does not appear to be any side effects.
The missing entries relate back to the:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Param eters\Interfaces key.
Also, third-party proxy software or firewalls may need to be reinstalled.

If issue is resolved, then be sure to delete the exported Winsock / WinSock2
..reg keys
as you don't want to accidentally end up importing those damaged keys back
into the registry.

================================================== ========