One of the most frustrating things to happen to any PC user is when they try to use their browser or check their EMail and get an error message that the connection can not be completed.
This happened to one of my customers this past week.
The tech at the cable company said the connection was good, and the little icon in the system tray said the connection was good, but....
no program could connect to the internet.
Even Pinging a web address from a DOS prompt worked just fine.
I've seen people complaining of this problem time after time on these help forums. And the answer is a fairly simple one.
The problem is a Socket Error and the fix is to download the "Winsockfix.exe" program and run it on the errant PC.
Here's just one location where you can download the 'Winsockfix' program.
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html
I say "just one" because the little program is available from many sites.
It's been around for a few years now, but still works great to restore internet connectivity.
If you download this little Utility and have it handy, you'll be able to fix your own WinSock problem if it should ever occur.
Cheers Mates!
The Doctor
General