Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Reinstalled OS.....

by May 31, 2015 10:51AM PDT

I bought a new laptop because my other one is about 7 years old and EXTREMELY slow. After going through the old laptop and keeping everything I needed or wanted, I reinstalled the OS hoping I can begin from scratch and use it as a secondary or backup computer. Now, when I open up IE, it opens to the default MSN page and I can link through all the stories no problem. However, if I try to go to another website, say to download an antivirus or Google Chrome (which I prefer over IE), it tells me that it can't open the page. It seems I can't open anything outside of the links within that default page that IE opens to. What gives?

Discussion is locked

14 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Answer
Too many reasons
by Forum moderator May 31, 2015 10:54AM PDT

A restore might do that. Try NINITE next time.
Bob

- Collapse -
Answer
did you install all updates
by May 31, 2015 7:19PM PDT

did you install all of the windows you reinstall updates? if not, you need to do that first. go to your control panel and click on window updates and do it manually. Have it search for new updates then reinstall. in spite of what it says, after every reboot and the updates finishing installing, go back to windows updates, then click on search for new updates and continue to do the steps until you click on it and it says no more updates. In addition you need to make sure all the laptops manufacturers updates are installed.

- Collapse -
Updates
by Tech_Novice Jun 1, 2015 4:22PM PDT

I should have mentioned that it is Windows Vista. In any event, I did try installing updates. The funny thing is that every single time I install Service Pack 1, it says it finished installing, but when I research for updates, it lists it as an important update. Looking in my update history, it is there multiple times and listed as successful, but continues to require installation.

- Collapse -
Answer
XP, 7?
by Jun 1, 2015 11:13AM PDT

I suspect the default page is an html page stored on the computer and you don't have networking set up yet.

- Collapse -
XP, 7?
by Tech_Novice Jun 2, 2015 3:43AM PDT

It is Vista Home Premium. I am connected to the internet, but not on the home "network", meaning I am not connected to, or visible from, the other computers in the house. Is that what you mean by network?

- Collapse -
I ran into that on W7
by James Denison Jun 2, 2015 11:08AM PDT

If Vista is the same and I can't remember even though I tried it a couple months, there's two ways of setting up the networking. One is for business type which is the full networking method, and there's an abbreviated method used for doing the Home Group. When I set it up on W7 for my wife, since Windows wanted to use IP addresses which started with 10.... and my home LAN was setup to use IP addresses starting with 192..... I instead used the business networking area, set that up, and then assigned it back to "homegroup" for the security it offered. I wish I could be more specific, but that's all I remember of it.

- Collapse -
Answer
The OS
by Jun 1, 2015 12:14PM PDT

that you reinstalled , was this the original restore media from the laptop ? Are all of the helper apps installed also and did that media already have an anti-virus like Norton or McAfee and is it active ?

Also as another member asked , did you do MS the updates ?

- Collapse -
OS
by Tech_Novice Jun 1, 2015 4:46PM PDT

Yes, this was the original installation disk, so I assume all the helper apps are there. How do I check which helper apps are required and if they are all there? It came with Microsoft Security Essentials. I believe that is what it is called.

I should have mentioned that it is Windows Vista Home Premium. In any event, I did try installing updates. The funny thing is that every single time I install Service Pack 1, it says it is successful, but when I search again for updates, it lists it as an important update still needing to be installed. Looking in my update history, it is there multiple times and listed as successful, yet continues to require installation. If I remember correctly, I only had to do this once the first time I did it years ago.

- Collapse -
Maybe install it manually
by itsdigger Jun 2, 2015 1:02AM PDT
- Collapse -
Maybe install it manually
by Tech_Novice Jun 2, 2015 3:25AM PDT

No, I haven't seen that. I'll check it out.....

- Collapse -
Let us know how it goes
by itsdigger Jun 2, 2015 11:34AM PDT

I remember having to do this ,after SP1 was manually installed SP2 was a breeze
Digger

- Collapse -
Going.....
by Tech_Novice Jun 6, 2015 7:24PM PDT

Ok, I'm back. Sorry for the delay, but I'm job searching and I probably don't have to say how fun that is! Anyway, I am finally online and manually downloading SP1 as I type. Drum roll.............download success! Now to run it............this is where I ran into the issue of "successfully" installing it, only to find it pop up again when I search for updates. Hopefully, manually downloading it will make the difference. I'll jump back on here after this installation.

- Collapse -
You could also
by itsdigger Jun 6, 2015 7:34PM PDT
- Collapse -
Could also.....
by Tech_Novice Jun 6, 2015 7:49PM PDT

Really? I thought I read that SP1 has to be installed BEFORE you can install SP2. After this finishes installing, successful or not, I'll try SP2, then. I've go nothing to lose.......

Back to Computer Newbies forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info