Repairing Common Winsock Errors

There are two programs you can run to fix your Winsock connection if you have an LSP (Layered Service Provider) infection or problem.

Run WinsockXPFix.exe on a Windows XP PC

If your internet connection stops working after removing spyware using adaware or spybot, or because you removed a virus, your TCP/IP stack may have been corrupted. Running WinsockXPFix.exe may correct this problem. WinsockXPfix restores the files associated with connecting to a tcp/ip network.

1. Download WinsockXPFix.exe
2. Double click on WinsockXPFix.exe. You will get a window like this:
   
3. First, click on the ReG-Backup button. This will backup your registry as a precaution.
   
4. Click OK
   
5. Click Ok. You will get the following window showing that your registry is being backed up.
   
6. Click Ok. You will go back to the main window. Click Fix.
7. Click Yes. It will run for a about a minute and a beep will sound and you will get this window.
   
8. Finally, click OK and let you PC reboot. When it comes back up you should be able to get on the network.

Alternate LSPFIX Program

Start by downloading the LSP-FIX Winsock 2 repair utility and the LSP-FIX Winsock 2 repair utility Readme file.

This program attempts to correct Internet connection problems resulting from buggy or improperly-removed Layered Service Provider (LSP) software.

When you start LSP-Fix, it will read the list of LSP modules from the Windows registry and verify that each module is present. If a module is missing, it is placed on the "Remove" list for removal.

Advanced users can override suggested removals in the "Advanced" area.

When "Finish" is pressed, the undesired entries are removed, and the remaining entries in the registry are renumbered to make them consecutive. The total module counts are then updated.

Finally, the program will display a summary of the changes that were made - please note that it may be necessary to restart your machine for changes to take effect.

After restarting, connect to the Internet normally and try accessing a website to check that your connection is working properly. If you still cannot access Web sites, see the "Recovering From Disaster" section below for other possible fixes.

Since some errors result from misnumbered LSP entries rather than missing modules, the "Remove" list may be empty. Don't worry if this is the case; the misnumbered entries will be corrected when you press "Finish".

Please do not check the "I know what I'm doing" box unless you really know what you're doing. This option is for advanced users only and is not necessary to repair your system.

Software Compatibility Warning

There is a known issue with using this software in combination with obsolete versions of Lavasoft's popular AD-Aware utility. A known issue in some versions of AD-Aware results in improper removal of pests such as New.Net, CommonName, and WebHancer, resulting in lost Internet access.

If LSP-Fix is used subsequently to repair these errors, the system may begin exhibiting crashes in MSAFD.DLL and/or RPCSS. This can be fixed by performing a "hard restore" of Windows' networking components. This involves uninstalling the "Communications" item in Windows setup, deleting the Winsock2 registry key, and reinstalling Communications.