Windows XP Winsock errors?

Hi ,

This process will tell you if U've got a winsock corruption or not

Follow this completely.

How to determine whether the Winsock2 key is corrupted:
==============================================

To determine if the symptoms are caused by a problem with the Winsock2 key:

Method 1: Use Netdiag

To use Netdiag the Support Tools must be installed
Use a retail XP CD and follow the following steps to install the Support Tools
 A) Insert the CD and browse to the Support\Tools folder
 B) Double-click on the setup file
 C) Go through the prompts until you get to the "Select An Installation Type"
screen
 D) Select Complete and click Next

Once setup completes or if the Support Tools are already installed:
A) Open a command prompt.
B) Type "netdiag /test:winsock" (without the quotes) and press Enter

It will return the test results for several network components including the
Winsock.
For more details on the test, use /v at the end of the command.

Method 2: Use Msinfo32

NOTE: This method should only be used if they do not have a retail XP CD and the
Support Tools are not installed.

Start Msinfo32 from the Run line
Expand Components, then Network and click on Protocol
You will have ten sections inside Protocol and the section headings will include
the following names if the Winsock2 key is clean:
1.)   MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
2.)   MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
3.)   RSVP UDP Service Provider
4.)   RSVP TCP Service Provider
5.)   MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
6.)   MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
7.)   MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
8.)   MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
9.)   MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
10.) MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...

If the names are anything different from above, we either have corruption or a
third-party add-on such as proxy software. If it is a third-party add-on, it will
be named in the first two sections in replacement of the letters: MSAFD.

If there are more than ten sections, then there are third-party additions, if there
are less then ten sections, we have information missing.  

NOTE: The above entries represent an installation with only the TCP/IP protocol
installed.  You can have a working winsock and see additional entries if another
protocol is installed.  For example, if you install NWLink IPX/SPX, you will see 7
additional sections, for a total of 17.  Below is an example heading of one of the
new sections:
  MSAFD nwlnkipx [IPX]
Also note that each of the new sections created by installing NWLink IPX/SPX start
with MSAFD, so there are still just two sections that do not begin with those
letters.

If the Netdiag test fails or it is determined there is winsock corruption by
looking at Msinfo32, we should repair the winsock2 key by following the steps
below.


How to Recover from Winsock2 corruption:
==================================

Reinstall of the TCP/IP protocol to restore Winsock functionality

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:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock  and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\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
B) Click Install
C) Click Protocol, then Add
D) Click Have Disk
E) Type the path to the nettcpip.inf file, for example: 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.

NOTE: If the network connection properties contained more than the following three
items: Client for Microsoft Networks, File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft
Networks, and TCP/IP, then the additional items may need to be removed in order to
restore browsing.  If those items are needed they can be reinstalled.  The reason
for removing them is due to those items placing entries into the Winsock keys and
those entries will no longer be there.

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:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2\ParametersProtocol_Cat
alog9\Catalog_Entries - will have 11 sub-keys. When applying this method, the
Catalog_Entries will only have three sub-keys.  However, it works and there does
not appear to be any side effects.  The missing entries relate back to the:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
key.
Also, third-party proxy software or firewalls may need to be reinstalled.


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All the best

Alex