Clean install - now network issue

my sons PC has been getting very slow .... Dell E521 but no errors and no network issues.

Decided to do a clean install of all.
So used the Dell OS re-install to put in a clean install of XP-Professional
Obviously first thing to do is to get network connectivity all OK ... then I can look at newer OS, and getting to W10
All OS went in OK ... other than it is prompting for network validation.

Also ran the Dell drivers resource cd to install all the drivers.
At this point Ethernet works - to a fashion - but not correctly.

By default it has IE6 ... when I for example type in bbc.co.uk it will go to that site OK (site does complain not optimised browser as it is too old)
If I try Amazon.co.uk - fails
Google - fails
Microsoft update site - fails

Microsoft activation site fails
Kaspersky main site fails
Kaspersky HTTPS for download fails

The failure is 'cannot find server or DNS error'

I went to IE
>Tools
>internet options
>connections
> LAN settings : set to Automatically detect settings

then tried

>Tools
>internet options
>connections
>Setup
>connect to internet
>set up connection manually
>connect using Broadband that is always on

Still the same.
Also tried using set up a home network ... it was happy to connect to router but still browsing issues.

What am I missing ?

OK .. just spent another several Hrs of fun.

One important thing I found it is IE related ONLYI
installed FireFox and that works fine .. allowed me to manually get SP3. & Kaspersky

Ran diagnostics it says HTTP, HTTPS & FTP is blocked .. and to change Firewall settings.

I disabled Windows Firewall as Kasperky installed (and working fine with Firefox)

Run diagnostics - same error



I found some IE and internet diagnostics on MS web site .. CAB files .... but XP does not know what to do with them, even if I unzip first it still does not know what to run files with.

I then found another IE fix entitled IEFIX .... ran all of that and it reports all is fine.


Need to get IE working as I can't get MS updates without it.

I have a Re-install CD from Dell ... pre-licensed.
I used that to do a clean install finished this morning........... it was not used ... so only time it was connected to internet was when trying to get network connection working.

The only way I can tell if network is going to work is by connecting ethernet.

Forgot to add I can ping all the sites that fail under IE ... and can connect to them OK with Firefox

You should never use IE6, either. It is WAAAAAY out of date and insecure to boot.

IE6 is the latest ver of IE that will work on XP ... so I can't upgrade it.
Will this PC support W10 OK? .... it is a Dimension E521 with Athlon 64 X2 dual processor.
I understand the comment "toss the XP discs with the Dell garbage on them." but then I have no license, I would have to buy a full W10 license ?
Or should I consider buying W7 license, install and then try free upgrade.

Or forget the pain ... and leave it as is working on XP with Firefox

It looks like some have been able to get win 10 working but graphic card can be a problem. Google it and have a look yourself.

It's really too late to buy win 7 then update to win 10 as tomorrow is the last day it can be done free (midnight 29 Jul).

Over to you if you keep XP with Firefox but at some stage you have to accept that a 10 year old comp needs moving on. A good half way choice is to buy an ex-lease computer. I have bought several here in NZ that had win 7 licences which I updated to win 10. Cost in total was less than the price of a win 10 licence. But like I said, the free win 10 offer is all but over so this neat solution isn't viable now.

Cheers and best wishes.

Maybe I'll just leave as is for now. Scrap it at some time in future. (when Kaspersky ceases support)

At least Firefox gives an up to date browser.