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Why do I keep on seeing two computers with a cross in the middle on my task bar? Is this the reason why I am having problems connecting to the Internet sometimes?

Windows Networking Icons

Yes, the two computers with a cross through them icon could mean that there is a network problem, and would also indicate problems with your Internet connection. This icon generally means that you are not connected to a network. Depending on your operating system, either hovering your mouse over the icon, or right clicking it will reveal more information. The band across the bottom of the screen is called the taskbar, and the small section of icons on the right side is known as the system tray. In Windows Vista, the system tray shows an Internet connection with the same two computers and a globe in front of them, to signify a global connection. Only the two computers, in which case you can connect to other computers but not to the Internet, indicate a local network connection. 

Check Network Card Conflicts

In some cases, and more often on computers running Windows Vista, there can be more than one network card installed and conflicting, or there might be a network card installed and you are connecting to the Internet another way, causing a problem.

1. Press and hold the Windows key on your keyboard and press R
2. When a command box opens, type devmgmt.msc
3. Now, scroll to Network Adapters and click the + to expand the listing
4. Look for any red Xs or yellow question or exclamation marks. Right click on these symbols or device listings for more information
5. Follow any prompts offered to resolve a conflict or update a driver

Check Network Connections

Another way to manage a connection conflict is:

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose Network and Sharing Center, then Manage Network Connections
3. Check out the connections, find the one that you want to use as the primary default connection and right click it to make sure that it is enabled
4. Right click the other listings and make sure that they are disabled

Check your Connection with your ISP

While this is not an uncommon issue in Vista, your unstable Internet connection might imply other problems. You should start by contacting your Internet Service Provider and troubleshooting the connection and your ISP address information. I hope this helps!

I have an HP laptop with Windows Vista- SP 1. I recently uninstalled Norton antivirus when the pre-paid subscription expired and installed McAfee antivirus software instead. Since then, some applications I have won’t connect to the Internet - such as Windows Live Messenger, which tells me that there is a Key Ports problem, but I can still connect to the Internet and browse. I have tried disabling McAfee and Windows firewall, but no luck, help?

Troubleshooting Internet Connection Errors

Adjust and Reinstall your Software

Well, with so many different things going on here, the problem could be with Messenger, with your Internet connection or with your router. To begin with very simple possibilities first, if you have recently installed Internet Explorer beta version 8, you should start by removing it to see if this helps. There have been some reports of the latest beta version of IE interfering with MSN programs. If you have downloaded IE 8, use Windows Add/Remove to delete the program, then install Internet Explorer version 7. While you’re at it, uninstall and reinstall MSN Messenger too, just to be sure.

Enable McAfee

You should also get your version of McAfee up and running as soon as possible, since your system is at risk of viruses and other malware. It might be a good idea to uninstall and reinstall the McAfee program, just to be sure that there aren’t any corrupt files in your installation.

Remove and Reinstall your Network Card

Equally easy is to try removing your network card, rebooting your computer, and then reinstalling the network card. After each step of the troubleshooting process you should reboot your computer to allow the changes to take effect and see if they have resolved the problem.

Configure McAfee for Messenger

Once McAfee is enabled, here are some steps to configure it to allow MSN Messenger.

1. On the bottom right side of your taskbar, right click on the McAfee program icon
2. In McAfee, select and open the McAfee Personal Firewall Plus Console
3. Choose Internet Applications
4. Look for a listing called msnmsgr.exe - if there is one, highlight it with your cursor and click Change Permission To
5. From the drop down menu choose Delete Application Rule
6. Now - choose New Allowed Application
7. Choose Browse and find the listing for a folder called C;\Program Files\MSN Messenger
8. Click on the folder to open it, then click twice on the file called msnmsgr
9. In Permissions for MSN Messenger, choose Allow Full Access
10. This should resolve the issue between McAfee and MSN Messenger.

Remove Proxy Settings

Another thing to try is erasing the proxy settings in Internet Explorer:

• Choose the Tools tab from the toolbar, then Internet Options
• Click the Connections tab, then choose LAN Settings
• Ensure that the box beside Automatically Detect Settings is checked
• Make sure that the box beside Use A Proxy Server For Your LAN is NOT checked
• Click OK, then OK again
• Restart IE, then start up MSN to see if it works

Download and Run the Norton Removal Tool

Some people report errors with MSN after Norton subscriptions run out. I’m not exactly sure why this is, but there are suspicions that it has something to do with how difficult it is to completely remove Norton and other antivirus programs. If you have not already done so, you should download and run the Symantec Norton Removal Tool for Windows Vista/XP/2000.

Run a Registry Cleaner

Finally, you should also consider installing and running a registry cleaner like RegCure. With all that is going on in your computer, it is a great idea to run a scan to clean all the unneeded files and bits of code from your registry. There is also a disk defragment tool that you can run within Windows system tools.