Fix Internet Connection after Malware Removal


You may experience Internet connection problems after you remove malware. When you try to connect to the Internet, you may get one of the following error messages:
  • No Internet access (with yellow icon)
  • Identifying...
  • Acquiring Network Address
  • Limited Connectivity
  • Unable to connect to the Internet (Google Chrome)
  • Can't display the webpage (Internet Explorer)
This is a common problem that can easily be fixed. Follow the instructions below to fix the Internet connection.



Contents

 - Reset Windows Network Settings
 - Fix System Driver Files and Services
 - Further Help

Step 1 - Reset Windows Network Settings

Windows network settings can become corrupted due to malware, which will cause Internet connection problems. Follow these instructions to fix Windows network settings.

The following network settings will be reset: Windows Hosts File, Internet Protocol, and Winsock. Additionally, Windows DNS cache will flushed, and your IP address will be renewed.

Copy and paste the code below in Windows Notepad. How to Copy and Paste To open Notepad, go to Windows start menu. In the search box, type notepad and then click Notepad.

@Echo off
pushd\windows\system32\drivers\etc
attrib -h -s -r hosts
echo 127.0.0.1 localhost>HOSTS
attrib +r +h +s hosts
popd
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset all
netsh int ip reset all
cls
echo Script finished.
pause
del %0

In Notepad, click File and then Save. Type reset.bat for the file name (see image below). Change Save as Type to All Files, and then save the file to your desktop. After the file is saved, double-click on the file to open it. Once it's finished running, restart your computer. Check to see if your Internet connection is restored.


Step 2 - Fix System Driver Files and Services

Certain types of malware will infect the system driver that's required for the Internet connection. When the malware is removed, the infected driver won't work. Follow these instructions to fix this problem.

Note: You will need to download the files below on another computer, and then transfer them to your computer with a CD or USB flash drive.


1. Fix System Drivers


Download and open Farbar Service Scanner – Download here - Homepage

Make sure Internet Services is selected, and then click Scan. It will create a text log. Under File Check, look for any missing files. Missing files will have this message: ATTENTION! FILE IS MISSING AND SHOULD BE RESTORED.

If a file is missing, you need to find a replacement. To find a replacement, type in the missing file in the search box, and then click Search Files. For example, if the afd.sys file is missing, type in afd.sys


Simply copy any replacement file and paste it in the C:\Windows\system32\Drivers folder. How to Access the System32 Folder After the file is pasted, restart the computer. 

Most commonly missing drivers: Ancillary Function Driver (afd.sys), TDI Translation Driver (tdx.sys), MBT Transport Driver (netbt.sys), IPSec driver (ipsec.sys), TCP/IP Protocol Driver (tcpip.sys)


2. Fix Internet Services

Open Farbar Service Scanner and click Scan. Under Internet Services, look for any of the following messages: afd Service is not running, tdx Service is not running, NetBT Service is not running, IpSec Service is not running, Nsi Service is not running.

To fix the services, download and open the appropriate file below. It will ask you if you want to continue. Click Yes and restart your computer.


Further Help

If the above steps don't fix the Internet connection, I recommend that you create a topic at one of the forums listed below and ask for help. These forums have experts who are willing to help you. Be sure to mention in your topic that you followed this guide. Note: You will need to register for a forum account to create a topic.