M5-481TG Win7 LAN taking long time to identify on boot

Trikein
Trikein Member Posts: 25

Tinkerer

edited March 2023 in 2017 Archives

I am having a issue where my local area connection for my NIC is taking a long time to identify the network, even when a ipconfig from CMD shows a valid IP address and I can ping out by domain. I have the IP stack set to Windows 7 standard with IPv4 and IPv6 set to DHCP. I also have a DHCP reseveration for the MAC address of the laptop's NIC in my router and it's a direct 3foot CAT5e from laptop to router. I should also note I have IPv6 disabled on the router's WAN, as my ISP(Verizon FIOS) does not support it. The laptop is the only device connected to the router's LAN and I have no other wired ethernet devices in the house to test with.  I have the wireless NIC disabled by default in OS, not by keyboard shortcut, but if I enable it, it identifies the wireless connection faster then the ethernet/NIC. I checked Acer's support site, and the latest LAN driver there for Windows 7 is 15.0.0.6. However my laptop's driver is that version, it's date is 8/2/2011 while Acer's is 6/11/2012. Any idea what that means? Also, anyone have any thoughts on what might be delaying the NIC from identifying the ethernet connection? 

 

To give some context, here is another issue which may be related.

 

For many months my Aspire M5-481TG has had a quirk where on boot, it will have a diffcult time loading after the black and amimated Windows logo screen but before the user login. At first I thought I made it better by deleting the other user profiles so the one I use (admin rights) is the only one. This keeps the login screen from appearing which solved the problem for a while. However over the last month, it now gets stuck on the green windows load screen after the animated windows logo screen. I think this is when windows is preparing my desktop, and if I press CTRL+ALT+Del I get a quick message "Loading Security Options" and then get the standard Lock/Switch User/Log Off/Change Password/Start Task Manager and from there I can press the cancel button or select Task Manager to get my desktop to load normally. It will also load normally if I just wait on that screen for several minuets, but occasionally it doesn't, and will get stuck on that screen and the only thing to do is hold the power button on the laptop to power down. I checked windows update and installed all the main 2017 updates but left the optional ones. I also did a disk check, with error checking, and a /sfc scan with normal results. The few times it has crashed, I have tried a startup repair, but the repair processes fails, even though I can boot normally with a power reboot. I have done the normal sweep of malware scans with Malwarebytes/ESET/PowerEraser/etc and found nothing. It makes me want to do a fresh install on the whole laptop, but I am not sure how to do that TBO with this laptop's mSSD.

 

Anyone think this is related to the first problem? Any have any suggestions for scans or hotfixs to try? The computer is acting and working normally otherwise, with no performance problems while running, which is light use. I notice there is a BIOS update, should I try that? Just don't like updating BIOS if I don't have to, specailly since it doesn't seem to be related to issue. Thanks for any thoughts and ideas anyone might have. 

Best Answer

  • Trikein
    Trikein Member Posts: 25

    Tinkerer

    Answer ✓

    Since I thought it was a service problem on boot, I ran Minitoolbox (link available apon request) from bleepingcomputer and found the following error:

     

    "Error: (08/22/2017 01:55:34 PM) (Source: Service Control Manager) (User: )
    Description: The Computer Browser service depends on the Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
    %%1058 = The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it."

     

    Since I think the computer browser(CB) service has to do with local network descovery, so I assume that what is causing my problem. The issue was the service "server", which is a CB dependancy, was disabled on my system. I don't remeber disabling that, but it's possible I did while troubleshooting the boot problem. Enabled server and CB and rebooting now to see if any differance. Will edit with more info.

     

    ::edit:: That seemed to have fixed the problem with the network connection. It seems to connect as fast as I can get ncpa.cpl up after boot. My boot still seems slower then I remeber it, but that could be related other issues I am having with properly using the mSSD in the laptop. I am using it as virtual drive space now instead of a program cache, which helps with program access, but slows boot. I will leave this thread open for a few days to make sure the problem doesn't return, and if not, I will marked as solved. Thanks for the assistance. 

Answers

  • doughjohn
    doughjohn Member Posts: 353 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    Hi

     

    The usual thing, scan with anti-virus and try malwarebytes.

     

    You have an IP allocated, if I understand correctly, and I do not see you mention the DNS servers you have defined.  It is possible that instead of 8.8.8.8 or whatever your ISP use you are going via someone else's site.  They are spying or using your machine for evil.

     

    And of course your gateway.  NB: Your WiFi  could have a different profile, like DNS lookup.

     

     

    So my DNS lookup is My ISP ones.   Can you tell me what yours are pointing at?

  • Trikein
    Trikein Member Posts: 25

    Tinkerer

    Have done all the normal scans and even done a few on my registry (passive) to make sure there is nothing there. My DNS is set to DHCP on the PC and set to 8.8.8.8 and 71.243.0.12 (Verizon FIOS DNS). This hasn't changed and I don't think it's a DNS issue since I can ping a domain even before the network connection has identified, so I think it's a problem with local discovery. The only thing I haven't tried is changing my registry to completly disable IPv6, since disabling it under network connections can cause problems. 

     

    "And of course your gateway.  NB: Your WiFi  could have a different profile, like DNS lookup."

     

    I don't have a FIOS gateway and never had. I use my own Asus RT-N66U connected direct to the ONT with ethernet. I don't have any TV service in the house at all and FIOS phone directly from ONT. I am pretty sure this is a PC issue, since the boot is effected too, and not a network issue. Any other suggestions?

  • Trikein
    Trikein Member Posts: 25

    Tinkerer

    Answer ✓

    Since I thought it was a service problem on boot, I ran Minitoolbox (link available apon request) from bleepingcomputer and found the following error:

     

    "Error: (08/22/2017 01:55:34 PM) (Source: Service Control Manager) (User: )
    Description: The Computer Browser service depends on the Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
    %%1058 = The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it."

     

    Since I think the computer browser(CB) service has to do with local network descovery, so I assume that what is causing my problem. The issue was the service "server", which is a CB dependancy, was disabled on my system. I don't remeber disabling that, but it's possible I did while troubleshooting the boot problem. Enabled server and CB and rebooting now to see if any differance. Will edit with more info.

     

    ::edit:: That seemed to have fixed the problem with the network connection. It seems to connect as fast as I can get ncpa.cpl up after boot. My boot still seems slower then I remeber it, but that could be related other issues I am having with properly using the mSSD in the laptop. I am using it as virtual drive space now instead of a program cache, which helps with program access, but slows boot. I will leave this thread open for a few days to make sure the problem doesn't return, and if not, I will marked as solved. Thanks for the assistance.