HI, I am running Windows XP Pro (32) on a XFX nForce 650i Ultra motherboard with an XFX GeForce 8400 GS video card. This setup was working without a problem, I decided to update the drivers and it hit the fan. While installing the drivers I made the mistake of installing the NVIDIA Network Access Manager. Since doing so, my network is not working properly. Although I can see other computers in “My Network Place” , and can get to the Internet for my mail, I cannot view “my network connections” and cannot use “Set up a home or small office network” It’s like they are disabled. In addition I tried to download WinXP updates and they would not download. I tried to uninstall the Chipset drivers a few times, and reinstalled excluding NAM but the results are the same. I even tried adding a network card and not use the onboard NIC same result , can’t see my network connection, which means I can’t get into the properties to make change if I had to. If I click on Network Connection in the Control Panel nothing happens, except the window freezes. Has anyone gone through this and have a fix? Thanks

Hi Urchie,

to D-A-L

Have you heard the saying "If it ain't broke, don't be fixing it". Meaning, why for goodness sake did you update your Nvidia Drivers when all was going well?

Do a system restore back to the date before your problem started. If you don't know how to do this, post back for instructions.

Reboot and try your Windows Updates again.

Never download and install hardware through Windows Updates either, always go to your manufacturers website to do this.

kind regards,

A lesson learned!! Already tried the restore that didn't work that's why I posted here, I tried all the obvious fixes, but thanks for the reply none the less.

Hi Urchie,

I am concerned why your System Restore does not work?

Please go here:

• Right Click on My Computer on your Desktop
• Properties
• System Restore
• Is there a 'tick' in box - Turn off Systems Restore
• If not, hightlight your C:\Drive
• Settings
• Tell us how much usage space in MB is reserved for System Restore

If there is a tick in the above box, then you certainly need to untick it and reboot.

Post back and tell us the answers to the above.

Re your driver download, you can uninstall it from Add and Remove, reboot and you should be back where you started.

kind regards,

There is no tick mark

Monitoring is turned on

Usage is 12% (22892 MB)

I have many restore points, but none that work, going to turn off monitoring and restart to get rid of them.

NVIDIA Network Access Manager is an "EVIL" program, read a few posts in other forums and the consensus is it is bad news, causes network problems, don’t I know it! There is some kind of “hidden” fire wall that installs itself without asking, believe it’s called ActiveArmor. There was also some mention about something called Apache?? Whatever that is.

Think I am going to blow the system away and start all over.

Thanks for your help.

Hi urchie,

You could turn the Restore Points off, by enabling/putting a tick in the square, click apply then reboot. That would clear all the Restore Points, but before you do that set the slider to 1% or around (1095MB). After reboot, go back in and disable "Turn off System Restore".

I would give that a try before you either repair and/or start all over again.

Does Apache or Nvidia Network Access Manager (which I agree is 'evil') show in Add and Remove? if so uninstall them, then reboot.

Good luck.

kind regards,

Hi tallin,
No, neither Apache or Nvidia Network Access Manager shows up in add and remove. I guess that is why they call it a hidden firewall.

I think I am about 90% back in shape. I installed and uninstalled the Nvidia software around 10 times, somehow N AM must have been finally removed. I then installed the original Chipset drivers that came with my mobo. After rebooting, I don’t know why, but out of nowhere, came a message “You have successfully updated to Internet Explorer 7” Soon after, the WinXP updates came down from Microsoft.
My "Set up a home or small office network now works" and I can now "View Network Connections." Although I can get into the view, it still does not display the network icon.

If I get this figured out I will post back.

Thanks for you help!

Originally Posted by Urchie

Hi tallin,
After rebooting, I don’t know why, but out of nowhere, came a message “You have successfully updated to Internet Explorer 7” Soon after, the WinXP updates came down from Microsoft.
My "Set up a home or small office network now works" and I can now "View Network Connections." Although I can get into the view, it still does not display the network icon.
If I get this figured out I will post back.
Thanks for you help!

Hi Urchie,
Have you got your Windows updates set on

• Automatic
• If so that is why you suddenly got the message "Updated to IE7"
• Suggest you change that to "Notify me but don't download and install them"
• You are then in control of your WU
• To do this: Start >Control Panel> Automatic Updates

To set the your local area connection icon in your Quick Launch,

• Right Click in a spare space in yout taskbar
• Properties
• Customize
• Find the appropriate icon, right click on it and enable "Always show" in the dropdown menu
• Apply then OK

Hope this is helpful for you.

kind regards,

hi tallin, the problem with the "nvidia onboard nic missing from network connection is solved", thought i would post the solution in case someone else needed it. found the answer on another forum, nvidia forum to be exact. i followed the instructions and my problem was solved, here it is:

QUOTE(bat123man @ Oct 4 2007, 09:09 PM)
I FINALLY FREAKIN' FIGURED IT OUT!!! Oooh man, what a relief! I can't believe it, I CAN SEE MY FRIGGIN NETWORK CONNECTIONS ICON with a 650i mobo!

You may have seen that I opened a ticket with MS, well that didn't help a bit. Well, actually, ironically enough, it did because they made me mess up my machine so badly that I had to fix their mess first, and that led me to the answer.

The problem is bad registry entries for the Nvidia onboard NICs. They are not created correctly, they use HEX numbers as values where none are allowed. The great thing is, all you have to do is delete the bad entries, and then suddenly only the good ones are left.

I don't know where those bad values come from, but I believe they are created when SP1 or SP2 is installed. As you will see when you open your registry (those of you who have the problem), good entries actually exist for the onboard NIC, so presumably they were created by Nvidia, and then the Service Packs created additional bad ones for an unknown reason. I am guessing this is the case because after months of research, I was unable to find another person who was running XP with no Service Packs who had the problem. The common perception was that after installing an SP, the icons disappeared. At any rate, who cares who's to blame, here is the solution :

Run Regedit to edit your registry
Go To : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Network\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Notice that I have sent you to 4D36E972
You should see that you have others, very similarly named, but open the 72 entry
You will see a number of directories surrounded by squiggly brackets {xxx}. Under each one, you will find a folder called Connection. Open each Connection folder in turn, and look for a registry key called "Name"

The Name key MUST be type REG_SZ

If it is anything else, it is incorrect. In my registry, I had 5 other entries, all with connection folders, all with hex values listed as the type for the Name Key. At this point, if you are feeling nervous, right click on Network, and choose Export. Save yourself a .reg file named anything you like so that all you have to do is double-click on it to restore what you had before.

If you are feeling brave, delete all entries which don't have a correct Name value. What I mean here is to delete the complete folder and any subfolders underneath the 72 directory which have bad name keys. That should leave you with only a few good ones, one of which will be called "Local Area Connection". You will also likely have another called "1394 Connection.

Just leave any entry alone if the name type is REG_SZ.

Now reboot. Ta-dah! You now have correct icons in your Network Connections folder.

Hi Urchie,

Many thanks for posting back with the 'fix' for your problem.

May I suggest you download and install ERUNT a small registry software program that saves your current registry settings each time you boot up.

I must say my nerves were frayed when I read on in your last post until I saw that the OP had suggested saving the registry settings half way into the reply. Never never go into 'regedit' without saving your registry settings first.

So glad someone who knew the answer came to your rescue.

kind regards,