Repair/Reset Winsock settings

Repair/Reset Winsock settings

Most of the Internet connectivity problems arise out of corrupt Winsock settings. Windows sockets settings may get corrupted due to the installation of a networking software, or perhaps due to Malware infestation. You will be able connect to the Internet, but the packets won't transfer back and forth. And errors such as Page cannot be displayed may occur when using Internet Explorer.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 - New Winsock NETSH commands
Two new Netsh commands are available in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

netsh winsock reset catalog

This command resets the Winsock catalog to the default configuration. This can be useful if a malformed LSP is installed that results in loss of network connectivity. While use of this command can restore network connectivity, it should be used with care because any previously-installed LSPs will need to be re-installed.

netsh winsock show catalog

This command displays the list of Winsock LSPs that are installed on the computer.
To output the results to a file type this in Command Prompt (CMD.EXE)

netsh winsock show catalog >C:\lsp.txt