WinSockFix

WinSockFix is an incredibly simple to use network utility that can help users of all knowledge levels to quickly fix misconfigured or missing Winsock/TCP settings and enable your PC to regain connection to local ethernet network or public internet. The primary purpose of this lightweight application is to scan your Windows Registry database and find and restore missing or corrupted registry keys that have prevented your network adapter to work properly.
 
Strange networking issues have the tendency to occur on older Windows OS PCs when some particular applications were removed from your system via automated uninstallers. Instead of cleanly deleting all of the target files, the uninstaller can sometimes also remove the highly necessary Registry entries that will leave your PC unable to connect to the web. The OS will simply detect your computer as being offline and would not be able to establish a network connection. Thankfully, this FREE tool is here to help.

WinSockFix is distributed online as a small sub-2MB application that has no meaningful visual interface. It just shows a small prompt window that hosts three simple buttons – “Info” (for showcasing diagnostic listing of your PC), “ReG-Backup” (for performing a full backup of your entire Windows Registry database) and “Fix”. Before clicking on this button, it is highly recommended to first create a Registry backup.

To restore your internet connection, Win Sock Fix performs just a few crucial steps – it detects the Windows version you are currently using, removes and releases the old IP address that was previously given to your machine, puts your PC into forced “offline” mode, resets your TCP configurations, and then removes all the previously present TCP and WinSock values. It then writes new valid Registry values, restores the format of the Hosts file inside your C:/Windows directory, and then prompts you to reset your PC. Upon a fresh boot, your PC should be fully capable of connecting to the internet. WinSockFix is 100% FREE and is optimized for use on all versions of Windows OS, including Windows XP.