The Dial-Up Connection Dialog Box Is Displayed When You Start Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP (307679)

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP, the Dial-up Connection dialog box may be displayed on your screen. When this occurs, you can start Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP only after you do one of the following:

Click Cancel.

-or-
Click Connect to connect to your Internet service provider (ISP).

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if all of the following conditions are true:

Your computer is configured with a network adapter and a dial-up networking connection to your ISP.

-and-
Your computer is connected to your home or office network by means of the network adapter.

-and-
Your dial-up networking connection is set to Always dial my default connection in the Internet Properties dialog box under Internet Options in Control Panel.

-and-
The Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP version-checking feature is turned on. (This is the default setting when you install Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP.)

By default, Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP periodically checks a Web site to determine whether new versions of Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP are available. When this version-checking feature is turned on and you start Microsoft Plus!, the program may attempt to establish a connection to the Internet. As a result, you experience the behavior described in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Turn off the version-checking feature in Microsoft Plus!. To do this, follow these steps:

Start Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP.
Click More Plus!, and then click to clear the Tell me when new versions of Microsoft Plus! are available check box.

Method 2

Reconfigure your dial-up connection settings. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click Internet Options, and then click the Connections tab.
In the Dial-up and Virtual Private Network settings box, click the dial-up connection, and then click one of the following options:
- Never dial a connection
  
  When you select this option, your browser does not automatically dial the connection when you need to connect to the Internet. Rather, you must manually initiate your dial-up connection.
  
  -or-
- Dial whenever a network connection is not present
  
  When you select this option, your browser automatically attempts to connect to the Internet by using your default dial-up connection when you need to connect to the Internet, but only if there is no network connection available.
Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

The Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP More Plus! Web site helps you keep up-to-date with the latest Microsoft Plus! developments and technology. You can download the latest updates from the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/Plus/More_Plus.htm

For more information about Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP, browse to the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/plus

For additional information about how to configure a dial-up connection to the Internet in Windows XP, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

305549 HOW TO: Configure a Connection to the Internet in Windows XP Professional

310410 HOW TO: Configure and Use Dial-Up Connections in Windows XP