How to troubleshoot missing network connections icons in Windows Server 2003 and in Windows XP (825826)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 329050.

SUMMARY

This article describes troubleshooting methods that you can use to resolve a case of missing network and dial-up connections icons. One or more of the following issues may occur if you click Start, point to and click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections, or if you right-click My Network Places on the desktop and then click Properties:
  • The LAN or High-Speed Internet connection icon is missing.
  • The Dial-up Connection icons are missing.
  • The New Connection Wizard icon is missing.
  • Only the New Connection Wizard icon appears, or one or more dial-up connections also appear.
  • If you click the Advanced menu and then click Advanced Settings, only the [Remote Access connections] entry appears in the Connections list.
  • The Network Connections window stops responding ("hangs") or closes immediately after you select a network connection and then click Properties.
Despite these issues, networking continues to function correctly, and the ipconfig command still shows all connection and all adapter information.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To troubleshoot these problems, follow these steps:
  1. Verify the network adapter setting:
    1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
    2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
    3. Expand Network Adapters, and then verify that the correct network adapter is listed.
    4. Double-click the network adapter, and then verify that the "This device is working properly" message appears in the Device status box on the General tab.
  2. Verify that necessary services are started:
    1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
    2. Expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
    3. In the right pane, verify that the following services are started:
      • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
      • Network Connections (this service depends on RPC service)
      • Plug and Play
      • COM+ Event System (this service depends on RPC service)
      • Remote Access Connection Manager (this service depends on Telephony service)
      • Telephony (this service depends on RPC service and on PnP service)
  3. Verify the logon setting:
    1. Double-click the COM+ Event System service.
    2. Click the Log On tab.
    3. Under Log on as, verify that Local System account is selected. This is the default setting.
  4. Verify the desktop interaction setting:
    1. Double-click the Network Connection service.
    2. Click the Log On tab.
    3. Under Log on as, verify that Local System account is selected.
    4. Verify that the Allow service to interact with desktop option is turned on.
  5. Verify the networking services setting:
    1. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
    2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
    3. Click Networking Services, and then click Details. Verify that Simple TCP/IP Services is turned on.
  6. Verify that the network DLL files are registered correctly:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. Type cmd.exe, and then click OK.
    3. Type the following lines, and then press ENTER after you type each line. Click OK when the RegSvr32 dialog box appears for each command.

      regsvr32 netshell.dll
      regsvr32 netcfgx.dll
      regsvr32 netman.dll

    4. Restart the computer.
  7. Verify that all Windows Protected Files in the System32 folder are intact.

    At a command prompt, type sfc /purgecache, and then press ENTER. The Windows File Checker starts.
  8. Verify that the registry keys are intact and correct:
    1. Start Registry Editor.
    2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0000010C-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

      Verify that the subkeys NumMethods and ProxyStubClsid32 exist and that their values are correct. If these registry subkeys do not exist, create them. For additional information about creating these registry subkeys, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      269019 Network and dial-up connections folder icons missing

  9. Use the Dcomcnfg.exe utility to reset the Default Impersonation Level setting:
    1. Click Start, click Run, type dcomcnfg, and then click OK.
    2. In Component Services, click Computers, right-click the computer whose machine-wide impersonation level you want to modify, and then click Properties.
    3. Click the Default Properties tab, and then click to select the Enable Distributed COM on this computer check box for this computer.
    4. Click any setting other than Anonymous in the Default Impersonation Level box, and then click OK.

      The new machine-wide impersonation level is available the next time that you start a program. Programs that are currently running are not affected until you restart them.
      For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      273461 Network and dial-up connection icons disappear when you use Dcomcnfg.exe to set the default impersonation level to anonymous

  10. If only the Dial-up Connection icons are missing, temporarily add a bogus standard modem, and then see if the connection icons appear.
  11. Make sure that there are no nonpresent, ghosted, or hidden network adapters in your computer. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    269155 Error message when you try to set an IP address on a network adapter

  12. Remove network adapter(s) in Device Manager:
    1. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
    2. To see the list of installed network adapters, double-click Network adapter(s), and then click Remove.
    3. Restart the computer, and then let the system automatically detect and install the network adapter drivers.
    Note This step detects and corrects corrupted registry entries on network adapter bindings. Perform this step if all other troubleshooting steps do not resolve your issue. Always perform this step before you decide to manually remove a network adapter card.
  13. Remove any third-party network adapter management software. Temporarily remove any teaming software. The following combination is known to be incompatible:

    Dual-Port Intel Pro 100+ Server Adapter with Intel Teaming Software running an SNMP component.


    For an updated version of the Intel SNMP agent (Ilansnmp.dll) and for more information, contact the network adapter manufacturer or the third-party software vendor. For additional information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    811876 Network adapters disappear from network adapters list and Cluster Server stops responding with the Intel SNMP agent installed

    278431 Using teaming adapters with network load balancing may cause network problems

  14. If the connectoid is getting deleted only after you manually connect to the network, follow these steps:
    1. Restart the computer while it is not connected to the network to see if a Group Policy object (GPO) is being downloaded.
    2. Start the Group Policy Results tool to find out which GPOs are applied. For additional information about how to use the Group Policy Results tool, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      321709 How to use the Group Policy Results tool in Windows 2000



      You can also use the Group Policy Management Console to examine Group Policy Objects. The Group Policy Management Console is available for downloaded at the following Microsoft Web site:
      http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=0A6D4C24-8CBD-4B35-9272-DD3CBFC81887&displaylang=en
    3. Click Start, click Run, type gpedit.msc and press ENTER.
    4. Locate and open Group policy/User Configuration/Windows Settings/Internet Explorer Maintenance/Connection/Connection Settings/.
    5. Click to clear the Delete existing Dial-up Connection Settings check box.
  15. At the command prompt, type winmgmt /clearadap, and then press ENTER.

    This command removes all the AutoDiscovery/AutoPurge (ADAP) information from the registry and resets the state of each performance library. The ADAP tool stores state information about the system performance libraries in the registry. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    266416 How to troubleshoot WinMgmt-based performance counter errors

  16. When you right-click the My Network Places icon and then click Properties, the Network Connections window starts to open but then closes immediately or "hangs." To fix this issue, follow these steps:
    1. Start Registry Editor.
    2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network

    3. Right-click the Network subkey, click Export, and then save the selected branch in a file.
    4. Click the Network subkey again, and then delete the Config entry. Do not delete the Network subkey. The Config entry will be reconstructed when you restart the computer.
    5. Restart the computer. (You may have to manually turn off the computer.)
    The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
  17. For compatibility issues between third-party drivers and the latest Windows Service Pack, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Update.
    2. Click Custom Install, and then click Select optional hardware update to view and install any available hardware updates.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

811876 Network adapters disappear from network adapters list and Cluster Server stops responding with the Intel SNMP agent installed

254631 Some network and dial-up connections icons may be missing

273461 Network and dial-up connection icons disappear when you use Dcomcnfg.exe to set the default impersonation level to anonymous

269019 Network and dial-up connections folder icons missing

329634 Dial-up connections do not appear with Cluster services installed

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:5/13/2005
Keywords:kbhowto KB825826
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