My computer has been having occasional one- or two-second freezes during games and sometimes while using programs. I ended a Windows service in Task Manager because I thought it was causing the lag. An error appeared, and after restarting the computer, Ethernet no longer connects to the router or the internet. I've tried several ipconfig commands and restarted the router, but nothing has helped. What should I check, and how can I restore the service or network connection?
4 Answers
First check what Windows reports from the adapter. Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all, then note whether Ethernet has an IPv4 address, a default gateway, and DNS servers. An address beginning with 169.254 usually means the computer didn’t receive an address from the router. Restart the computer, router, and modem in that order, and make sure the Ethernet adapter is enabled in Network Connections.
I wouldn’t start by deleting the network driver or running repair commands blindly. Since the problem began immediately after stopping a service, restore that service or use System Restore first. If the service cannot be identified, Windows’ System Restore or a repair installation is safer than removing drivers. Once the connection works again, investigate the game freezes separately instead of ending system processes at random.
The service you stopped may be related to networking, but its name is important before anyone can identify it. Open the Services app, find the service you ended, and set it back to its previous startup type before starting it again. If you don’t remember which one it was, use System Restore to return Windows to a restore point from before the change. Avoid disabling random services because many are required by Windows or device drivers.
You can also run the built-in network troubleshooter and check Device Manager for an error on the Ethernet adapter. If the adapter is present and has no warning icon but still gets no address, the issue is more likely the stopped service or DHCP configuration than the physical cable. The exact service name and the output from ipconfig /all would be needed for more specific advice.
I don’t remember the service name, unfortunately. I stopped it because the game freezes were frustrating, but I didn’t realize it could affect networking.