There is a problem on Windows XP that I have not seen addressed anywhere but I have realized exists after doing several tests and many attempts to find workarounds. I still haven't figured out what exactly causes the problem yet, but I'm working on it.

For a while I was having an issue connecting to certain online resources but never had any trouble browsing or using most internet based programs. Certain programs would not work properly which included all Gnutella network programs including Limewire, bittorrent, streaming QuickTime audio and movies, connections to game servers such as UT2004, and certain https sites that used a direct port connection. I can only assume that this was caused by some problem with the way my computer handles TCP or UDP connections or a corruption of Winsock.

In LimeWire, when the problem is present, LimeWire reports that it has detected a firewall and will not connect to the network. However when the problem is not present, LimeWire will, after a few seconds, report that no firewall was detected and then proceed to connect to the network.

One workaround that sometimes works is to unplug my Ethernet internet connection before Windows boots and then to reconnect it once Windows has started. A similar workaround that seems to always work is to run the WinSockXPFix.exe (http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html), unplug the Ethernet cable while rebooting, and then reconnect it when Windows starts. After doing this, the above mentioned connection problems are gone, and LimeWire no longer reports a detected firewall and connects to the network properly. If, though, I do this after a full shutdown or reboot, the problems resurface when Windows is next booted.

I don't know what the cause of the problem is yet, but I have some theories. I am not willing to rule out my firewall (ZA Security Suite), but in my tests, it does not seem to be the problem because even after being turned off completely the problems with LimeWire et al. are still present. Also, when the problem is present, ZoneAlarm does not report that LimeWire is even attempting to connect to the internet, but when the problem is corrected ZoneAlarm reports allowing LimeWire to connect. Because using the WinSockXPFix program seems to correct the issues, I suspect some piece of software is corrupting my WinSock or uses a defective LSP.

I would interested to know if anyone has had similar symptoms, if anyone knows what the cause of the problems may be, and if this workaround corrects the problem with LimeWire or any other internet problems for anyone else.


Acer Ferrari 4000 Notebook
> AMD Turion 64 2.0 GHz
> 1 GB RAM
> Windows XP Pro SP2
> Windows Firewall Off
> Zone Alarm Security Suite installed
> At time of post using LimeWire and Java versions: 4.9.29 and 1.4.2_05 (updating...)
> Broadcom NetLink Gigabit Ethernet card