Winsock Files

There are two files in Windows 95/98 that can are needed for internet connections. Sometimes these can get corrupted, and there are programs such as NetMedic and Oil Change that actually create a winsock file that is the wrong size. If your computer has a corrupt winsock file, or is using one that a different program has put on your computer, then you'll get unpredictable results from your internet connection (if you can even make a connection at all).


Symptoms of corrupted winsocks include:

Intermittent DNS - Able to get to web sites one connection, but not the next time you connect

No DNS - Able to connect with no problem, but you are not able to get to Web sites or send or receive e-mail.

Errors when connecting - such as error 650: The computer you're dialling into does not respond to a network request. (Although error 650 could be almost anything)




To see if you have multiple winsock files, click Start, Find, Files and Folders, and type in winsock.dll. You should only have one, in the directory c:/windows and it should be 21kb in size. If you have more than one, then click on the file name, go to file, rename, tap your backspace key, and type in winsock.aaa - if you have multiple winsock's remaining, rename the next one winsock.bbb, the next winsock.ccc and so on (it doesn't matter what 3 letters you use, they could be your initials or something equally as random - as long as they're not named winsock.dll you'll be ok).

Then click on new search, click ok, type in wsock32.dll you should only have one, in c:/windows/system and it should be 40kb in size. If you have more than one, then click on the file name, click on file, rename, hit your backspace key, and type in wsock32.aaa and so forth after that. Click on the x to exit out of the window.

(** Note - The sizes for the winsock.dll and wsock32.dll files are the ones listed for Windows 98. For Windows 95, the winsock is 42kb and the wsock32 is 65kb. In Windows ME it is not suggested that you even touch the winsock or wsock32. **)

Go to Start, then Shut down - put a dot in restart and hit ok. Let the computer restart - it must reboot using the 'good' winsock file in order to work properly.

You may still have problems even after following all of these steps - your original winsock file may be corrupt, and you'll have to extract a new one. We currently don't have an online walkthru of this, so if this is the case, you'll have to call Tech Support at 1-800-743-5707 for help.










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