[Loobster]

So due to some kind of corruption or something, I have a Windows 7 PC with no networking at all, LAN and WLAN do not work.

The LAN and WLAN adapter and also three miniport 'adapters' have exclamation marks in Device Mangler.

Uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers for the physical adapters gets them back in there with a status of 'working properly' (allegedly). However without reinstalling the miniport stuff there's still no network access.

I've tried following this article but I cannot comment out the section in the .INF file because Windows won't let me resave the file after the edit.

I've tried saving it under another name but can't delete the original file to replace it with the modified one. I've tried booting off mini-XP to manually delete the file without 7 running, access denied.

There are no attributes on the file except archive, no system or hidden properties etc.

Even a local administrator apparently doesn't have permissions to edit the ACL on the file or on the parent folder.

How the hell are you supposed to edit and save a file in this folder?

[squack]

Try saving the edited file onto the desktop, or somewhere that you have permission to save it to and then copy it back into the windows\inf folder and allow the UAC prompt.

I've seen this when trying to edit files in protected directories as UAC doesn't seem to pop up to let you allow the save it just plain refuses.

Hope that helps.

[ForestChav]

Run Notepad as administrator, then open the files.

[max99]

Yep, saving the file in a different location and then copy/pasting over the original file usually works. But the question now is whether or not this specific file can actually be overwritten. If not, the usual fallback of booting from Linux should allow you to delete or replace the original file.

[Maxatoria]

sometimes its worth burning a linux live iso as it will have ntfs support and won't be riddled with some of the problems that windows will have, that assumes you know linux enough to be able to mount a filesystem and edit a file should the live cd not do it for you

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by ForestChav

Run Notepad as administrator, then open the files.

^ this. Its the same as editing the hosts file.

[IvanIV]

I think there's a bigger chance binary files referenced in inf file are corrupted and the inf itself is OK. You'd see immediately it's wrong, it's a text file. I'd say check those binary files, compare with a running OS.

[bob187]

As others have said, run notepad as administrator, then open the file and edit.
Alternatively, turn off UAC and it should let you edit it normally.

[Stig]

Originally Posted by Loobster

So due to some kind of corruption or something, I have a Windows 7 PC with no networking at all, LAN and WLAN do not work.

The LAN and WLAN adapter and also three miniport 'adapters' have exclamation marks in Device Mangler.

Uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers for the physical adapters gets them back in there with a status of 'working properly' (allegedly). However without reinstalling the miniport stuff there's still no network access.

I've tried following this article but I cannot comment out the section in the .INF file because Windows won't let me resave the file after the edit.

I've tried saving it under another name but can't delete the original file to replace it with the modified one. I've tried booting off mini-XP to manually delete the file without 7 running, access denied.

There are no attributes on the file except archive, no system or hidden properties etc.

Even a local administrator apparently doesn't have permissions to edit the ACL on the file or on the parent folder.

How the hell are you supposed to edit and save a file in this folder?

Frankly, if you have that kind of damage to the operating system it's going to be very hard to repair. Was the damage done by a virus?

You have done what I would have tried, which is removing and reinstalling all the NIC drivers. I assume you tried System Restore too.

Sometimes the only proper fix is a reinstall of Windows.

[LION8TIGER]

Loobster, have you tried step 20 in your link or maybe better post #21 here.

[Stig]

Originally Posted by LION8TIGER

Loobster, have you tried step 20 in your link or maybe better post #21 here.

Aw crap, I didn't realise the OP was Loobster.

Yes, you could try resetting the whole TCP/IP stack.

You don't actually need all the 'miniport stuff' unless you are using some kind of VPN. Just a working adaptor should be enough.

[ForestChav]

Originally Posted by bob187

Alternatively, turn off UAC and it should let you edit it normally.

No... gone are the days where you have to turn off UAC to get things to work. (You can just set it to run as Admin as a last resort).

It's widely acknowledged that even if you know what you are doing that running everything with administrative rights (which is what happens with UAC off) breaks the security model of Windows post-XP, and leaves you much more prone to viruses and other malware taking control of your machine.

Now that most applications have learned how to coexist with UAC, advising that someone runs without UAC is (to me) akin to recommending that they run no anti-virus.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by ForestChav

............advising that someone runs without UAC is (to me) akin to recommending that they run no anti-virus.

And shows ignorance.

[LION8TIGER]

Originally Posted by ForestChav

Now that most applications have learned how to coexist with UAC, advising that someone runs without UAC is (to me) akin to recommending that they run no anti-virus.

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

And shows ignorance.

Does this mean that my XP machine is infected ??

If bob187 had said ''Alternatively, turn off UAC and it should let you edit it normally but when you have edited switch it back on again'', would that have been ok ?

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by LION8TIGER

Does this mean that my XP machine is infected ??

If bob187 had said ''Alternatively, turn off UAC and it should let you edit it normally but when you have edited switch it back on again'', would that have been ok ?

Its nothing to do with your XP machine would have been infected.

It wouldn't have been any different to just running as admin or compatibility settings.

[LION8TIGER]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Its nothing to do with your XP machine would have been infected.

It wouldn't have been any different to just running as admin or compatibility settings.

My jest about XP being infected was because I didn't agree with FC's comparison of UAC and Antivirus as to me they are totally different things.

I agree about running as admin etc though.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by squack

Try saving the edited file onto the desktop, or somewhere that you have permission to save it to and then copy it back into the windows\inf folder and allow the UAC prompt.

Tried and failed.

Originally Posted by ForestChav

Run Notepad as administrator, then open the files.

Tried and failed.

Originally Posted by max99

Yep, saving the file in a different location and then copy/pasting over the original file usually works. But the question now is whether or not this specific file can actually be overwritten. If not, the usual fallback of booting from Linux should allow you to delete or replace the original file.

Tried with mini-XP, failed. May see about a linux CD.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

^ this. Its the same as editing the hosts file.

It's not. It's way more protected. You can edit the hosts file much more easily.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by Stig

Frankly, if you have that kind of damage to the operating system it's going to be very hard to repair. Was the damage done by a virus?

You have done what I would have tried, which is removing and reinstalling all the NIC drivers. I assume you tried System Restore too.

Sometimes the only proper fix is a reinstall of Windows.

This is what I am leaning towards.

Not sure about a virus. The user admits to running 'System Mechanic' the evening before 'it just stopped working'.

I wasted more time than a flat reload would have taken today, but not as much as it will take for reload/app installs/data restore.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by Stig

a) Aw crap, I didn't realise the OP was Loobster.

b) Yes, you could try resetting the whole TCP/IP stack.

c) You don't actually need all the 'miniport stuff' unless you are using some kind of VPN. Just a working adaptor should be enough.

a) Lol.

b) Tried the netsh command - no dice

c) Well the LAN and WLAN adapters are 'working normally' according to windows, yet I have no network adapters even showing as being installed in Network and Sharing Center.

[Loobster]

Thanks all for your feedback so far.

I will give it one more try in the morning, then I am reloading it.

[max99]

Originally Posted by Loobster

Tried with mini-XP, failed. May see about a linux CD.

Any form of Windows is likely to prevent you from modifying/overwriting the file, but Linux won't give a crap.

Originally Posted by Loobster

I wasted more time than a flat reload would have taken today, but not as much as it will take for reload/app installs/data restore.

I really hate it when you reach the point where you either:

1. risk spending even more time on increasingly futile 'fixes'.
   
2. begrudgingly accept that you've wasted several hours and now need to spend several more hours going for a complete reinstall.

[s2k]

Admittedly i've never actually seen this do anything myself, but since nobody else has suggested it you could try sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt?

[max99]

Originally Posted by s2k

Admittedly i've never actually seen this do anything myself, but since nobody else has suggested it you could try sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt?

You're not the only one - I don't think I can even recall hearing anyone say that it worked. I've never understood why it became such a common 'cure-all' recommendation.

[Loobster]

Laptop was restored to factory defaults using recovery partition this morning by one of my techs.

Would have been interested to figure out the fix - or maybe the recovery was the only fix.