Post Crash Machine Connects to Network but not Internet

Question

Hoping to avoid reinstalling Win10. My Lenovo P50 hung and had to be force powered down. On startup it connects to the home wifi network, but won't connect to the internet.

• I got the same result taking the machine to another location: connects to wifi but no internet.
• When connected I can log into the router and the cable modem but nothing beyond that.

Connecting via ethernet to the router or directly to the cable modem does not solve the problem.

• Booted up on Linux the machine will connect to the wifi/internet ok.
• Other Win10, Win11, IOS and Android devices all connect to this wifi/internet ok.

I have done the usual things with the appropriate restarts:

• forgot and re-connected to the wifi network
• updated the wifi driver
• deleted the wifi network adapter

The System event log shows multiple warnings on startup that 'name resolution for website xyz (e.g. www.dropbox.com, c.pki.goog) timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded'.

When first rebooted my ip configs showed IP6 addresses in addition to the expected IP4.That was new.

The highlighted configuration below with all of the IP6 addresses is new as well.

• IP6 is disabled in the wifi adapter for the Intel Wireless-AC8260 wireless card.
• Disabling the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter does not solve the internet access problem (fixes known issues with the AC8260, but a problem not previously encountered here).
• Specifying the DNS address on the wireless adapter does not solve the problem. Router is configured to get it's DNS server address from the ISP.

I tried following this process running as the administrator with no result:

netsh winsock reset

netsh int ip reset

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

ipconfig /flushdns

network reset

Restart computer

restart router

When running netsh int ip reset as administrator I get the following error:

Other random but possibly relevant information:

• confirmed 0.0.0.0 in the routing table points to the router IP
• IP4 has been preferred in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpio6\Parameters
• Mobile Hotspot was disabled in Network & Internet settings
• in the local group policy prevent use of internet connection sharing has been enabled
• Internet Connection Sharing service has been disabled, though it appears to re-enable on network reset

I assume that I have some corruption somewhere but am not sure where to look. Reinstalling the OS is the only thing I can think of at this point. Appreciate any help.

Answer 1

Hi @Kev Darsney

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on your description, I understand that The Lenovo P50’s “connects to Wi-Fi but no internet” problem after a crash is rooted in a Windows network misconfiguration. It could be an accidental enabling of ICS/hotspot mode and related DNS misrouting

To better assistance, could you please confirm following information:

• Are you signed in with a local administrator account?
• Do you have any third-party security tools (VPN, antivirus, firewall) installed?
• Have you tried creating a new Windows user profile?
• Is IPv6 disabled on your main Wi-Fi adapter?

In the meantime, I recommend some steps below:

1. Disable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and Mobile Hotspot

Your system may be stuck in a mode where it tries to share its internet connection (like a hotspot), instead of using the Wi-Fi normally. This can cause misrouting and DNS failures. Steps:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot > Make sure Mobile Hotspot is turned off.
• Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings > Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter > Properties > Go to the Sharing tab > Uncheck “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection”
• Look for any Network Bridge or extra adapters (like “Local Area Connection* 10”) > Right-click and Delete or Disable them.

Disclaimer: Disabling ICS and hotspot features will not affect your ability to connect to Wi-Fi normally. These steps only stop your PC from acting like a router.

2. Reset Network Stack (Run as Administrator)

This clears out corrupted or misconfigured network settings that may be blocking internet access. Steps: 

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run these commands one by one:

netsh winsock reset

netsh int ip reset

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

ipconfig /flushdns ​

If you see “Access is denied” during netsh int ip reset:

• Open Registry Editor (regedit)
• Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nsi{eb004a00-9b1a-11d4-9123-0050047759bc}\26
• Right-click > Permissions > Add your user > Give Full Control
• Close Registry Editor and re-run the netsh int ip reset command

Disclaimer: Editing the registry can affect system behavior. Only change permissions as described, and do not modify other keys. Always back up your registry before making changes. 3. Repair System Files System crashes can corrupt Windows files that control networking. These commands check and repair those files. Steps: In Command Prompt (Admin), run: sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth ​ Then Reboot after both commands complete. 4. Reinstall Network Drivers Your Wi-Fi adapter may have a corrupted or unstable driver. Reinstalling ensures a clean configuration.

• Open Device Manager
• Expand Network Adapters
• Right-click Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 > Uninstall device > Check “Delete the driver software for this device”
• Also uninstall Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter (if visible)
• Reboot the system > Windows will reinstall the drivers automatically > Optionally, install the latest driver from Lenovo or Intel’s website

Disclaimer: Uninstalling the driver will temporarily disconnect you from Wi-Fi. Windows will reinstall it automatically after reboot. Make sure you have access to another device or offline installer if needed. 5. Verify IP and DNS Settings Your PC may be using incorrect DNS servers or IP addresses, preventing internet access. Steps: After reboot:

• Open Command Prompt and run: ipconfig /all

Confirm your Wi-Fi adapter has an IP like 192.168.1.x (not 192.168.137.1) > DNS should be from your router or ISP (not fec0:: addresses)

• Try browsing or run: ping google.com

Disclaimer: If your IP or DNS still looks incorrect, repeat the reset steps above or manually set DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1 in your adapter settings. Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

If I misunderstood what you’re looking for, feel free to let me know or share a screenshot. I’d be happy to help further! 

Thank you for your cooperation.

I'm looking forward your reply.

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Answer 2

Hi @Kal-D and thanks for getting back to me.

I will follow your instructions above.

Additional Info:

The machine is connected to the internet. I can ping the IPs for a couple of public websites. Cannot connect to them directly, but I can generate the same Cloudflare direct connect warning on both a connected machine and the problem P50.

I found a DNSRegisteredAdapters registry value as shown below. Clearing the Register this connections address in DNS checkbox on the Wi-Fi network did not remove the registry entry. I manually deleted it. Not sure where it came from. I do visit Maine but have never had a Road Runner email address for which this was the email domain.

Kev