Windows Vista torture - not connecting to internet

Grant

Grant

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So... one of our security guards told me someone gave him and old laptop, asked me if I perhaps have a spare hard drive.
There are multitudes, but I figured it would be quicker and easier if I bought him one.
I then realise he is unaware an is has to be installed along with the endless drivers for the machine.
I take on the task to help him.

1st port of call is to the HP website to establish what operating systems are compatible:
XP - all versions
Vista - both the various 32 & 64 bit versions.
7 - again both 32 & 64 bit.
The machine originally came with Vista Home (32 bit)

So I start with 7 - 32 bit.
Install goes well + all drivers.
However, no browser will connect to any site. Lots of fiddling about - still not connecting.
Give that up.

I now install Vista Home (32bit) just as the machine originally had.
Just as with 7, all goes well - but again, browser cannot connect - despite trying functioning wifi networks + ethernet cable connection to router.

Browser throws up error when trying to connect to BBC & Google
connect to bbc_edit_521616592644884.jpg


connect to google_edit_521600715084991.jpg


I then look at wifi connection - it says "local only"
IMG_20241120_183303_edit_521529068735002.jpg


I then try connect to Hotspot created by mobile phone.
Same thing - local only.


So then I try ping both BBC & Google.
Ping successfull.
IMG_20241120_185005_edit_521274892782436.jpg


My only guess going thru a process of elimination is the problem is related to security certificates.

Anyone have any idea as to what may be going on?
 
Grant said:
So... one of our security guards told me someone gave him and old laptop, asked me if I perhaps have a spare hard drive.
There are multitudes, but I figured it would be quicker and easier if I bought him one.
I then realise he is unaware an is has to be installed along with the endless drivers for the machine.
I take on the task to help him.

1st port of call is to the HP website to establish what operating systems are compatible:
XP - all versions
Vista - both the various 32 & 64 bit versions.
7 - again both 32 & 64 bit.
The machine originally came with Vista Home (32 bit)

So I start with 7 - 32 bit.
Install goes well + all drivers.
However, no browser will connect to any site. Lots of fiddling about - still not connecting.
Give that up.

I now install Vista Home (32bit) just as the machine originally had.
Just as with 7, all goes well - but again, browser cannot connect - despite trying functioning wifi networks + ethernet cable connection to router.

Browser throws up error when trying to connect to BBC & Google
View attachment 1775354


View attachment 1775355


I then look at wifi connection - it says "local only"
View attachment 1775356


I then try connect to Hotspot created by mobile phone.
Same thing - local only.


So then I try ping both BBC & Google.
Ping successfull.
View attachment 1775359


My only guess going thru a process of elimination is the problem is related to security certificates.

Anyone have any idea as to what may be going on?
Click to expand...
which browsers have you tried...

(dammit, I tried not to get sucked in....)
 
Start with date and time and making sure that's set to current date and time, it's the most likely cause of certificate issues..
 
I would first check date and time, if it's not that, it's likely that you don't have the trusted root CAs that issued the certs in the certificate store. Vista was released in 2007 so it's likely a lot of common CAs used today likely didn't exist then.

I'm pretty sure all browsers use the inbuilt certificate store so switching browsers is unlikely to fix this.

Expand More and see if it gives you more details on the cert or continue to the site and then look for the little certificate icon / not safe icon and open up the certificate chain. You should be able to view the details up to the root CA cert and even add it to the certificate store.

The other issue you might run into is that Vista didn't support TLS 1.1 or 1.2 out of the box. A lot of sites have started dropping support for older versions. There's more details in the link below as well as some links to some versions of Firefox that still work on Vista:

Enable TLS 1.1/1.2 on Windows Vista | JohnHaller.com

johnhaller.com johnhaller.com


Update:
I checked the root CA for bbc and it comes back as GlobalSign which was only created in 2009 so it won't be in Vista's root CA's list:
1732137874805.png

You could export all the root CAs from a modern Windows and import them into the Vista machine. To do that, on a modern Windows go Start --> Run --> Certmgr.msc
Then go to Trusted Root Certification Authorities --> Certificates, select all and Export
Then you should be able to import that file into the Vista machine using Certmgr.msc or even by clicking on the file.
 
Last edited:
absynth said:
Check if the date and time of the laptop is correct.
Click to expand...
Another interesting thing. The laptop when I first looked at it (without a hard drive) booted into bios setup.
One could navigate without issue.
Then, when the hard drive was installed it powered on then I was faced with a bios blue screen suddenly asking for a password - which it not done previously when powering on multiple times.

I eventually got around the password (many internet opinions over time suggested disconnecting power supply, removing the main battery, then removing the bios battery - leaving it alone for an hour or so resulting in "memory loss" and bios being cleared of info.
That failed. I landed up taking a different course of action.
Then, without asking for a password anymore, it was now giving an error message "time and date not set".
That message prevented further booting, including from an install disk.
So I landed up creating a USB startup drive carrying the windows iso.
The os then installed without issue -
Time and date is correct within windows, but there is no option at all in the bios menu to set time and date.

Perhaps the bios is now holding some wayback date, and causing problems.
 
Grant said:
Another interesting thing. The laptop when I first looked at it (without a hard drive) booted into bios setup.
One could navigate without issue.
Then, when the hard drive was installed it powered on then I was faced with a bios blue screen suddenly asking for a password - which it not done previously when powering on multiple times.

I eventually got around the password (many internet opinions over time suggested disconnecting power supply, removing the main battery, then removing the bios battery - leaving it alone for an hour or so resulting in "memory loss" and bios being cleared of info.
That failed. I landed up taking a different course of action.
Then, without asking for a password anymore, it was now giving an error message "time and date not set".
That message prevented further booting, including from an install disk.
So I landed up creating a USB startup drive carrying the windows iso.
The os then installed without issue -
Time and date is correct within windows, but there is no option at all in the bios menu to set time and date.

Perhaps the bios is now holding some wayback date, and causing problems.
Click to expand...
BIOS doesn't keep a separate date time. If it's correct in Windows, that's fine.
 
I can get consumed with these kinds of problems - like the devil possessed.
But I also get a sense the chap will run into problems soon enough, even if I get this thing resolved.

I figure I'll give him one of the old macbook pros relegated to a back shelf.
They are running perfectly and perform as they should.
It will save him hassles down the line and avert my admission to valkenburg hospital.
 
Did you have a look at the certificate chain or at the root CAs yet?
 
If 7 and Vista works it's entirely possible 10 would,but i'd probably stick Ubuntu or Mint on if it's just a word-processing/internet machine
 
@Grant A Mac with a clean install of a 8 year old OSX will also have certificate issues I would think.
Why have you not tried win 10 or the advice @me_ has given?
 
My_King said:
If not date and time, try using Firefox for older OS
Click to expand...
This. When using Firefox version 115 on Windows 7 I could get older computers to browse the internet.

I would definitely recommend installing Windows 7. After you have done a clean install of Windows 7, install security update windows6.1-kb4457144 (32-or 64 bit, depending on your installed version), You'll have to download this using another computer. Installing this security update will allow you to check for, and install updates from the Windows update server. Let it check for updates after windows6.1-kb4457144 has been installed, but here you have to be patient. It will check for a VERY long time and eventually present you with a list of about 150 updates. Install all of them. After they've been installed and the computer rebooted, check for updates again. There will be updates for updates. You will have to repeat this process a few times until you get a message that no more updates are available.

After this you will have a very stable Windows 7 installation. I am speaking from my own experience, I had to repurpose about 50 computers that was replaced, but on all of them Windows 7 had to be re-installed. The original Windows 7 version installed was a heavy modified version for a very specialised software package.
 
I had this a couple of weeks ago. It's due to Win7 using TLS 1.0, and most websites now requiring TLS 1.1 or 1.2. I seem to remember there's a registry fix for it you can download. You'll also need SP3, and there's one other update you might need manually too.
 
kolaval said:
@Grant A Mac with a clean install of a 8 year old OSX will also have certificate issues I would think.
Why have you not tried win 10 or the advice @me_ has given?
Click to expand...
Nay my good friend, not the case with mac.
Allow me to demonstrate.

I got the 4 old mbp's out the store room.
I started with the eldest of the tribe - 14yrs old, still fully functional - zero issues whatsoever, and still pretty quick.

Behold:
Screen Shot 2024-11-21 at 14.34.26.jpg


IMG_20241121_142954_edit_550605347513898.jpg


Screen Shot 2024-11-21 at 14.28.35.jpg
 
so a note for anyone in far away lands having issues with the startup password (hp compaq 6910b)

IMG_20241117_022637.jpg


general internet consensus to bypass / remove this password:
shut down
disconnect from power supply
remove main battery
remove bios battery on mainboard
hold down power button for at least 30 seconds.
leave the laptop as is for a further 30 mins.
reinsert bios battery
reinsert main battery
connect to power supply
boot the machine



that process did not work for me, nor many others with this particular model.
what did however work:

shut down
disconnect from power supply
remove main battery
remove bios battery on mainboard
hold down power button for at least 30 seconds.
leave the laptop as is for a further 30 mins.
reinsert bios battery
LEAVE MAIN BATTERY OUT OF THE LAPTOP
connect to power supplY
boot the machine
--- password request is now gone

then
power off the machine.
reinsert main battery
power on
***problem resolved
 
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