Some programs will not recognise internet connection

Hi, I'm facing quite a conundrum. Firefox can connect to the internet, but nothing else can: Neither Chrome, nor AVG, nor any other software. I'm unable to upgrade to Windows 10

My problem seems to be identical to this one:
Some programs will not recognize an internet connection , but my knowledge is slightly more basic, and I can't figure out how to change the DNS servers (if my symptoms do indeed represent the same underlying issue).

My IPconfig data is attached.

Most likely offender is probably an improperly configured fireawall, blocking everything but Firefox. Check if Windows firewall is enabled or if any antivirus has a built-in firewall blocking everything.

I don't think it's a DNS problem. After all, a browser can connect and resolve names.

I've already tried changing my firewall settings and have also tried turning it off altogether. Neither worked.

OK...
It's not the firewall. I have that turned off. IE 11 opens, hangs then quits as soon as it stops hanging.
Chrome gives an error saying "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET".
Firefox seems to work fine.
Steam won't open.
Utorrent says "WSA() failed, or you have the incorrect version of WinSock installed" I have tried winsock reset, to no avail. Trying to open Malwarebytes anti-malware results in a pop up saying "The application was unable to start correctly (0xe06d7363). Click OK to close the application".
Spybot - Search & Destroy will scan, but If I try to update a popup says "Error retrieving update info file".
AVG is out of date, and continually creates a pop-up saying "unspecified error occurred in the following avg component(s) avgmfapx.exe". If I try to do a manual update, the same pop-up appears.
When I first tried to upgrade to Windows 10, it said "you can't install windows 10 because your wireless network card doesn't meet upgrade requirements". Now it says "Here's why Windows 10 can't be installed on this PC. There are no supported networking devices."
I tried changing the DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (as according to Some programs will not recognize an internet connection). Nothing changed. I may have done this step wrong, so If someone asks me to try again, I will.
I have also tried turning off Wi-Fi and using an Ethernet cable. No dice.

The first problem I noticed was being unable to upgrade to Win10. After trying to troubleshoot the problem for myself for a while, I gave up and said "this laptop is 6 years old, might as well get a new one." So I did. But then I realised that due to licensing issues, I need to uninstall software on my old machine before I can use it on my new one. My computer problems mean that the uninstallers on won't connect to the internet and free up the licenses. Please get a sense of how frustrating this is. I put this problem in the too-hard basket, and then it's come back out of the basket to bite me. If there is a temporary work around so that I can properly uninstall my old software I'll be happy. If this problem can actually be fixed and I can return my new purchase and put off getting a new laptop for another year, then all the better.

Do I need a new network card?

No, a new network card will not help.

A scan with Windows Defender Offline might help:
What is Windows Defender Offline? - Windows Help

After that, try these steps:
Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

Windows defender offline didn't find anything and the same internet problems still occur with a clean startup
Anything else I can try?

Completely reset Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer - Reset
Be sure to do step 5.

Without opening Internet Explorer:
Change the home page for Internet Explorer to be about:blank
You can do that via Start > Control Panel.
Let me know if you need more details.



Temporarily disable the service named DNS Client:
Services - Start or Disable

Restart the computer.

Open Internet Explorer.
If IE hangs, you can stop there and let me know.
If IE does not hang, please continue.

Using Internet Explorer, visit this forum.
Did IE hang?

IE still doesn't work.

Did it open to the about:blank page?
Did it hang there?

Or did it hang when you tried to surf to this forum?



You can set the service named DNS Client back to Automatic now.