Windows 7: Unidentified Network - No Internet Access

I've seen the other theads on this issue and I have tried everything they suggested to fix this problem but none of them work for me. I need serious help on this. I am running on Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate

Here is my story:

I was on the internet watching a baseball game when my PC hard locked and I had no choice but to hit the reset button to reboot. After my PC came back up, the network adapter would only get Unidentified Network and I would have no internet access. Now my PC is connected directly to the Cable Modem. I did contact my ISP and did the standard troubleshooting but we determined the issue is with my PC since I hooked up my work laptop to the Cable Modem (with the same network cable of course) and it had internet access with no problems. Now I have two network ports on my PC and both will get Unidentified Network - No Internet Access when I re-enable. Even in Safe Mode it gets Unidentified Network - No Internet Access. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the driver for the network adapter but that does not work. I tried going back to a restore point but that didn't work either. Heck I now installed a PCI Network Adapter Card, installed it's drivers, and it too comes up with Unidentified Network - No Internet Access and doesn't get an IP. At this point I am really really stumped. I have tried everything they suggested to fix this problem but none of them work for me. I've also tried several solutions in other threads on the internet but nothing works. I'm no novice when it comes to PC's since I work PC support for a living. Right now I see only two options I really don't want to do:

1). I will need to reformat and reinstall Windows 7 and see if that fixes the problem

2). The motherboard is shot when it comes to networking and I will need to get a new motherboard

Any other suggestions would be very helpful at this point. Thanks.

This happened to a customer of mine , could the cable be bad ? just a shot in the dark .

I found this also http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-...et-access.html

Nope it's not the cable because I used the same cable to connect my work laptop to the cable modem and it has internet access just fine (I'm using my laptop right now to post this afterall.)

I've tried everything suggested in that thread. I don't have that bonjour program. I even turned off my PC and left it unplugged overnight. Still nothing fixes it.

Before you get all drastic and everything... head on over to NVidia and get a set of OLD drivers for your video, go back at least 3 or 4 versions... Uninstall the new ones and put in the old ones...

NVidia admits to haveing some problems with their latest drivers...

(And people wonder why I disable Automatic Updates...)

Why would the video divers effect anything with the network adapter drivers? I am also getting the same error with a PCI Linksys network adapter card I installed to troubleshoot this problem. Besides I've been running fine with the drivers I have been using up untill I had to reboot because of the hard lock I had. I have rolled back and reinstalled the network adapter drivers for the Nvidia motherboard I have with no effect on the problem.

Becuase of your Specs... he is assuming that you are using your ON board NIC Card.

Well yeah normally I am using my On board NIC on the Nvidia Motherboard. But when I started having this problem I installed a PCI Linksys Network Adapter Card and see if I could get online with the card. Unfortunately it has the same Unidentified Network problem. The more I think about it. The more I believe this is an issue with Windows 7 and not the on board NIC or the PCI NIC card I installed.

The only thing i can think of right now is going through your computer remotly and doing alot of tests on the computer myself.... but according to what you are saying. it seems that you are fine when your computer is directly connected to the cable modem..

you called your ISP and becuase your modem seems to be achieving the IP address and working properly, they told you that you were SOL when it came to Diagnosting your internal network.

trust me.. Road Runner does the same thing. The only way they will touch it is if it came from them.

So what you are saying is that if you plug the Modem into your Router/Switch and then from your Switch, that is where your having the issues... is that correct?

Since you have two NICs on the computer. Is there a way you can connect a LAN patch cable to your routers' LAN 1 port that way you will be able to have access to it at the same time.... maybe we can reflash the router and refix the drivers.

I would hate for you to have to redo all your computer if its just a simple fix.

I've been there... backdate your Nvidia Video and Chipset drivers and I'm betting it clears up...

No, actually there is no router or switch. It has always just been my Desktop PC connected directly to the cable modem. I have yet to get the Desktop PC back online connected to the internet and not give me the Unidentified Network error. To prove that the issue was not with the cable modem I disconnected the network cable from my desktop and hooked it up my work laptop so it was connected exactly like the desktop was to the cable modem. The Laptop had internet access when connected directly to the cable modem, but my desktop would not. At this point the issue is totally isolated to some problem on my desktop PC.