Win 7 will not let me download anything!

Jennymurdock · 11 Nov 2019

I just posted this and it got deleted, anyway arrgh! I have a Win 7 professional HP Compaq PC. Since we got it I can't download any software period! I tried updating the printer drivers and it won't do it. I tried downloading free malware software, I only got an "error" message and nothing else. It won't let me download a brave browser (or any browser) it says "internet not connected' even though it is connected. I have no idea why it's doing this at all. Any and all help is greatly and desperately appreciated! : ) Thanks in advance!

Paul Black · 11 Nov 2019

Hi Jennymurdock,

Welcome to SevenForums!

Jennymurdock said:

I have a Win 7 professional HP Compaq PC. Since we got it I can't download any software period!

[1] Can you install any software from a USB?
[2] Are there any Restore Points that you could use?
[3] Have you tried running the trouble-shooter?

Click Start => Control Panel => Network and Sharing Centre => Troubleshoot problems.

I hope this helps!

Paul Black · 11 Nov 2019

Hi Jennymurdock,

On another computer, download the following to a USB, and run it on the problem OS directly from the USB.

Under the heading ipconfig /all . . ., please run IP_Config_All.bat, Option [2] from here => My BATCH PROGRAMS [Standalone] and then upload the results using the tutorial at the bottom of the above link [Upload to SevenForums . . .] and someone will look at it for you.

NOTE: The reason I link to the thread above rather than posting the .bat file here is because it makes it easier if I have to amend the batch script. This way, I only have to amend it and upload it to one location.

I hope this helps!

Paul Black · 11 Nov 2019

Hi Jennymurdock,

Can you also do the same for the following . . .

Under the heading msinfo32 [MS System Information] - Problem Devices . . ., please run MS_Info32_Find_Problem_Devices.bat, Option [2] from here => My BATCH PROGRAMS [Standalone] and then upload the results using the tutorial at the bottom of the above link [Upload to SevenForums . . .] and someone will look at it for you.

I hope this helps!

Jennymurdock · 21 Nov 2019

Hi Paul!
Thank you so much for replying several times to my call for help! :) Sorry it's taken so long to reply, my life is going insane a little bit and I have had no time to myself.

I wanted to do your first suggestion, but I don't know which option to choose as far as the troubleshooting goes. The ones I figured may be of help were either from Programs (run earlier version of Windows) or under Systems and Security/check performance issues (would that be the one to try)?
Restore points won't work because this PC was like this since we bought it (used) from someone a few years ago.

Also, to make matters a bit more sticky, I don't have another computer that I can use to download anything, everyone I know has a Mac, LOL! I don't have a thumb drive or other external HD, unless I could somehow email the program to myself on someone else's Mac?

I do not want to update my system to windows 10, I've heard so many horror stories that I disabled the automatic updates- someone said that they didn't and then their PC decided to do an automatic update to Win 10 without them saying "ok" to it.
Anyway thank you so so much for getting back to me on this, you're the best!

torchwood · 21 Nov 2019

Hi Jenny,

since youv'e had these problems ever since you bought it,
have a read of this

HP PCs - Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 7) | HP(R) Customer Support

If you have any personal data back it up to a USB, there cheap

it might entail a fair bit of updating, we can get you upto date a lot quicker
So as soon as its up and running RESET windows updates to Never

Roy

Megahertz07 · 24 Nov 2019

It seems that you bought a computer that has been modified using group policies (gpedit.msc) to block modifications by the user.

As Roy suggested, the best thing to do is to do a System Recovery: This option re formats the system drive (usually C:), re installs the original operating system, and re installs all the original hardware drivers and software. System Recovery does not impact user created partitions.

But before you proceed, lets see if you still have the recovery partition.
Open Disk manager (C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc) expand the window, expand the columns so we can read them and with the snipping tool take a snapshot of the whole window and save it.
Post it here as an attachment. Use the paper clip on the Quick Reply window, browse to the saved file and upload.

As also suggested, Set windows update to never check and install the updates using Simplix
MS releases SP2 for Windows 7