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#1
Network occasionally fails to be activated on bootup
I have a standalone HP Windows 7 computer with internet access provided through an external cable modem via an ethernet connection.
On just a few occasions since getting the computer last month, it has failed to activate the internet connection during the bootup process. The network icon in the bottom right corner continues to show the blue circle indicating "busy" and, in that circumstance, I can't launch the browser. I have to restart the computer and invariably it boots up OK the second time.
In case this is relevant, I should mention that, as the last stage in a successful bootup, a window pops up in the bottom right corner confirming the status of the HP Wireless Assistant (either on or disabled). I obviously don't use a wireless connection but I currently have the wireless button set to "enabled"; however I have also experimented with having it set to "disabled" and the same problem has occurred with that setting, so I don't think this is particularly significant.
When the bootup fails to activate the network, the HP Wireless Assistant popup window does not appear at all. It's as if something happens (or fails to happen) that prevents this last step from being completed.
This seemingly random failure to activate the network connection is obviously irritating and puzzling. Can anyone suggest the cause and what action I should take to avoid this problem?