Removing a dial-up connection.

Mark M · Post by **Mark M** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:33 am

Hi Guys. Can you help?

Since having broadband I have had trouble permanently deleting my old dial-up connection.

Every time I reboot the computer I have to delete the dial-up connection again, as the browser wants to use to old connection.

I’ve searched the registry for the dial-up properties and still had no luck.

Has anyone any idea why my old dial-up connection keeps repopulating?

(found under - Tools->Internet options->Connections->Dial-up and Virtual Private Network settings)

Cheers

Mark

Post by **Alan** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:40 am

Hi,

Normally if you go to internet options>connection and click never dial a connection that should stop it wanting to dial.

Mark M · Post by **Mark M** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 2:59 pm

Hi Alan.

If only!

That's what I started to do originally, but it never remembered that I didn't want to dial.

Now I always delete it, but it doesn't remember that either.

Is it just a problem of old age. Mine and XP's!

Post by **Alan** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 3:27 pm

Mark M wrote: Is it just a problem of old age. Mine and XP's!

Quite possibly

It sounds as though you might have downloaded (Unintentionally of course) one of those dialler progs, which were notorious a few years ago, before BB.

Have you run any anti spyware progs at all? They should pick up any phone diallers you may have picked up.

Post by **Shotokan101** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 3:39 pm

I think that you may be right Alan - I'm pretty sure that Windows Xp Onwards doesn't allow the removal of DUN (Dial Up Networking) and the procedure you outlined originally (if followed correctly) should disable the dial up attempts.

Post by **Neo** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 4:19 pm

Apart from what the others have suggested you could try the following:

Backup your Dialup connection(s) if you like with THIS utility

Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Connections\Pbk or similar (depending on the number of uses registered in Windows etc) and look for the *.pbk file
Make a note of the name and then delete the pbk file.
Create a new (empty) text file and rename it to the same name as the pbk file. Set it's access to "Read Only".

That might prevent Windows from recreating the connection(s). By the way, you should be able to see the Network Connections folder by typing "Network Connections" in to a Windows Explorer "Address" and pressing enter/return on the keyboard.

Mark M · Post by **Mark M** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:11 pm

Thanks for all the replies.

I do a check with multiple spyware checkers (spybot, ad-aware & AVG Anti-spyware) and I also don't leave the modem plugged in as an extra precaution. So far, I have only suffered a couple of dialler loads.

As I said in my reply to Alan, I did originally set the connection to "Never dial a connection" but that had no effect, as I still had to set that every time for some reason.

I switched to the "remove" option soon after, as it was easier for the "non techies" in the house to remember.

I have now implemented Neo's .pbk file fix. This gives an error once XP starts, which I prefer, as it's even easier for the non techies to acknowledge and it doesn't impact other programmes that use the net connection.

Post by **Shotokan101** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:14 pm

If you were setting the "never dial" checkbox and it keeps resetting then that sounds more like some form of system settings protection feature - possibly associated with your A/V or Firewall S/W

Have you any similar problems changing any other networking properties etc. ?