Thinkpads Forum

I am looking for users have seen this rare problem with the status of the T-60 network adapters

I have a T-60 (2007-62U) that has an annoying but not critical error of constantly displaying the error message "Acquiring Network Address" when using DHCP. To resolve the error, and get the correct status, all I need to do is open the network connection, go to properties and click OK - after that the status is correctly displayed.

Where this gets weird is that the message is NOT correct - the computer does get a DHCP address and TCP/IP is functioning just fine. As mentioned above, whether it is the wired adapter or the wireless if, I go to properties and click OK - the status of the adapter updates and is correctly displayed.

The problem is not related to the network card - I have the same issue with both the internal Ethernet as well as the wireless. It is not a critical error but it is annoying. Just getting the message, in and of itself, is one thing, but the bigger annoyance is not knowing WHY it is happening.

My suspicion is that it is a hardware related issue as it is easily reproducible on this laptop. A few months ago I rebuilt the laptop using the recovery partition: I had an application that caused some issues, so I thought it would be a good time to clean things up.

Starting with a clean factory rebuild the same error message was still there. Again it is just a bogus issue because the adapter does receive a valid IP address, and if I go to properties and click OK - the status of the adapter is correctly displayed.

A few weeks ago in a fit of boredom, I decided to re-install Windows XP from scratch. Nothing changed. The incorrect DHCP status issue remained.

Before anyone states the obvious:

1. The BIOS is current and up to date
2. All of the latest drivers are installed
3. I have verified and reset the IP stack using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357 as well as http://www.xp-smoker.com/freeware.html
4. SP3 is installed
5. Using a static IP works without issue
6. DHCP does provide a valid IP address, everything works fine, it is just the icon in the SysTray that shows the message "Acquiring Network Address"
7. The error message doesn't cause any problems other than my frustration of wondering "why" and not knowing the cause - I am a tad obsessive compulsive when it comes to error messages
8. I am an IT professional with over 12 years experience - this isn't my "first rodeo"
9. The issue is present from the initial install - it isn't a software conflict because the error presents itself even before I install any software
10. Going to the command line and issuing "ipconfig /release" and then "ipconfig / renew" doesn't fix the status issue - however the command works and the IP address is released and renewed
11. The Event Viewer doesn't reveal any errors - Does anyone know how to enable "debug" level logging in Windows XP? I have never found the Windows Event Viewer to be extremely descriptive, but there must be someway of capturing what the OS is doing?

If anyone has any thoughts or ideas, I am open to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance........

Robert

I had the exact problem pre SP3 (XP). Installing SP3 hosed my wireless connection and in the rebuild process (uninstall wireless card, reinstall with pre SP3 driver set) I dropped ThinkVantage Access Connections as I really don't need all that profile switching. The problem never returned.

I never installed ThinkVantage Access Connections and when I used the default factory image, this is one of the software packages I remove.

The operational theory I go by is that "least is best". However maybe this isn't always the case.

One more piece to the puzzle - if I connect the ethernet cable and boot-up the status icon works and displays correctly.

I can do an IPCONFIG /release & renew without issue. The status icon never changes.

However, if I "disable" and then "re-enable" the network adapter the status icon goes back to displaying "Acquiring Network Address" until I go the adapter, right mouse click to display properties, and then click "OK". I don't have to make any changes - just displaying the properties of the ethernet adapter resets the status icon to display correctly.

Any other ideas?

Robert

Sorry my reply did not help. I'm grasping at straws here. Have you tried the netsh int ip reset c\:resetlog.txt routine to rebuild the IP stack? And...have you tried rolling back your driver set at least one iteration?

In reposnse to your question about the IP stack the answers are yes and yes.......

Given that the error has reproduced itself over multiple rebuilds of the base OS, I am considering installing the Thinkvantage Connection Manager to see if it makes any difference.

At this point I am generally of the opinion that this is hardware related, BUT that goes against logic and common sense.

Robert

I would have to agree that it goes against logic for it to be hardware, and as I said, I had this problem too. Are we the only two people on the board?

When you state that the problem has reproduced itself over several rebuilds, does it appear directly after the install of the driver for the wireless card, or do you wait and finish other installs? I'm wondering if it's some kind of interaction with another software or OS component.

To be honest, I didn't pay close attention during the rebuild process.

Next time I do a rebuild - something I don't feel like doing for a while - I will do a step by step, install, test, install, test rebuild: if I go through things step by step - in theory - I should be able to isolate the cause.

For now the problem is annoying, but I am not planning on taking any drastic actions for now. If I stumble across a solution that would be great, but for now I will leave things "as is".

Robert

I have been able to address the "Acquiring Network Address" issue. I would like to use the word "resolve" as opposed to "address", but even though this problem is no longer an major issue, I still see it on occasion.

This is what I know:

1. When the problem is present, the "Acquiring Network Address" message appears on both the Intel Ethernet port as well as the A/B/G wireless adapter - even though the System Tray icon status shows "Acquiring Network Address", the DHCP process has been successful and the computer has acquired an IP address.

2. When the problem is present, the way to correct the status is opening the "Adapter Properties" and then simply clicking "OK" - this updates Windows and corrects the status.

3. Neither the DHCP client or the TCP/IP stack are related to the issue - the problem is related to either the hardware or the drivers.

4. While I have no idea what the exact problem is, or what causes it, the issue has presented itself immediately after a full clean install. The "Acquiring Network Address" status message appeared immediately after installing the drivers on a clean XP Pro SP2 install, and was still present after installing SP3.

5. It is not related to any software conflicts, as the problem showed itself before any (application) software was installed.

On my laptop (Thinkpad T-60 2007-62U), rather than make a third attempt at a complete re-install, I simply went in to the Windows Device manager and deleted all of the hardware devices. This then forced Windows to re-install all of the devices. One by one I reinstalled all of the (critical) Thinkvantage software. This included the network adpaters, video, ACPI, Power Management, Audio, Help Center, Finger Print software (which I then disable), Active Protection, and modem driver.

My preference is to keep the Thinkvantage software to a bare minimum - all the device drivers are present, but it is a minimalist approach to keep things simple and functional.

In theory, nothing changed: it was all the same software and same hardware but now I can consistently connect or reconnect to a network, and receive a IP address without issue. As expected, I see the "Acquiring Network Address" status message on the System Tray icon, but as soon as the DHCP process is completed, the proper "connected" icon appears. The only time the status error reappears is when I have connected to several different networks and XP has been running for a few days. A reboot quickly resolves the issue. As a consultant I an constantly connecting and reconnecting to client networks and I don't normally shutdown my computer: I just suspend or hibernate to avoid the hassle of rebooting.

One item of interest is that the process of reinstalling all the hardware and drivers did corrupt my Window's profile. I ended up having blow away my user account and recreate it. This could just be coincidence, as I find that Windows does tend to "bloat" user profiles over time. I have colleagues who complain that Windows XP performance declines over time and a rebuild (reinstall XP) is the solution. As for the reality that Windows XP performance/reliability does tend to decline, I find recreating a new user profile often resolves the issues. Recreating your profile gives a fresh HKCU hive, which definitely seems to help. In any case it is a lot quicker to recreate my profile than to do a complete reinstall of XP.

If any other users have this problem - Windows XP displays the balloon message "Acquiring Network Address" even though a DHCP address has been assigned - please post your information. I know the problem exists, that others have seen it, but I would really like to know what caused the issue and how other have resolved the problem

robegusn wrote:If any other users have this problem - Windows XP displays the balloon message "Acquiring Network Address" even though a DHCP address has been assigned - please post your information. I know the problem exists, that others have seen it, but I would really like to know what caused the issue and how other have resolved the problem

When you rebuild your machine, how is that you actually rebuild it? Do you pull out the XP install CD and start from a clean install (absolutely NO ThinkPad software/drivers at all)? Have you slipstreamed SP3 on to your install CD?

It would be awesome, if you rebuild your machine, if you would install just the OS, and then install one NIC driver. Do NOT install the NIC driver using a "setup" program. Just unpack the driver files on your laptop, and then do an "update driver" on the NIC via Device Manager. With a fair amount of effort, I have created an XP install for my T61p where the only actual Lenovo "install" I use is for Power Management. Everything else (including the fingerprint scanner, etc.) is a drivers only install. No Intel wireless client, no nothing. I wonder how an extremely clean install would work out (or is that what you've been doing)?

When I rebuild my laptop I always start with a standard Windows XP Pro CD that has SP2 slipstreamed in.

I do however install the drivers using the Thinkvantage packages downloaded from the Lenovo web site.

Typically I install the video driver, the two network drivers and then run Windows Update. After Windows is fully patched, I install the remainder of the base software as described in my previous posts.

robegusn wrote:Typically I install the video driver, the two network drivers and then run Windows Update. After Windows is fully patched, I install the remainder of the base software as described in my previous posts.

Sounds logical. So - if you stop just after the machine is fully patched, do you still get the DHCP issues? I certainly don't want to waste any more of your time, but I've never seen a problem like this before.

If you're going to re-load the OS again, try to avoid using the NIC setup programs. Unpack all the apps/drivers from the Lenovo site as you normally would, but just use Device Manager to perform an Update Driver for the NIC's and force the updater to pull the driver directly from wherever you unpacked the Lenovo files. If you still get the DHCP errors, then my guess is that you have bad hardware or a bad XP CD.

If you know someone with an MSDN subscription, get them to download the latest XP install CD with SP3 (be sure to get the correct version: regular, OEM, or volume licensee, otherwise, your XP key may not work).

PS - you're not using XP "Starter Edition" are you?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921127

Sorry for bringing up an old thread but I'm having the exact same problem.
I don't have a ThinkPad but rather a one month old IdeaPad S10-2 which is a netbook.

My wireless adapter is a Broadcom 802.11g
Ethernet is a Realtek.

Short of re-installing XP I've tried most of the solutions the OP did without success.
If anybody found a solution, I would be most appreciative.

robegusn wrote:When I rebuild my laptop I always start with a standard Windows XP Pro CD that has SP2 slipstreamed in.

I do however install the drivers using the Thinkvantage packages downloaded from the Lenovo web site.

Typically I install the video driver, the two network drivers and then run Windows Update. After Windows is fully patched, I install the remainder of the base software as described in my previous posts.

I typically install the video-driver 'first thing' also....however, I install the power-management stuff before anything else. Network last. I try to install all SP's, updates, hotfixes, prior to installing network-drivers.

Off the top of my head, it sounds like you've got a "failed to start" problem with a driver or service....which then finally does start, but too late in the game. Most drivers and services have "dependencies", i.e., other modules that -must- be up and running prior to module-A being started.

Every driver and service has a registry key where these dependencies are stored. Windows looks at them during boot, and will hold off loading module-A until modules b, c, d are up and running....IF the reg-key for A lists b,c,d as dependencies.

Many install packages for drivers/services don't register any dependencies at all during install.....their programmers apparently assume that the OS is up and stable by the time -their- service gets started. The net result for these drivers/services is that, every boot-time, they get started in the order they were installed.

Which means that it's important not just -which- drivers you use, but what -order- you install them in. In 20 yrs, I have seen countless pc-problems cured simply by changing the order of installation.

Here is some copy/paste from my win-notes-file that may help...

"How to delay loading of specific services; KB193888

In some computers it may be necessary to delay the loading of a specific Windows service for the computer to boot properly. Or you may want to ensure that one service has started and is available for use before another for troubleshooting purposes. You will first need to verify that the dependency you want to create does not already exist. The following are some of the most common dependencies that already exist in a default configuration:

Service Depends on
------- ----------
Alerter LanmanWorkstation
Browser LanmanWorkstation, LanmanServer, LmHosts
ClipSrv NetDDE
DHCP Afd, NetBT, TCP/IP
Messenger LanmanWorkstation, NetBIOS
NetBT TCP/IP
NetDDE NetDDEDSDM
NetLogon LanmanWorkstation, LmHosts
Parallel Parport
Replicator LanmanServer, LanmanWorkstation

The Registry subkeys for services are located in the following path and can control how services are loaded.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<Service name>

To create a new dependency, select the subkey representing the service you want to delay, click Edit, and then click Add Value. Create a new value name "DependOnService" (without the quotation marks) with a data type of REG_MULTI_SZ, and then click OK. When the Data dialog box appears, type the name or names of the services that you prefer to start before this service with one entry for each line, and then click OK.

(dozer note: best to use regedt32 to do multi-sz keys)

The name of the service you would enter in the Data dialog box is the exact name of the service as it appears in the registry under the Services key. When the computer starts, it uses this entry to verify that the service or services listed in this value are started before attempting to start the dependent service. "

-------------------

- Path too long is sometimes cause for some (buggy) services not starting. I.e., the path to the driver/service itself.

--------------------
"At Least One Service or Driver Failed During System Startup; Server service hung on startup
This issue can occur if the Spooler service tries to start before the Server service. This issue may occur if you installed either the Lexmark International Markvision (LexBce) service or the Hewlett-Packard JetAdmin port monitoring software on your computer."

- Can also occur if NetBios data value missing from registry; KB199352
add the NetBios data value to the DependOnService multi-string value in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Messenger
The DependOnService multi-string value should include the LanmanWorkstation and NetBios data values.
NOTE: The DependOnService multi-string value is displayed as a hexadecimal number when you use Regedit.exe, and as a REG_MULTI_SZ value when you use Regedt32.exe. Therefore, you should use Regedt32.exe to add the NetBios data value. KB199352
When you check Services, you may find that the Messenger service IS started and networking is functional. However, Event Viewer may display the following error message: Event ID 7022 Service Control Manager "Messenger Service hung on startup"
System Control Manager (or Service Control Mgr?) times out and logs event ID 7022 The Net Logon service hung on starting.

----------------

You also asked about debug/logging....

"To enable verbose logging of Winlogon:
1. Click Start, Run, gpedit.msc, OK. Browse to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System.
2. Double-click Verbose vs normal status messages, and then click Enable.
3. To force an immediate refresh of policy settings, run at command prompt: secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce

Or, using Registry Editor to switch between normal and verbose status messages. 1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Double-click the new key, type verbosestatus in the Value Name box, and then type 1 in the Data value box.
5. Note; if the following key is present, and value is 1, status messages are not displayed:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\DisableStatusMessages

------------------

Whups.....almost forgot to mention....the reason I'm in this thread is because I'm experiencing a 'sorta' similar issue myself right now....

I run win2k-sp4 on a t60p....and recently I accidentally clicked the entry 'netmeeting' in my start/programs list. Little did I know that that wasn't netmeeting, but rather, its -installation- program, and it took off and ran immediately (I don't use NM and have never installed it).

Afterwards, I wanted to remove it, but M$ doesn't provide anything in add/remove programs....and the NM files themselves seem to be protected by WFP.

In any event, ever since that fateful day, whenever I wake up the t60 from sleep, it can't find the internet...which it normally gets over Wifi from an R60 sharing its 56k modem over wifi to our 2 laptops. However, it -does- find these other laptops on the ad-hoc wifi ok.....it just can't get email or browse.

If I disable/enable the wifi in network-conns, it's fine again. Btw, I run this fixed-ip, not dhcp.

Anyway, I hope the above is of some small help....log the boot and see if there's something hung on starting. Good luck with it...

Richard