Laptop showing off-line

Hello Barney013;

What program or service is telling him he is off-line?

Hi WR2,
When he clicks on the Connection Icon at the bottlom right hand side of the laptop it shows he is connected. Then when he clicks on Internet Explorer he receives the "offline" message.
Sorry if I am a bit vague but I am trying to help him over the phone, he is at one end of the country and I am at the other, so I am trying to talk him thru some suggested pieces of advise.
Thanks
Bill

Sounds like he is connected to the network but doesn't have internet access.
Was he able to reach internet site previously?

If this is a wireless connection does he have the right pass code (WEP key) for the the router?

Hi WR2,
Yes he was connected to the internet, when he clicks on the connection icon at the bottom right hand side of screen, it shows he is connected, both via wireless and if the plugs in the cable between router and laptop it still shows he is connected. It is when he then tries to go online, i.e. clicking Internet Exployer, he gets the message to say he is "off line"
Prior to this happening he tells me, when he was connected to the internet some message poped up which he didnt understand and he just hit (his words) a few keys and whatever happened he has not been able to get back on-line. Hell knows what keys he hit, but it sounds as if one of those keys or a combination of them switched his laptop from online to offline...
Does that throw any light on what might have happened ???
Best regards
Bill

Just on the off-chance the issue might be with Internet Explorer alone, ask him to install
an alternative web browser like Google Chrome

Also have him try using an IP address to reach a web page instead of the usual www address
Try: 195.234.240.212
Thats the actual IP address of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

And because it's just good to know the problems are not malware related:
AVG Rescue CD Guide
Shows how to build a bootable CD with an anti-virus & malware scanner plus a few utility tools.

Hi WR2,
Thanks again for that, just been on the phone for over an hour going thru your suggestions and we are still getting no-where. Its like flogging a dead horse.
It would help a lot if we had the lap-top here, but trying to sort it out over the phone with 2 people not to sure what they are doing aint helping matters.
He is receiving updates on AVG and Windows okay, but this business of saying you are off-line when trying to get out is baffels me.
If you can throw any further light, I would appreciate it, if not I will have to tell him to call someone in to have a look at it. He is stuck in the house at present recovering as he has just recently come out of hospital, hense me trying to help him this way.
Best regards

So it's clear he is connected to the internet.
Can he receive email too?

I suppose since his web browser isn't working you can't get him to the point where he can access websites to download different web browsers or other items.

Did he still get an 'offline' notice when he tried the IP address I listed above?

What version of Windows is he using? Which version of Internet Explorer?

I'm thinking this is an issue with Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer Starts in Offline Mode and Remains Offline
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180946

IE 7 Starts in "work offline" mode.
http://www.technologyquestions.com/technology/internet-...

Try going into control panel, internet options, connections, lan settings, uncheck use proxy server if check exists. If this box was checked he is a victim of malware. Download Malwarebytes Anti Malware, update and scan. Good luck.

Hi WR2 & reedo_39,
Thanks for keeping up with me, however I cannot now go through the most recent options from you with bro-in-law untill Sunday as I am away for w/end.
Re receiving updates for AVG & Windows, the reason we know that is that I asked to to check when last AVG update was received and he is receiving them when he logs on + on the Windows updates he has received "the dont log-off message as computer is updating", which suggests that is okay. With regards e-mails, no he cannot get into e-mails etc.
I will see further on sunday.
Thanks again
Bill

Sorry about taking some time to get back to you... at the moment we have got no far forward, I have passed all the info to Bro-in-law, he is banging his head against the lap-top & I have told him to find someone local to have a look at it and if the worst comes to the worst find his nearest PC World and he might find a kind engineer to have a look. If something transpires in the next few days I will let you know outcome, if not he will have to leave it until I am able to visit him in May sometime.
Thanks again for all you help and info.
Best regards

Hi Reedo_39
I have just posted a reply to WR2 and forgot to include you in it, so please accept my appologises for the ommision.
Thanks to you also
Best regards

Best answer selected by Barney013.

Up-date........Just had news from b-in-law that he found someone to take his lap-top to PC World and they asked an employee to have a look at the lap-top to see if they could find anything causing the problem. This employee, whoever he was had a look, did a few key strokes and whatever was done the problem was solved. So although the problem is solved, we cannot enlighten on what was done, so sorry we cannot post here the cure in case others have same problem (hope not)
Thanks again to all for past help