You receive an "Operation was attempted on something that is not a socket" error message when you try to obtain an IP address

After you install a modem on your system, you may not be able to connect to the Internet. When you try to release and then renew the IP address, you may receive the following error message:

This behavior may occur if the WinSocks library or the TCP/IP stack are corrupted.

To resolve this issue, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type Regedit, and then press ENTER.
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
4. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.
5. In the File name box, type the name of the backup file; for example, type Winsock Registry key, and then click Save. Note the name of the folder in which the registration file is saved.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2
7. Delete the following keys from the registry:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2
   NOTE: Steps 3 through 6 backed up the two registry keys. You can use the backup files to restore the keys in the event that your computer displays unexpected behavior. For more information about how to restore registry keys from .reg files, search the Registry Editor Help files for the Import or export registry keys topic.
   
   
8. Close the Registry Editor.
9. Locate the Nettcpip.inf file in %winroot%\inf, and then open the file in Notepad.
10. Locate the [MS_TCPIP.PrimaryInstall] section. Change the Characteristics = 0xa0 entry by replacing 0xa0 with 0x80. Save the file. Exit Notepad.
11. In Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, right-click Local Area Connection, and then select Properties.
12. On the General tab, click Install, select Protocol, and then click Add.
13. In the Select Network Protocols window, click Have Disk.
14. In the Copy manufacturer's files from text box, type c:\windows\inf, and then click OK.
15. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click OK.
    
    Note This step returns you to the Local Area Connection Properties screen. However, the Uninstall button is now available.
16. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), click Uninstall, and then click Yes.
17. In Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, right-click Local Area Connection, and then select Properties.
18. On the General tab, click Install, select Protocol, and then click Add.
19. In the Select Network Protocols window, click Have Disk.
20. In the Copy Manufacturer's files from text box, type c:\windows\inf, and then click OK.
21. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click OK.
22. Restart your computer.
23. Test your Internet connectivity.