This system has a few strange problems. The main problem is slow email downloads, and errors downloading emails.

Using webmail results in errors like: your inbox is locked by another system.

I install malwarebytes, but it keeps failing to download updates… A classic symptom of an infection.

So my next step is obvious: boot ubcd4win, update SAS… But the update gets about half way, and then seems to freeze.

While waiting for SAS update, I also do a RAM test (no problem found), I clean up temp files, check that the windows drive is using ntfs.

Once its obvious that the SAS dowload has stalled, i try a ping test…  and that confirms there is an internet connection…

Well, I have nothing better to do, so I do a ping /t (ie a continuous ping)

Now thats interesting: The ping will receive exactly 21 valid replies, then it will timeout, then another 21 valid replies, then timeout, etc, etc.

I try pinging a different website, and get the same results…

I now quit from ubcd4win and start xp normally, but I still get the strange ping behaviour.

Now I look more closely at the modem (netgear), and the wifi router (belkin f5d7230-4).

I switch off the modem and ping the router directly… And I still get the dropouts… This is looking like a router fault.

I plug the pc directly into the modem, and all the pc problems are gone.

Sometime, I really hate these strange problems.