How To Reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Internet Protocol Corrupted

Now You Know - The TCP/IP protocol is needed by your Windows computer to connect to the internet. When you experience internet connection issues, it might be that your Internet Protocol or TCP/IP is corrupt and need resetting. In this article we discuss how to reset the internet protocol in Windows 7 to 10. Fortunately, the process did not change much since Windows XP, so this guide should also work with it.

So, when you are sure there is no faults with your networking hardware or ISP, and your computer is connected to the internet, but you receive a ‘the page cannot be displayed’ error when visiting a website, the internet protocol is most likely corrupt. Such corruption can be caused by various networking software installations, or virus/malware infections. Creating a Restore Point is always a good idea before proceeding.

To reset the Windows Vista/7/8/10 TCP/IP stack:

1. Run Elevated Command Prompt:
   - Click the Start button
   - Type: cmd in the Start Search text box.
   - Right-click and choose "Run as Administrator" (alternatively, press CTRL-SHIFT-ENTER to run it as administrator), and allow elevation request
2. Type: netsh int ip reset
3. Hit Enter
4. Type: netsh winsock reset
5. Hit Enter
6. Restart the computer

Reset TCP/IP

When viewing the list of components for a network interface, you may notice that the Uninstall button is disabled when Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is selected. In Windows XP, the TCP/IP stack is considered a core component of the operating system; therefore, it is not possible to uninstall TCP/IP in Windows XP.

The NetShell utility (netsh) is a command-line scripting interface for the configuring and monitoring of Windows XP networking. This tool provides an interactive network shell interface to the user.

In Windows XP, a reset command is available in the IP context of the NetShell utility. When this command is executed, it rewrites pertinent registry keys that are used by the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack to achieve the same result as the removal and the reinstallation of the protocol.