Fixing a broken TCP/IP stack in Windows - For advanced users

#Written by: Michael Wood
#Date 11-29-2011

Ways you can tell it's broken is:
Computer will not pull a DHCP address
Running the command "ipconfig" will result in an error message
Obviously, you wouldn't be able to ping any address

Most people, when it comes to fixing the TCP/IP stack in Windows, would run the command:
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

Then restart the machine.

This above command rewrites two registry keys that are used by TCP/IP:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\

Here is what the log file would look like after running the command:
(Note: When the TCP/IP registry keys have not been altered from their original configuration, there might be no actions logged in the file)

#BEGIN LOG#
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dhcp\Parameters\Options\15\RegLocation
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\?\DhcpDomain
                SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TcpIp\Parameters\DhcpDomain

added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters\Interfaces\Tcpip_{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\NetbiosOptions
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters\Interfaces\Tcpip_{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\NetbiosOptions
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters\Interfaces\Tcpip_{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\NameServerList
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                10.1.1.2

deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters\EnableLmhosts
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\AddressType
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\DefaultGatewayMetric
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\DisableDynamicUpdate
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\DontAddDefaultGateway
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\EnableDhcp
            old REG_DWORD = 0

added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\NameServer
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\RawIpAllowedProtocols
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\TcpAllowedPorts
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{2DDD011E-B1B6-4886-87AC-B4E72693D10C}\UdpAllowedPorts
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\DisableDynamicUpdate
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\EnableDhcp
            old REG_DWORD = 0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\IpAddress
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                12.12.12.12

deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\IpAutoconfigurationAddress
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\IpAutoconfigurationMask
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\IpAutoconfigurationSeed
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\RawIpAllowedProtocols
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\SubnetMask
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                255.255.255.0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\TcpAllowedPorts
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{5B3675C3-6EB9-4936-B991-04DA31024C4E}\UdpAllowedPorts
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\AddressType
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\DefaultGatewayMetric
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\DisableDynamicUpdate
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\DontAddDefaultGateway
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\EnableDhcp
            old REG_DWORD = 0

added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\NameServer
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\RawIpAllowedProtocols
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\TcpAllowedPorts
added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BAA9D128-54BB-43F6-8922-313D537BE03E}\UdpAllowedPorts
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\DefaultGateway
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                10.1.1.2


reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\DefaultGatewayMetric
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0


added   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\DisableDynamicUpdate
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\EnableDhcp
            old REG_DWORD = 0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\IpAddress
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                10.1.1.1


deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\IpAutoconfigurationAddress
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\IpAutoconfigurationMask
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\IpAutoconfigurationSeed
reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\NameServer
            old REG_SZ = 10.1.1.2,10.1.1.3

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\RawIpAllowedProtocols
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\SubnetMask
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                255.255.255.0


reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\TcpAllowedPorts
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

reset   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{BD2859BA-B26A-4E2B-A3FE-3D246F90A81A}\UdpAllowedPorts
            old REG_MULTI_SZ =
                0

deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DontAddDefaultGatewayDefault
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnableIcmpRedirect
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnableSecurityFilters
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\SearchList
deleted SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\UseDomainNameDevolution
<completed>Note In Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, you can use  the netsh winsock reset command to repair Winsock.
#END LOG#

So, this is all cool and everything but it doesn't always work.

The next best thing to do is completely uninstall the TCP/IP protocol!
First, if you browse to your network connections and right click on the "Local Area Connection" and choose "Properties" the Local Area Connection properties window is displayed.  In this list you should see "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)".  If you select it you will notice that the "Uninstall" option is greyed out.

Now for the fun part!

Browse to C:Windows\inf (make sure you can view all hidden files and protected operating system files)
Locate the file "nettcpip.inf" and open it with Notepad (or whatever text editor you use).
Locate this section:
#BEGIN#
;=======================
; TCP/IP Primary Install
;=======================

[MS_TCPIP.PrimaryInstall]
; TCPIP has properties to display
Characteristics = 0xA0 ; NCF_HAS_UI | NCF_NOT_USER_REMOVABLE
AddReg = Registry.MS_TCPIP.PrimaryInstall, Registry.MS_TCPIP, Registry.MS_TCPIP.Legacy
#END#

The line containing "Characteristics = 0xA0 ; NCF_HAS_UI | NCF_NOT_USER_REMOVABLE" change the "0xA0" to "0x80" and save the file.

Now, go back to your Local Area Connection properties window and select "Install" > "Protocol" > "Add" > "Have disk" > "Browse..."
Select the "nettcpip.inf" in the directory C:\Windows\inf

After it installs the driver file the option "Uninstall" should be visible, instead of greyed out.  Choose "Uninstall" on "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and restart the machine.

When the machine comes back up simply go back to your Local Area Connection properties window and select "Install" > "Protocol" > "Add" > "Have disk" > "Browse..."
Select the "nettcpip.inf" in the directory C:\Windows\inf
After the driver loads restart the machine once more.  When it comes back up, you should have a working TCP/IP stack.  The network card should have pulled a DHCP address and the "ipconfig" command should give you the correct output.