Lose wireless network connectivity on Win7 system

[Muse]

One of my laptops (running Win7 32bit Home Edition) suddenly can't see the network. I was preparing to do the Windows 10 upgrade. In doing so, I first ran Superantispyware (after it updated data), removing over 800 tracking cookies. I then ran Malwarebytes, after it had updated the application and data. Malwarebytes said it found 5 items that might be problematical and I elected to remove them. It said it had to reboot to complete the task and upon reboot I had no internet connection. Windows is unable to troubleshoot-fix the issue. After Windows starts I get this message box off the task pane:

Failed to connect to a windows service

Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service service. This problem prevents standard users from logging on to the system.
As an administrative user, you can review the System Event Log for details about why the service didn't respond.

When I try to troubleshoot the wireless connection I get this:

Windows could not automatically detect this network's proxy settings

I've been doing some internet searches but nothing I've tried so far has helped, including uninstalling the wireless adapter and rebooting. The adapter is shown as working in Device Manager and there are no yellow !'s there for anything.

I'm stumped right now. I do have a backup via Acronis True Image WD Edition from ~2 months ago I could restore to (restoring to configuration from two days ago that Windows offered didn't fix the issue and Windows then restored to today's version). Of course, I'd prefer not to roll back the clock ~8-10 weeks. Ideas appreciated...

 

[Muse]

When Windows offered to go back to store points it offered me two to choose from:

Oct. 19 (i.e. two days ago)
Oct. 16

I chose Oct. 19 because things were working fine then and that restore point should give me back my network connection. However, it didn't. So, I reasoned that going back to the earlier restore point was likewise not going to fix the problem. However, after nothing else was curing the problem I went back to the Oct. 16 restore point and the network now works.

Nutty, but I wonder if I should just forget about running Malwarebytes for the time being.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Sounds like you have some sort of internet-proxy malware on there. When Malwarebytes cleans out the malware, then your internet connection is inoperable, because it can't make the connection.

 

[Muse]

Sounds like you have some sort of internet-proxy malware on there. When Malwarebytes cleans out the malware, then your internet connection is inoperable, because it can't make the connection.

Ah, well, what can I do to fix the situation? I figure if I run Malwarebytes now the problem will happen again.

My plan is to back up the computer and do the Windows 10 upgrade in hopes that it will cure the freezes I get several times a day. A guy who has the same setup as me said when he went to Windows 10 his freezes disappeared. I was going to do it today, but issues such as this set me back.

Maybe going to Windows 10 will resolve the internet-proxy thing? I don't need an internet-proxy, do I? What's that about?

 

[Muse]

Well, I ran Malwarebytes again today, figured it would find the same stuff, ask to reboot and I'd again lose my wifi. It did find the same stuff (although I seem to recall maybe 5 things instead of the four it found today), it didn't ask to reboot. I rebooted anyway and still have my wifi. Here's the Malwarebytes report (it removed the four registry keys shown):

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
www.malwarebytes.org

Scan Date: 10/23/2015
Scan Time: 2:39:40 PM
Logfile:
Administrator: Yes

Version: 2.02.0.1024
Malware Database: v2015.10.23.06
Rootkit Database: v2015.10.23.01
License: Free
Malware Protection: Disabled
Malicious Website Protection: Disabled
Self-protection: Disabled

OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x86
File System: NTFS
User: Muse

Scan Type: Threat Scan
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 285514
Time Elapsed: 13 min, 44 sec

Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Disabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Enabled
PUM: Enabled

Processes: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Modules: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys: 4
PUP.Optional.DeskBar, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\TRACING\DeskBarBundler_RASAPI32, , [81e1d08a216a44f26d8bcbc89f646f91],
PUP.Optional.DeskBar, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\TRACING\DeskBarBundler_RASMANCS, , [342ecc8ec8c31b1b3cbc7d16739049b7],
PUP.Optional.DeskBar, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\TRACING\DeskBar_RASAPI32, , [8dd58dcdc7c4de58ba3e2f64f310ff01],
PUP.Optional.DeskBar, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\TRACING\DeskBar_RASMANCS, , [9cc6f56555367eb829cff2a1ae559868],

Registry Values: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folders: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Files: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Physical Sectors: 0
(No malicious items detected)


(end)

 

[Elixer]

I just ran into a laptop that this happened to, and I had to remove the old wireless NIC drivers, and reinstall the NIC drivers again.
No idea how they got corrupted, but, that did fix the issue.

 

[Muse]

I just ran into a laptop that this happened to, and I had to remove the old wireless NIC drivers, and reinstall the NIC drivers again.
No idea how they got corrupted, but, that did fix the issue.

That may have been a factor (the factor ) in my fix, because I did uninstall the wireless connection and rebooted at one point. I'm kind of swamped with issues at the moment, things should sort out eventually. The machine suffers freezes of 1-5 minutes several times/day.