Err Msg: Internet Explorer Cannot Open the Internet Site...

Last reviewed: January 6, 1998
Article ID: Q175722

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

When you start Internet Explorer, you may receive the following error message: 

   Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site <address>.
   A connection with the server could not be established.

CAUSE

This error message can occur for either or both of the following reasons:

  • Multiple copies of the Wsock32.dll file are installed on your computer.
  • An incorrect version of the Wsock32.dll file is installed on your computer.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method:

Rename the Additional Wsock32.dll Files

  1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
  2. In the Named box, type "wsock32.dll" (without quotation marks), and then click Find Now.
  3. Rename any copy of the Wsock32.dll file that is not located in the Windows\System folder.

For information about how to rename a file, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "renaming" (without quotation marks), and then double-click the "Renaming files" topic.

Replace the Wsock32.dll File

  1. Restart Windows 95, press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.
  2. Rename the Wsock32.dll file in the Windows\System folder to Wsock32.old by typing the following line, and then pressing ENTER 
    3.       ren <drive>:\<windows>\system\wsock32.dll wsock32.old

    where <drive> is the drive letter on which the Windows folder is located, and <windows> is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed. For example: 

          ren c:\windows\system\wsock32.dll wsock32.old

    NOTE: This procedure assumes you do not have a file named Wsock32.old. If you do have a file by this name, use a file name extension that is not currently in use.

  3. Restart Windows 95 normally.
  4. Extract a new copy of the Wsock32.dll file from your original Windows 95 CD-ROM or floppy disks into the Windows\System folder. To do this, use the appropriate method:

Windows 95 CD-ROM:

a. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.

b. Type "cd\" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

c. Insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then close 

   the Windows 95 screen if it appears.

d. Type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER 

      extract /a <drive>:\win95\win95_02.cab wsock32.dll /l
      c:\<windows>\system

   where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive, and
   <windows> is the name of the folder in which Windows is
   installed.

e. Type "exit" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER to 

   return to Windows.

Windows 95 Floppy Disks:

a. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.

b. Type "cd\" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

c. Insert disk 12 of the Windows 95 disks into the floppy disk drive.

d. Type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER 

      extract /a <drive>:\Win95_12.cab wsock32.dll /l c:\<windows>\system

   where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to the floppy disk drive
   the Windows 95 floppy disk is located in, and <windows> is the
   name of the folder in which Windows is installed.

e. Type "exit" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER to 

   return to Windows.

Restart your computer.

MORE INFORMATION

The Windows 95 Wsock32.dll file is 65K in size and has a date stamp of 7/11/95. In some versions of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2), the Wsock32.dll file may have a different date stamp.

For more information about this issue, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q175039
   TITLE     : Err Msg: A Connection to the Server Could Not Be
               Established

For more information about using the Extract tool, click the Start button, point to Programs, click MS-DOS prompt, type "extract" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER. Or, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q129605
   TITLE     : Using the Windows 95 Extract Tool (Extract.exe)