Unable to connect to localhost, unsure what's going on
Unable to connect to localhost, unsure what's going on
Hi everyone. Writing this on my phone, sorry for the messy formatting. My laptop is having some strange issues. I can’t connect to the Internet, no matter what I do. This seems like a major Windows problem, not just a network card issue. I’m saying this because I can’t ping localhost, 127.0.0.1 or my local IP. I can still connect to Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and both work fine since I see traffic going both ways. When I try pinging, it always fails completely, no matter the address or host. I’ve tried resetting the TCP stack, clearing DNS, doing a network reset, uninstalling my NIC, and removing software that might affect networking. I’m really stuck and have no idea what else to do except a full system reset. The catch is this is my work laptop, and if I reset it, I might lose important files. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m pretty tech-savvy, so any suggestions are welcome, even if they’re complicated.
Make sure your files are safe. If they matter, you should already have them backed up (at least twice). The OS problem is real—loopbacks work without needing physical connections. Solving Windows issues often takes more time than just resetting or cleaning the install.
Yes, and although I might think about resetting, I can't because I don’t have my BitLocker key. I won’t be able to obtain it until Monday when regular staff return to the office. I’m not too concerned about the files, except for software licenses. They’re already backed up on my SSD.
You've already explored all possible options beyond what I recommended, which doesn’t account for file loss. I advise reaching out to your company’s tech support and supervisor to clarify the issue and seek a resolution. While waiting, focus on actions you can take offline.