Windows will not save settings

[*Milo_dhuey]

I have a Compaq Presario laptop running WinXPHome. I normally leave this machine on my desk at work, connected to the office network and receiving its IP address from the office's shared DSL router and its DHCP. Last week the laptop started prompting me to choose which Dial-Up connection to use, when I didn't want to use dial-up at all. I went to Control Panel/Internet options/Connection and sure enough found that the connection was set to Always Dial the default connection, which was AOL. I reset that to Dial only if the LAN connection was not available and everything was fine for a little while. I'm now finding that that connection setting does not hold. Everytime I go back to Contro Panel/Internet Options I find that the setting has returned to Always Dial Default Connection. I am clicking on Apply as I finish. The setting will change in the middle of a session, without the machine having been turned off, so it's not just a question of resetting it in the morning and being good to go for the rest of the day. Anyone have an idea about what could be going on. I've run current versions of AdAware, Spybot and have applied all the updates to Windows and apps.

Thanks.

[*dkerr]

One thing I would check for is what programs you have on the computer that are set for automatic update, such as anti-virus programs, some other software may also check for any pending updates from time to time , that are suppose to check in the background without disturbing you. I am just curious if one of the routine auto checks or auto-updating has its own internet configuration settings, and when it does the auto check, it changes the internet source to its own internet source designation within that program from that previously saved.

You basicly have to look for anything that may run automaticly when windows starts and stays in the background, this may take some thinking and checking as it may not always be obvious what is runing that is probing the internet that have its own internet settings that may be changeable.

Can't say for sure that is it, but it is one that comes to mind.