What is Driver Protocol Error?

This article will help you to resolve TCP/IP driver protocol error and other errors associated with it, on a Windows 2003 domain controller. For resolution, you need to first remove and then reinstall TCP/IP and Winsock protocols.

You need to fix driver protocol error, when you face one or all of the following issues:

·         When you select the Show Hidden Devices option in Device Manager and expand the Non-Plug and Play Drivers category your TCP/IP Protocol Driver is depicted as disabled.

·         Your PC faces problem while renewing Internet interface because an operation that is not a socket is attempted.

·         The following error message is displayed when the ipconfig /renew command is executed at Command Prompt is used to renew IP configuration of the system:

“An error occurred while renewing interface local area connection: an operation was attempted on something that is not a socket. Unable to contact driver Error code 2”

·         The following error messages are displayed when you attempt to run the ipconfig command:

“The operation failed since no adapter is in the state permissible for this operation” 

“The attempted operation is not supported for the type of object referenced.”

·         When you try to run the ping command the result replaces the IP address with junk characters.

·         The following error message is displayed when you attempt to create a new dial-up connection:

“Error 720: No PPP Control Protocols Configured” 

·         The following error message is displayed when you try to execute the Netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt command at Command Prompt:

“Initialization function INITHELPERDLL in IPMONTR.DLL failed to start with error code 10107.”

TCP/IP driver protocol error in this case occurs due to corrupt registry entries. To resolve the issue, you need to delete these bad registry entries and the reinstall TCP/IP. 

Warning : Before making any changes to the registry, remember to make a backup.  

1. Restart your Windows 2003 domain controller computer.  

2.      Press F8 at startup, select Directory Services Restore Mode, and then press Enter to start your computer in Directory Services Restore Mode.

3.      Provide the required credentials to log on to the system.

4.      Run the regedit command to display Registry Editor.

5.      Here, navigate to the following entries and delete them.  

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock  

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2 

6.      Exit Registry Editor.

7.      Open the Nettcpip.inf located in the %winroot%\inf using Notepad.

8.     In the [MS_TCPIP.PrimaryInstall] section, change the value of  

     Characteristics = 0xa0 entry from 0xa0 to 0x80.

9.      Save the file and close it.

10.  Next, in the Control Panel, open Network Connections.

11.  Double-click the Local Area Connection icon to display the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.

12.  Click the Install button on the General tab and then click the Add button.

13.  Click Have Disk in the Select Network Protocols dialog box.

14.  Type c:\windows\inf, and then click OK in the Copy manufacturer's files from: text box.

15.  Next, select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) option, and then click the OK button.

16.  In the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Uninstall.

17.  Click Yes to confirm your decision.

18.  Restart your PC and again boot it into the Directory Services Restore Mode

19.  Open the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box again, and then click Install on the General tab.

20.  In the Select Network Feature Type dialog box, select Protocol, and then click Add.

21.  Click Have Disk in the Select Network Protocols dialog box

22.  Type c:\windows\inf, and then click OK in the Copy manufacturer's files from: text box.

23.  Next, select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) option, and then click the OK button.

24.  Restart your domain controller computer normally. 

Your domain controller should now run normally. Install Microsoft support tools and then run the Netdiag and Dcdiag diagnostics tools to ensure everything is working fine.  

A safer and less-time consuming way to correct driver errors is to use a highly effective TCP/IP driver protocol error cleaner.