Well I recently downloaded and *tried* to install PCTools Firewall. Out of the box it had problems, the setup downloads and runs another setup (ThreatFire) that stalls out and freezes the pc (unless you are in safe mode).

Ok, reboot, unchecked threatfire install and tried again. This time the pc got realllly slow, then back to normal so I figured all was well. Prompted for reboot, clicked ok.

Next Boot:
Nothing wrong with anything, firewall prompting for this and that, changed some settings(turned off code injection detection) and I thought I was allright.

Shutdown restart in Ubuntu for the rest of the day, then total power off.

Next Day
Boot in windows

No Internet. I diagnosed the problem to somewhere between the network card and comcast ipconfig /renew gives something about "not a socket" "cannot complete." disabled PCTools from startup in registry, shutdown PCTools and rebooted. Internet. OK all is well (so you would think)

Reboot in ubuntu then back to windows, then ubuntu then total power off.


Next Day (Today)
Boot in windows

No Internet. Fµ(|{ what is the problem? Same thing when ipconfig /renew, decided to check properties of network connection, saw a new service there, PCTools Firewall Service. A ha!

Complete Uninstall of PCTools Firewall, purge of all temp files (privacy eraser pro) and reboot.

Internet ok. Tomorrow will tell.

----edit add in----
Also have looked into ubuntu fudging my network card, but as I understand it, if this were the problem, my network card would not show up at all. I have ruled out that possibility after remembering that I have had ubuntu installed for some time, and this problem started a day after I installed that piece of $h17 software.

I have also tested many different power up/down/restart/what have you situations, and none of them recreate the problem so I can safely say that Ubuntu is not the culprit.