many thanks for all the suggestions, still no www and email.. .I've removed/reinstalled all components, reinstalled W2K all to no avail. A friend suggested looking at the TCP/IP settings, so I should be able to really screw it up now, rendering the machine suitable only for use as a doorstop.. .Everytime something like this happens, I do tend to agree with my wife's pet computer statement 'you should have left it alone ! '