Using a DELL Windows Vista Desktop (with dial-up modem) we started getting a really odd behavior out of the blue (supposedly)... For the past few months there have been no issues connecting to the internet (dial-up) but two days ago (coincidentally after a power outage, mind you I am being told this started to occur prior to that) our connection stopped working. Specifically we still dial-in (I hear the modem and all the handshakes all the way to the end) and once it is finished I get "connection failed" - the error code is "Error #6 - Handle is Invalid" (which caught me off guard).

I tested the dial-up account from another PC and it works fine (so it is not the username/password or the ISP), there is something up with this VISTA machine (for some odd reason) that it won't complete the Dial-Up connection anymore (nothing new was installed, nothing was added/removed hardware or software), looks like it was turned off (correctly) and back on 24-hours later and bam - doesn't work anymore.

I did some research online and found that this can typically be solved by removing any 3rd party software (have none), removing the modem drivers, running a repair tool ("RArepair.exe" ), and then re-installing the drivers and software (have none). I found many copies of RArepair.exe for 2K/XP but am unable to track downa a VISTA copy and I hesitate to run the 2K/XP copy blindly (obviously). Other then that the only solution I see is re-install fresh (which would kill me right now)...

Any thoughts, suggestions, hints would be much appreciated - sadly the PC itself is 3 hours away (parents place) so unless there is no other way around it a full re-install of VISTA would really suck (would need to make backups and all that)... So if you have ANY ideas ....
Thanks,

I think you need to get some better first-hand or generally more accurate information as '6' isn't listed as an error code. I am not saying that you are FOS, just that you may need a better description.

List of Error Codes that you may receive when you try to make a dial-up connection or a VPN connection in Windows Vista

If it is '606', that means your ISP hung up, probably because it didn't like some of the information you supplied (e.g. userId or password).

--DD

dblD: I don't think it is an error code that is neccesarily related to DIAL-UP (as I have this is for many different areas). And the error is "HANDLE is INVALID" no matter what code (and I beleive it is 6, if you search on google you'll find ERROR #6: Handle is Invalid in a bunch of places). Also there is a solution for exactly this issue for 2K/XP (as I mentioned, with RArepair.exe), I just need to find the VISTA version.
Thanks,

Best thing to try would be downloading the drivers on another PC, uninstalling the cuurent drivers, then install the newest drivers. If this doesn't work, then there is a slight chance that some kind of power surge has fried your modem. If reinstalling the latest drivers doesn't work, get in touch with Dell tech support. You might be on the phone for a while... but you will at least get a new modem if that is in fact the problem.

Also, removing the device from device manager, rebooting and letting it reload the driver may also work... perhaps try that first before trying new drivers.

Hey, Shaitan000, I was only trying to give you a little assistance.

An invalid handle just means what is says; a particular pointer to some ambiguous win32 reference structure isn't valid... And, generally a win32 error reply will not be '6'.

Perhaps one reason that your long sought after crap-program isn't available with Vista is that '6' is not a valid solution (according to Microsoft in the KB link that I just posted).

Also, do you really think that there is any well-known program that solves that totally generic problem? my advice to you: first, don't send them your email address; secondly, don't spend too much money ($2 max if you really feel strong about donations); and finally, for sure use paypal... oh, and good luck!

I see that Zoron has just posted as well... I am absolutely sure his advice is worth following before you do anything else.

--DD

Just for the record, I have found many instances of "Error 6: Handle is Invalid"... though none for Vista yet. Most of the problems I found were under XP or Win 2K... though I'm sure it's the same error in Vista as well. You won't find it in the MS KB, but a quick Google search will reveal many users that have had the same issue. My last suggestion came when I read that someone getting the same error in Win2K did what I suggested and it worked for him.

it sounds like a good line but as you might guess I have heard a few (and most were much more imaginative ). Coincidentally, I also happen to be from the 'Show me state' (Missouri of all places... go figure). The next time you happen to see one of those 'Error 6', Vista modem pop-up messages, post it (make sure it is in proper context!), and I might wind up being a bit more receptive...

--DD

Did anyone ever find a resolution to this problem? I too am getting this error 6: handle is invalid error on a Vista HP computer. Even swapped out modems but same issue.

Were the modems identical? If so, then it's likely a driver issue.

No they were separate modems, original one was pci, the 2nd modem was a USB so I am told. I am doing this for a friend, not sure what they did with the USB modem so I cannot test that one.