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Fixing Windows Has Detected an IP Address Conflict: Part II

In this guide – which is a continuation of the previous article on resolving the Windows has detected an IP address conflict error (Part 1) – we will describe additional solutions to the problem in question.

  1. Reinstall your network or internet adapter driver:

Your network adapter is an important component that manages network operations. The same thing goes for your internet adapter. By definition, in Windows, a driver is a program (or piece of code) that defines interactions between a hardware device (your Wi-Fi or Ethernet device in this case) and software (programs that connect to networks/the internet or Windows in this case).

Therefore, your network or internet adapter driver plays an important role in the connection processes that are currently failing due to IP conflicts. By reinstalling your network or internet adapter driver, you get to push through serious shake-ups in your network or internet configuration. This time, the resulting changes may do enough to fix the underlying problems and make your computer stop displaying the Windows has detected an IP address conflict message.

Follow these instructions to reinstall the relevant network or internet adapter driver:

  • First, you must open the Device Manager app. Press and hold down the Windows button on your PC’s keyboard and then hit the letter X key to see the Power User menu. From the list presented, you must click on the Device Manager (to open this program).
  • Assuming the Device Manager is now on your screen, you must carefully examine the different categories that house similar devices.
  • Once you find the Network Adapter category, you must click on its expansion icon (beside the category).

Windows will now expand the category to reveal its contents (your network devices).

If your computer connects to the internet via Ethernet or through a wired setup, then you may have to check for a different category (the one likely to house the driver for Ethernet or a similar device).

  • Now, you must locate the appropriate network adapter device (the one your computer is using) and then right-click on it to see the available menu.
  • From the options presented, you must click on Uninstall device.
  • Click on the Uninstall or Yes button – if a confirmation dialog for the uninstallation task appears.

Windows will now work to remove the unwanted network device software.

  • Once the network device gets removed, you must check the items under the Network Adapter category to confirm that the driver is no longer listed there.

If you believe your computer uses other network devices or if you are not sure of the network device involved in the events that lead to the IP address conflict, then you will do well to perform the same uninstallation task for other devices under Network Adapters. Perhaps, you can uninstall all of them to ensure that nothing gets left out.

  • Assuming you are now done with your work on the Device Manager window, you must close the application.
  • Restart your PC.

After the reboot (as usual), you must run some tests to confirm that your network or internet now works normally.

  1. Disable IPv6:

All modern machines can use IPv4 (which is the old IP standard with a limited number of addresses) and IPv6 (which is the new IP standard with an almost unlimited number of addresses). IPv6 was introduced to overcome the shortcomings or limitations that defined IPv4. However, the latter is still very much popular and sees the most use.

Some computers struggle when they have to use IPv6, and your device might be one of them. Some inconsistencies come into play when systems get configured to work with both IP standards at once, and such an event may be playing out in your case. For the stated reasons, we want you to instruct your computer to stop using IPv6. Well, your computer can do without IPv6 for the most part, so IPv4 gets the nod here.

Once your machine is configured to use IPv4 only and has no other options, then you may stop seeing the Windows has detected an IP address conflict error. These are the instructions you must follow to disable IPv6:

  • Press the Windows button on your device’s keyboard to get to the Windows Start screen.

Alternatively, you can click on the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your desktop for the same result.

  • Now, on the Start screen, you must type Network Connections into the text box that appears the moment you start inputting something.

Windows will automatically run a search task using the keyword as the query.

  • Once View Network Connections (Control Panel) emerges as the primary entry on the results list, you have to click on it to continue.

Your computer is supposed to direct you to the Network Connections screen in the Control Panel.

  • Now, you must identify the connection your computer is currently using (the one plagued by the IP address conflict issue) and then right-click on it.

Windows is supposed to bring up the Properties menu for the chosen connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet usually).

  • Assuming you are on the Networking tab (as expected by default), you must check the options under the This connection uses the following items
  • There, you must locate Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and then click on its box (to deselect it).

The checkbox for the parameter should become blank.

  • Now, you must click on the OK button (on the Connection Properties window).
  • Click on the Apply and OK buttons (where necessary) to finish things.
  • Now, you must refresh your network or internet connection and then run a test to see if everything now works.

If you cannot refresh your connection or if the IP address conflict issue persists even after you refreshed the connection, you can restart your computer and then check things again.

If the disabling of IPv6 did enough to resolve the Windows has detected an IP address conflict error in your case, then you may want to disable IPv6 for all network adapters. Otherwise, you might have to deal with the same IP address conflict trouble in the future – because your computer might use other adapters (for which IPv6 is enabled) to establish connection links.

To disable IPv6 for all adapters, you have to do some work in the registry. So, if you are an advanced user, you will find the task ahead easy to perform. However, if you are not sure that you can work with the Windows registry or if you have reasons to worry, then you will do well to create a backup of your system’s registry (in its current state). This way, if anything goes wrong (due to you making mistakes while working in the registry), you will be able to restore normality quickly.

Anyway, these are the instructions you must follow to disable IPv6 for all network adapters in Windows 10:

  • First, you must open the Run app. Here again, the Windows button + letter R keyboard combination is a useful resource.
  • This time, once the small Run dialog or window appears, you must type regedit into the text box on it.
  • Here, you must run the code: Hit Enter on your PC’s keyboard or click on OK on the Run window.
  • Click on the Yes button on the UAC prompt or dialog – if UAC tries to get some form of confirmation for the program launch task.

Windows will work to fire up the Registry Editor application now.

  • Now, you must look at the top-left corner of the Registry Editor window, start from Computer, and then navigate through the directories on this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters

  • In your current location, you must look at the right pane and then check for DisableComponent.

If the DisableComponent appears to be missing, then you have to create it:

  • Right-click on any spot free of objects on the right pane to see the options available.
  • Click on New. Select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  • Now, you must type DisableComponent as the name of the new DWORD.
  • Save your work to create the new DWORD.
  • Here, you must double-click on the DisableComponent DWORD to access its Properties menu.
  • Assuming you are now on the Properties window for the chosen DWORD, you must click on the radio button for Hexadecimal (to select this parameter).
  • Now, you have to delete whatever you find in the box for Value data and then put 0xffffffff there instead.
  • Click on the OK button to save the changes made to the DisableComponent DWORD configuration.
  • Finally, you must close the Registry Editor app since your work on its window is done.
  • Restart your PC.

Well, after the reboot – if you did everything correctly – Windows will take note of the changes made to its registry, and the new (disable) configuration for network adapters will go into effect – and this means the IP address conflict issue will no longer bother you.

  1. Alter the DHCP range for your router; set your IP address manually:

If the previous procedure does not apply to you, then you have to try this operation. Here, we are considering the rare possibility that your IP troubles are actually connected to your computer’s use of a dynamic IP. Or perhaps, the conflict issues are down to Windows’ inability or failure to detect the IP address that your computer needs to use for its network or internet processes.

If our assumption holds true, then you will do well to take the decision from Windows’ hands and tell it precisely what IP address it must use. To perform the proposed task, you first have to alter the DHCP range for your router (because the DHCP is responsible for assigning IP addresses to devices) and then input the appropriate IP address into Windows settings.

To alter the DHCP range for your router, these are the instructions you must follow:

  • First, you have to fire up your web browser (or preferred browsing app).
  • Go to your router’s configuration page.

If you do not know the address that leads to your router’s configuration page, then you will do well to check your router’s manual (if it has one). Or you can search the internet using your router’s name and model as terms for the query to learn how to access your router’s configuration menu or settings.

  • Assuming you have found your way inside your router’s configuration page, you must find the DHCP section. There, you must set the range for addresses from 168.1.5 to 192.168.1.50.
  • Here, you must save the changes you made to your router’s configuration – if this step applies.

Now, with the proposed settings in place, all the devices that get connected to your router will get addresses within the provided range.

It is time you set your IP address manually (use a static IP address this time). Continue with these steps:

  • First, you must get to the Network Connections screen in the Control Panel app.

We showed you how to go there in previous procedures, so we are right to omit the steps on getting to the Network Connections screen this time.

  • Now, you must right-click on your network or internet connection to see its Properties menu (as you did in previous tasks).

Windows will quickly bring up the Properties dialog or window for the chosen network or internet connection.

  • Here too, under the This connection uses the following items text, you must locate Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then double-click on this option.

Windows will then bring up the Properties window for the selected IP parameter.

  • This time, you must click on the radio button for Use the following IP address (to select this parameter).
  • Now, you must fill in the box with your preferred IP address that is outside the range you specified earlier. For example, you can use 168.1.52.
  • At this point, you can continue using the parameter that allows your computer to detect and use the appropriate DNS addresses automatically.

However, if you do not want to leave anything to chance, then you should specify a manual configuration for DNS this way:

  • Click on the radio button for Use the following DNS server addresses (to select this parameter).
  • Now, you must fill the box for Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server with the values from your DNS service provider.

You can use the DNS servers from popular and trusted providers such as Google, OpenDNS, or Cloudflare. For example, if you intend to use the servers from Google, then these are the values you must fill in for Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

  • Assuming your work on the Properties window for the IP parameter is done, you have to click on the OK button to save the new network or internet configuration.
  • Click on the OK and Apply buttons where necessary to finish things.
  • Now, you can close the Control Panel window.
  • Refresh your network or internet setup.
  • Run some tests to verify that the problems defined by Windows has detected an IP address conflict has been resolved for good.

The procedure here is the biggest guarantee you can get when it comes to effectiveness. Essentially, by forcing your router to assign addresses within a specific range and configuring your PC to use an address that is outside the specified range of IP addresses (that your router gives other devices), you are more or less taking charge of things to ensure that there is no chance of your computer ends up sharing the same IP address with another computer.

Other things you can try to resolve the Windows has detected an IP address conflict error in Windows 10

If you are yet to find a way to fix the problem affecting your network or internet connection and causing the disturbing error to come up, then you will do well to try the solutions and workarounds on our final list of procedures.

  1. Close VZAccess Manager:

Some users realized that the IP address conflict issues manifested themselves only after they closed VZAccess Manager on their computers without disconnecting from the app first. So, they fixed things by disconnecting from the application first and then closing the program. If you use VZAccess Manager, you may want to try the same procedure to see if you get good results.

  1. Change your router encryption or protection setup:

We believe your router’s connection is password-protected (perhaps through WEP or WPA2). Here, we want you to switch from one encryption standard or protection setup to another. To do this, you will have to get inside your router’s settings on its configuration page, alter the required settings there, and then save the new configuration for your router. You can try as many encryption schemes or protection setups as possible.

  1. Use a VPN – if you do not use one currently. Stop using your VPN – if you use one already.
  1. Update all the drivers for your network adapters.
  1. Change your router’s internal IP address.
  1. Change your DHCP lease.

FINAL TIP:

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