DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC DIAL-UP ON STARTUP

Some Windows installations try to make a dial-up connection each time Windows is booted. The EnableAutoDial key in the registry is a common culprit, so you must check this setting to eliminate the problem. Here's how:

The EnableAutoDial key can appear more than once in the registry, so open the Regedit.exe program and press [F3] to start a find.

Enter EnableAutoDial as the search string.

When the search stops at an instance of the EnableAutoDial key, check whether the value is set to something other than 00 00 00 00. If a different value appears, that's what's likely triggering Auto Dial. Double-click the value and enter 0000, which will appear as 00 00 00 00 in the value field.

Click OK and press [F3] again to continue searching the rest of the registry.

After all the EnableAutoDial values have been set to 00 00 00 00, reboot the PC and verify that the PC doesn't try to dial up.

NOTE: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before saving any changes.