Internet connected but can't get any browser to work

I got this laptop from a friend and I can't get any browser to work (the laptop has IE and FireFox). My WiFi link is up and I know that the link works because when I boot up I get updates from Microsoft. There was a thread from 2013 with suggestions of what to download then reu but when someone asked how to download something if a browser doesn't work, the original answerer said that the beginning of the thread was lost and to ask a new question, so that is what I am doing. I am running Windows 7.