Computer Assistance Request: Dell, Win XP Pro, New HD, Network Adapter Not Recognized

[Babu]

I'm at my wit's end -- maybe some FReeper who is smarter than I can tell me what clue I am missing. Here is what happened:

My wife's computer's hard drive crashed, so I purchased and installed a new hard drive, formatted it, and Windows XP Pro was and is working fine. The wife's computer is as follows:

Dell 4600C Series P4 3.06GHz, slimline case with vertical CD drive, purchased in January 2004.
Network Adapter according to original invoice is "Integrated 10/100 Ehternet"

Then the problem came when I tried to get on the Internet. We have a cable broadband always-on connection, run through a wired/wireless Linksys router. Two other computers use the connection, another desktop with a wired connection to the router, and a notebook with a wireless connection to the router. Throughout this, both other computers have retained their Internet connection without interruption.

When I was unable to get connected to the Internet after running the usual checks and dug deeper, I went into the Device Manager, and found that the Network Adapter is not showing, so therein obviously lies the problem. I have used the Find Hardware, etc., to no avail, and the computer just does not recognize the Network Adaptor. I thought perhaps a card had become loose when I changed out the hard drive, so I shut down and opened up the case, but the ethernet cable plug is not a separate card, but seems to be part of the massive Mother Board. I checked all around to see if there was perhaps an unplugged plug or loose cable that occured when I changed the hard drive, but nothing of the sort--everything is very secure.

I tried putting in the Dell Driver disc that came with the computer and installing the supposed driver for the network adaptor, but because the computer does not recognize the network adapter, there is nothing to attach the driver to. I tried reformatting the computer hard drive again from scratch, thinking that something had possibly gone amiss the first time, but the result is the same -- still it does not find a Network Adapter, so I still cannot connect this computer to the Internet.

I have a computer consultant I trust and I use when I just cannot figure something out myself, but he isn't available for over a week, and my wife would like her computer up and running ASAP (It's bad enough she lost her email addresses and favorites in the hard drive crash), so it would be best if I could figure the problem out now. Besides, on occasion, I have found problems that stumped me have stumped the 'computer guy' also, so I think Free Republic is probably a better source than my local computer consultant!!

From other technical threads I have read, I know there are a lot of really knowledgable types in this area that frequent this forum, so perhaps some fellow FReeper has the right tip for me. Please, though, if you would be so kind, don't get overly technical with the language -- I am only a "shade-tree computer-mechanic", I'm sure you get the drift. Sometimes some of the tech language here on the computer threads goes a little over my head. (And you Mac folks, please don't just tell me to buy a Mac, thanks anyway, but I'll work with the equipment I already have)

Thanks in advance!

[Babu]

In Device Manager by hitting 'Show Hidden Devices' it adds the Network Adapter to the list, and it has two available network adapters, both microsoft. I worked with those for hours last night tryed activating both of them, the drivers are there, but they apparently are something else, because I still cannot get an Internet connection, and I know for a fact that the Ethernet plug is not M-soft. Anyway -- I spent a lot of time going down that road and it was a cul de sac.

NIC is on in Bios.

Thanx.

[corbe]

Set the BIOS defaults, Reboot, go back into BIOS and check network card again (in BIOS). IF the integrated network card is not in the Control Panel, Harware Devices, it is either BAD, possible, but improbable or the BIOS is not reporting it to windows, highly likely, due to a flake in the BIOS. Seen this before on Intel Boards.

[Babu]

The question here is what is your time worth? As a few others have suggested if you have an available PCI slot run down to the local computer chain store and get a PCI ethernet 10/100 card. They are about $15.00-$20.00. Make sure its a wired ethernet card.

Sux, but this slimline version has no available slots, so not an option. I have to make the existing work ...

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I had a problem setting up my mom's new DSL service.
You might as well re-do the whole network.
Fist you will have to have to establish the modem and router on ( ONE ) computer.
That any ( one ) computer and connect the DSL cable in the back of the modem and plug it into the one computer and then turn it on and when you get it up and running, open ( INTERNET EXPLORER or as some would say INTERNET EXPLOITER )... and then, in the web address area, type in 192.168.1.1 and you should get the modems web page and re-do all of the settings and configuration.
After you get the modem up and running again, plug the cable from the modem and plug it into the router, and plug a cable into one computer and use the factory supplied disk that came with it......
Is it a Linksys card ? my brother ( who is very computer savvy ) told me that he had problems with some of Linksys cars ) but, since your using the on board LAN connection, then, I would not worry about that.
To bad that computer is not up and running on the Internet, you might have to go to the ( Help and Support ) area of your computer and it will ( or might ) take you directly to Windows updates.
Another thing you will have to do is set up a network connection with Windows XP.
I really don't like using the software that comes with any DSL ISP service, sometimes I am able to do without it.
Some DSL ISP software can mess up your computer performance.
Go to control panel . and when you go that up, go to my network connections.
Is it showing any kind of connection ?
or ? go to the Icon were it says ( SYSTEM ) and click that.
Go to HARDWARE, and then, Device Manager, then, go to Adapters, what does it show ? if it shows the network card, right click it with the mouse and see were it says uninstall ? uninstall it ( but, don't shut the computer down, because sometimes you won't be able to re-boot the computer ).
After you have uninstalled it, then, go to add new hardware, and have it search for the card, it ( MIGHT ) find the network card, and install it automatically.
If it installs the card, or network adapter, then go to ( Internet Options ) in the control panel, and go to the connections tab.
When you see the tab at the bottom of the window, were it says ( LAN Settings ) see were it has a little box ? click it so it will ( Automatically detect settings ) and click OK.
See were it says ( in the same Internet Connections box or window ? ) click Never Dial Connection ).
Then, in the same box or window, at the top, ( to set up a Internet connection ) click setup.
It should bring you to a window or box that says, ( Welcome to the new connection wizard.
Go through that.
After you have done that, in the control panel box or window, go to the icon were it says ( Network connections ) either were it had your LAN ( Local Area Network ) or you ISP Icon, click it with the right mouse button, and go to properties, a box or window should come up and say ( Local Area Connection Properties ) and in the middle of the box or window were it should say ( this connection uses the following items ( I don't know if you use file and printer , I don't, it can be a security risk ) , this box shows you your Internet TCP protocols , you only need to use ( Internet Protocol TCP/IP ) un click all the other ones.
If you have to, outa, must have, printer, then use it when you need to use the printer, other wise, keep it unclicked.
If you can get that computer on-line somehow, try to use Windows updates, that LAN connection might need a updated driver.
Sometimes ? Disks, CDs, DVD can lose it information over time.
Even your hard drive can be effected by electric magnetic field or force, keep it away from the monitor, or even a everyday magnetic.

[js1138]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833127147

[RebelTex]

Babu,

You mentioned at the top that the Network Adapter is not showing up in the Device Manager. Several people have mentioned that you should check the Device Manager for unknown devices. Did you check for those?

With integrated devices that are built onto the motherboard, they are not always recognized by Windows and get installed as 'Unknown Devices'. You then install the driver disk from the manufacturer so that Windows can find the drivers.

However, the devices have already been installed as 'Unknown', so you now have to remove (delete) ALL 'Unknown Devices' from the Device Manager, then reboot.  Windows will find the correct drivers on reboot and install them.

Check that first, as this is your most likely problem.

RT

[Al Gator]

Idiot?

Why do you feel the need to be rude and insulting?

Bad day? Fight with the wife? Or is it just plain old stupidity?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

He would have to re boot the computer, and while the BIOS screen is up, press F1... and go the advance tab.

[rivercat]

Why do you feel the need to butt in with condescending comments in a thread that has nothing to do with you?

[Al Gator]

I think he is past that point at this point. :-)

[Revel]

"(And you Mac folks, please don't just tell me to buy a Mac, thanks anyway, but I'll work with the equipment I already have)"

LOL

So sad that you have to tell them that.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I had to restore my computer the other day, and when I tried to use the restore disk the 2nd disk would not be recognized by the CDROM, I keep trying and trying to no avail, until I took the CD and cleaned it.
Is it a Disk that was supplied by the factory ? or was it one that you had to make on your own ?
Sometimes disks can lose it's information over time.
Are there any deep scratches on the disk ?
You can go to Best Buy or CompUSA and get a disk cleaner/restorer ( for about $ 20-30 ) and it will clean the scratches off ( that is ? if the scratches are not to deep ).

[opinionator]

This tool is compatible with all computers.

[Babu]

Hubba Hubba!!

Eureka!!

Bingo!!

FReepers are Awesome!! I got the driver from Dell.com on one of my working machines, put it on a flash drive, and loaded it on the "lonely" machine. I then went into the Device Manager, and Voila, Network Adapter had appeared, and the correct network adapter was under it, so then I 'updated the driver', and I have Internet!

The odd thing is that I knew what the name of the Network Adapter is, so last night I loaded the supposed driver for it off of the driver disc that came with the machine, but it didn't work. But once I went to Dell.com and put in the Serial#/Service Tag# of the machine, it turns out it gave me the correct driver. Weird that they didn't give me the correct driver on the disc that came with the machine.

Now when my wife wakes up (she pulled a 12 hr shift at the hospital last night), she will be pleased to be able to go on the Internet on her own machine!

Thanks again to the incomparable FReeper Geek Squad!!

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I wonder if the disks themselves could have a defect or scratch in it ?
When Windows does a restore of the disk, it ( HAS TO ) go through it with no problems ( because the CPU does the calculations from the disk - and there can't be no errors while restoring the computer ).
I just did a restore from my disk, and I kept getting a error message , and kept trying it to no avail, until I looked at the disk and found scratches and finger marks, the disks have to be clean to work properly.

[Al Gator]

And I could ask the same to you.

Butting into a thread? Is this a private "chat" room? Where little kiddees form a clique and then be rude to any and all who respond?

Get a grip, if you're that thin skinned, go join a private chat room and huddle up with ninny-nannies like yourself.

[Al Gator]

Bravo! good show old sport, and all that.

[Al Gator]

I like it. Only thing better is a bigger one.

[rivercat]

Look! He solved the problem without having to resort to Linux! Talk about thin-skinned...

[rockrr]

I was given a USB Ethernet adapter (looks like a USB Wi-Fi adapter). I thought, "Who would want something like this?" and almost turned it down. It has been a godsend!

I've used it three times already on repairs or on new machine setups where, just like in Babu's case, the NIC isn't recognized.

I wonder what they cost?!