Windows XP driver device problem 3

[nannyno]

OK, one of my daughters have been using my ethernet cord which attaches to my laptop so she could skype. NOW, when I go to hardware devices, I have the yellow exclamation point with a NEW device named "network controller". No other network controller named on the list. Could it be that each time she unplugged my ethernet to use, then put back on MY laptop, this has caused my device to uninstall, or what? Should I try in install? Here's the sequence which shows in the windowCI\VEN_8086&DEV_4223&SUBSYS_10208086&REV_05\4&2FA23535&0&18F0

 

[goombawaho]

That device is a wireless network card imbedded inside your computer, nothing to do with ethernet (wired) adapter. It cannot be removed.
Device Name Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection

Are you sure you don't see another network adapter for the wired connection? What is your machine brand/model? What operating system? Can't help you without more info.

You should install the wireless driver, but you should also have an ethernet adapter listed. Here is the link, but it depends on operating system:

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, I see that it is XP now. You may want to try the driver from your laptop vendor first.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[nannyno]

THANX Gum!! Say, what I had meant to imply was that upon each time I turn on my computer, it has a bubble window saying "new hardware installed" and when I hit the bubble, that's where it shows the words "network controller" as in: when I open, I certainly don't HAVE a disk for it, so can't download it anyway!! These things happen to me once in a while and it always is when someone else uses my puter!@ This one is like for instance, you use a USB port to plug in a keyboard. It will say to install the thing. Which of course, no CD came with it, it's just a USB port user. Hmm....So I figured that this particulr one I questioned is something OTHER THAN my own devices, which I've checked under Devices and found both my wireless and my network connections, including the BroadCom etc. So.......I figured she tried to or did in fact USE some extraneous device, as her Inotebook or whatever the darned thing was....and when using my Ethernet cord to connect to the internet, it was prompting me to download some device or program. I'm just trying to DELETE it somehow, since it's not an essential part for anything here on the PC.

 

[nannyno]

OK Gum...again...I went to Devices and found the BroadCom, did the test on it as well, it's functioning. Of course, otherwise no internet! LOL! However, did NOT find my "wireless" which IS in files under my search, as you said PRO yes.....so will check to see if somehow something's wrong. FYI: I had lost all my sound except my computer warning beeps....figured that out after scouring through reams of files....and saw that I had to "unzip" a file and whammo!!! My sound back! so.....

 

[goombawaho]

Long explanation, but not............making sense. If it prompts you to install something every time the computer boots and there is a device with a question mark in device manager, you NEED to install that device or it won't work and the prompts will not stop. Of course you can ignore it if you're not going to use that device.

Could it be that each time she unplugged my ethernet to use, then put back on MY laptop, this has caused my device to uninstall, or what?

This is explained so poorly that I'm not sure what you're saying, but NO, if you just unplug the ethernet cable, it has no effect on the device or driver.

I'm just trying to DELETE it somehow, since it's not an essential part for anything here on the PC.

If there's no other wireless card in the laptop (which would be normal - one wireless card and one ethernet port), it seems like it IS an essential device in a laptop and it should be installed. You can download the driver on another computer and transfer it by flash drive or use the ethernet connection to download it.

Are we on the same page??? Important YES, Install it YES, delete/disable it, NO.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[edfair]

Under similar circumstances I've been known to delete the item and let the operating system go threough discovery again to find the correct drivers.

Somewhere on the web is a program that you can use to discover hardware. It gives better informantion on what it finds. Think this is what I've used:

http://www.zhangduo.com/udi.html

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[nannyno]

To all my helpful techies out there...Thanx! I will enumerate what I saw as a problem. 1) The "network controller" which kept showing on my start-up taskbar, when left-clicked, says I must download from a CD (which I don't have?)

2) What my daughter USED was her "notebook" to skype...and did NOT do anything "wireless", she unplugged my yellow ethernet cord from the large part on my lap top and used my comcast internet on her notebook to skype.

3) Went to my Device Manager merely to see if I needed to "unzip" a file in order to open the "network controller" device, which of course, there WAS none listed on my list of Devices.

4)Unfortunately, while there, this question mark in yellow is listed by itself, not under my broadcom internet list. When I right click the question mark, it shows there are NO files, nothing in the tabs of the properties. Hence, it is not downloaded, whatever it is! However, I also noticed my wireless device does not show on the list of devices.

5) I do not USE my laptop wireless-enabled, and there is no separate card I insert. It was built into my Dell computer. I do not travel with my laptop, it is connected to my comcast cable modem. There. I will certainly come back with results. I ALWAYS get results as I work through the diff. programs on this computer. The Wireless capability cannot be uninstalled as it is part of the hard-drive, but certainly files could have been corrupted and that's why the zero wireless is not showing. Toodles to you all! If I am missing it somewhere, I certainly welcome all critiques. No hard feelings here.

 

[rclarke250]

The wireless capability can be uninstalled, or the driver may just be corrupted, either way, you need to look at the device in device manager that has the yellow question mark, go to details, and look for hardware ID, in the window should be something like PCI/VEN_xxxxxxxxxx, copy this whole line into google, it will tell you what it is, and then go to dell, and under the drivers for your model/service tag, locate the driver for the device, it will be zipped, and unzip and install it, that should fix your issue. If you don't use the wireless, and don't want to locate and install the driver, just go back to control panel, and disable the device, it will not bother you again.

 

[edfair]

As an alternate you could disable everything related to networking, get a clean boot, then enable on the next boots an item at a time. That should help you pinpoint which hardware is creating the issue. But you probably need to get device drivers before you do this.

Understand no CD. But using your service key you can find all the drivers you need on the Dell website. Store them somewhere on the hard drive then run the .exe when you need to. It will unzip and put the drivers where they need to go and install them for you.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[goombawaho]

But using your service key you can find all the drivers you need on the Dell website.

Yes, if you go to Dell support site and put in your Dell service TAG number, you will find a driver listed for Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection. Download this file, double click on it and it will unzip and then install the driver for you. Then you won't be bothered with it popping up every day, whether you actually use it or not. But certainly a laptop should have it's wireless card functional, especially as it costs you nothing to get it going.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.