Network Adapter Driver

[Anomo]

Some days ago I started my computer and the internet wouldn't work. I restarted the PC and tried again, but nothing happened. So I right clicked the internet connection symbol in the bottom right corner and chose troubleshoot. I got the following error:

"Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter. If you have a network adapter, you will need to re-install the driver." Clicking next gave me this message: "Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter".

I tried googling the problem, but none of them helped me. After that, I googled for the driver its' self. Sketchy sites like "downloadzor" and "wardrive" popped up so I didn't use them either. Seeing that my mobo is from ASUS, I tried their site. There I found the LAN driver and tried to install it on my PC. It said it already was installed, so I chose repair. It didn't work. My last solution was to put the driver DVD into my PC and use devmgmt.msc to install the driver by telling it where the DVD was. That didn't work either. My last shot was reinstalling Windows. Obviously that didn't work since I am here :P

The only things that I did before the internet disappeared was to remove some RAM and my GPU. I was troubleshooting another PC and was wondering what hardware part had problems. I didn't start my computer until all the parts were back in. I did also install a second external USB port. I tried removing it, but there was still no internet.

Do you guys have any solutions? (specs in my sig)

[Kin6x]

From (unfortunate) experience I will suggest buying an NIC. They go for around $30 or maybe less at staples/walmart (depending on your area). If you can use the internet flawlessly from an NIC then your problems the onboard connector. Almost every computer ive ever had has had the onboard ethernet connector fry/fail/die so i ALWAYS get an NIC with every computer now.

Hope that helps

[edfair]

You might want to try deleting references to the NIC in windows and letting it rediscover and install after reboot. Tell it to use the new drivers or the original drivers if you can find the support CD that should have come with your computer.

[legend_018]

If the onboard ethernet connector isnt' fried - your saying direct connect isn't working. Are there any lights in the back? Is there a router involved? Did you take router out of the picture if that is the case? You try powering down the modem, computer and re-powering everything. Everything is plugged in and modem lights are also working properly? You never know - I've had a few cases in the pass where the actual ethernet cable was bad. YOu have another ethernet cable to try or even better another computer to rule out specific computer problem? also - in device manager - any exclamations? ipconfig /all might help too.

[Anomo]

Originally Posted by legend_018 If the onboard ethernet connector isnt' fried - your saying direct connect isn't working. Are there any lights in the back? Is there a router involved? Did you take router out of the picture if that is the case? You try powering down the modem, computer and re-powering everything. Everything is plugged in and modem lights are also working properly? You never know - I've had a few cases in the pass where the actual ethernet cable was bad. YOu have another ethernet cable to try or even better another computer to rule out specific computer problem? also - in device manager - any exclamations? ipconfig /all might help too.

I've connected straight to the "box". No modems. I will try another computer with the cable and another cable. There are no lights lighting up.

Originally Posted by edfair You might want to try deleting references to the NIC in windows and letting it rediscover and install after reboot. Tell it to use the new drivers or the original drivers if you can find the support CD that should have come with your computer.

Where would I find these references? I built the computer myself so would the support CD be the windows CD or the mobo driver CD?

Originally Posted by Kin6x From (unfortunate) experience I will suggest buying an NIC. They go for around $30 or maybe less at staples/walmart (depending on your area). If you can use the internet flawlessly from an NIC then your problems the onboard connector. Almost every computer ive ever had has had the onboard ethernet connector fry/fail/die so i ALWAYS get an NIC with every computer now. Hope that helps

I will try this if the above don't work

[edfair]

Where would I find these references?
In XP would be start, control panel, system, hardware, network adapters, highlight NIC, right click, uninstall.

would the support CD be the windows CD or the mobo driver CD?
You would want to use the drivers from the M/B support CD when it attempts the reinstall after reboot.

The system should throw a "found" message while booting and give an option to cancel the automatic install of "built in" drivers or allow you to specify the location.

You won't be installing the latest drivers (assuming that there probably have been updates) but will have those the board manufacturer used in testing the board design.

[Anomo]

I tried deleting the references to NIC in device manager. There were no references. So I bought the NIC and installed it in my computer. It didn't work, so I checked the devmanager again. There was a NIC so I uninstalled it and restarted the PC. That did not work.

The mobo CD does not have a LAN driver so I tried installing the LAN driver from Asus' site again, but I only got this message:
"Realtek 8136 8168 8169 Ethernet Driver - InstallShield Wizard

! The Realtek Network Controller was not found. If Deep Sleep Mode is enabled Please Plug the Cable".

Also the ethernet cable works on my laptop, so that is not the problem.

[legend_018]

This sounds like a driver issue now. You got the right drivers? Did drivers come with your new NIC card? So I'm assuming at this point - you just want to get the new NIC card working since you did buy it. Did I miss the make and model/specs of your machine?

[Anomo]

Specs are in my sig (check first post). I bought a NIC from a store. On their website it said the NIC should work with both W7 32- and 64-bit, but it only goes up to XP on the box. I tried searching the web for drivers (because the CD only went up to XP), but didn't find anything. Its a Mici KN-8139DS.

What about the native NIC on my mobo? Is that a no go? Should I invest in a better NIC then a cheap 15$ Chinese one?

[glc]

I'm guessing your nic has a Realtek 8139 chip on it.

Realtek

Have you checked the bios settings to make sure the onboard nic is enabled? If you are going to use a card, you have to disable it.

[Anomo]

Is the realtek for the new NIC or the old one? The stand alone card doesn't have any chips on it that have realtek printed on them.

[legend_018]

Originally Posted by Anomo Is the realtek for the new NIC or the old one? The stand alone card doesn't have any chips on it that have realtek printed on them.

Probably the onboard one. Not sure where the drivers are for the new card? Perhaps go back to trying to get the onboard NIC working (although I thought others said it probably went bad) - and download the drivers from Realtek.

[Anomo]

I don't know why it worked, but after installing the new NIC, the realtek driver provided by glc and disabling LAN in the bios my internet is back. Thanks guys Once again PCMech saves a computer.

EDIT: Now that everything is working, how could I clone my HDD? Last time I tried it, I was forced to reinstall the OS because something went bad and I lost everything I had on the HDD that was receiving the clone. I would prefer not to have to reinstall :P

[glc]

Acronis True Image WD Edition. Free download from WD. You can either image or clone.

[dale_t44]

What make HDD? I just cloned a new HD for my laptop using the WD TrueImage free software. By using an adaptor cable IDE to Sata, I plugged into USB of laptop to new drive, picked the clone option. When it finished (about 1 hour) I dropped the new drive into my laptop and it booted right up.

[Anomo]

The HDD I have the OS on is a crucial SSD. The two other disks are WD.

[glc]

That changes it. I would not clone, I'd image. I don't know if WD Edition will work with a non-WD drive. To be safe, I'd get a full version of Acronis or something similar that's verified compatible with SSD's.