Vista Wireless Issues

Post by **SyBorg** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:35 pm

My new desktop came with a trial for Norton Internet Security which has now expired. So I removed it. Now it will not connect to my wireless network!

I'm trying all sorts here and going round in circles. Over several reboots and three BSODs I think I'm starting to get a picture.

The wireless pci card (belkin) was reporting that it was installed correctly and could see other networks. When trying to connect to my network it would prompt for the WEP key (yes I know) but would not get an IP address. All this is past tense as it is now not running the card properly as it says "if you want to use this device you will need to disable one of the other devices on the system". Great. There is an ethernet controller on the motherboard that I'm not using so I disabled it. No change.

I looked in the system information and can see that there are two copies of my wireless adapter in there as well as a bluetooth adapter (from playing with a USB dongle I found). My guess is that it has got screwed up and these unwanted entries are the conflict. Any idea how to remove them? What I'm trying to find is something like Neo's network connection tidyup tool.

Techsolver · Post by **Techsolver** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:05 am

Install XP

Post by **Neo** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:31 am

Do you still have a copy of the driver for the Belkin wireless adaptor that works with Vista? Or can you at least locate it? Have you tried uninstalling both instances and then reinstalling? In XP one would go in to safe mode and make sure that all (hidden) devices are shown in the device manager.

I've not got my hands on a copy of Vista yet, but the procedure looks similar to XP : http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/w ... 025395.htm

Vista seems to be notorious for driver problems, where lots of recently purchased kit doesn't work. Microsoft has shifted the onus on to the manufacturers so they might be the right people to ask...

Post by **SyBorg** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:39 am

Neo wrote:Do you still have a copy of the driver for the Belkin wireless adaptor that works with Vista? Or can you at least locate it? Have you tried uninstalling both instances and then reinstalling?

There is no Vista driver for the card I have. The Belkin support site says it isn't needed as Vista installs it without any trouble with standard drivers!

Neo wrote: In XP one would go in to safe mode and make sure that all (hidden) devices are shown in the device manager.
I've not got my hands on a copy of Vista yet, but the procedure looks similar to XP : http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/w ... 025395.htm

I've tried removing the devices, unistalling the drivers etc and yet the process is still leaving info in the 'adapters' list in the system information even if the device manager is showing them gone. I'll try again with the link you posted thanks - looks like it might get to the same info from a different direction and perhaps give more control to remove adapters.

Neo wrote: Vista seems to be notorious for driver problems, where lots of recently purchased kit doesn't work. Microsoft has shifted the onus on to the manufacturers so they might be the right people to ask...

Yeah, annoying isn't it. Techsolver suggests moving back to XP but the point was to actaully learn Vista so......

BTW, I also tried moving back to earlier restore points last night and this did not help at all, the adapters were still in the same state. This seams a bit odd to me as you would think that this is what it is there to do...

Post by **SyBorg** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 11:30 am

So the error message for the controller was "This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use. (Code 12)
If you want to use this device, you will need to disable one of the other devices on this system. "

I tried disabling everything I could - Ethernet controller, serial and parallel ports etc to free up IRQs but no joy. I even tried removing all references to the adapter in the registry (with fingers crossed).

However, I've just changed the PCI slot the card was in and it has sprung back in to life and is on the network! What a relief.

Now to get some firewall & anti-virus software installed.

FYI - the Belkin wireless card is reported in Vista as a Broadcom (who I guess make the chips).

Post by **thechief** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:34 pm

Odd that changing the PCI slot should cure the problem. Its a wonder that computers work at all. My next PC will probably be a Mac ...

Post by **Steve** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:01 am

Seem to remember once upon a time...long long ago...something to do with different slots. Some have shared IRQ values, some have specific values.

It gave a similar problem which, switching slots magically fixed.

Post by **SyBorg** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:57 am

Yep. I also have that vague recollection with a very old machine a long long time ago. I didn't think it would still be an issue with a 'modern' motherboard but.....

At least it's fixed now.

Post by **Shotokan101** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:11 pm

Thought that type of issue was only with old ISA cards/slots.....

Post by **Steve** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:47 am

In the words of Hong Kong Fooey...."could be!"

Was just something that came to mind. When so few things come to mind these days, if it happens, I have to grab it and hang on.

Things like:-

Is it wrong that that I remember Rosemary the telephone operator with the strange voice, actually had pretty hot legs?

Post by **Shotokan101** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:28 am

Steve wrote:In the words of Hong Kong Fooey...."could be!"

Was just something that came to mind. When so few things come to mind these days, if it happens, I have to grab it and hang on.

Things like:-

Is it wrong that that I remember Rosemary the telephone operator with the strange voice, actually had pretty hot legs?

NO

Post by **SyBorg** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:53 am

Another clear example of when a sensible topic goes bad. How on earth have we gone from discussing Wireless Networking issues in Windows Vista to debating the quality of the legs of a character in a mid 1970's cartoon about a mild mannered janitor

Steve, shame on you!

Post by **Shotokan101** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:13 pm

SyBorg wrote:Another clear example of when a sensible topic goes bad. How on earth have we gone from discussing Wireless Networking issues in Windows Vista to debating the quality of the legs of a character in a mid 1970's cartoon about a mild mannered janitor

Steve, shame on you!

Could be that as Vista is "Larger Than Life" it's become the Cartoon O/S

/Tenuous-Topic-Link-Mode-Off/

Mark M · Post by **Mark M** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:11 pm

Every time I've had to uninstall NIS I have had to download a proprietary uninstaller from the Symantec website, otherwise it’s never fully removed. I had NIS 2005 and I had to download the uninstaller from
tinyurl.com\7eqv8
That was for NIS 2005, what version are you having the problem with?

Mark M · Post by **Mark M** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:40 pm

I also found this link

http://www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39866

Could be useful!