BleepingComputer.com: Deleted Local Area Connection (LAN) icon. How do I get it back?

1972vet, on Sep 16 2010, 09:42 AM, said:

To uninstall drivers, I went to Device Manager/Network Adapters, right clicked the driver and selected uninstall.

To install drivers, I downloaded drivers from the Dell website, saved on the desktop, double clicked icon and installed to the default folders.

When I installed my network driver, I rebooted but did not receive a the "Found New Hardware" notification, so I just double clicked the driver icon on my desktop and installed that way. However, if I plug in my printer or camera via USB I receive the notification.

While the software is installed, you won't get the found new hardware wizard. Uninstall both hardware and driver(s) for your network card. While none of it is installed except for the hardware card inside the box, then reboot. Windows has to find this hardware and open the new found hardware wizard. If it doesn't, there is some corruption somewhere...otherwise, it may be that you have been duped into buying a bootlegged copy of windows. Can you tell us where you bought this system? If it's from a reputable dealer or retailer you can feel fairly certain it's fine but if you got it say...online or from some acquaintance, you might have been spoofed.

When the wizard pops up on a reboot, allow a search of the internet to look for the drivers. Forget those you got from dell for the time being. The wizard should find the same drivers for you on the web. Try it. You can do the same with your printer. Since the printer isn't "internal" hardware just leave it connected by the cable. While the software is uninstalled then a reboot should do the same...opens the found new hardware wizard.

By the same token, while your printer is connected, and software installed, you have no reason to expect the found new hardware wizard to scream about a thing.

As you have already tried everything else, and after you have tried this once more...that is, uninstalling the driver(s) and network card and rebooting, then there is only the one option that remains. Either a fresh install or a repair install. Have you searched for the I386 folder? You might make out if your system has a copy of those installation files on board. Let us know.

UNINSTALL is circled in RED. Is this what you used to uninstall the network device? Give it a few minutes after reboot to see if new hardware is found.

Queen-Evie, on Sep 16 2010, 10:48 AM, said:

Yes, that is how I uninstalled the network device.

1972vet, on Sep 16 2010, 10:42 AM, said:

You may be onto something there. I purchased this laptop used, so I cannot say for certain if the OS is a genuine copy. I have to put this on the backburner for a couple hours to work but I will try the above bolded and come back with an update.

Thanks again for hanging in there with me guys!

if you dont get the wizard when you reboot go in device manager (start, run, devmgmt.msc) and right click and scan for new hardware.

good luck

If you have any question regarding the validity of your operating system, download SIW and open it.

Scroll down the list in the left side pane to License, click on this. The pane on the right side will open with Source Type in the upper left corner, under this is Windows key. If this is a legal version of Windows the twenty five alphanumerical code will be to the right.

thrillhouse, on Sep 16 2010, 11:23 AM, said:

OK, well...that's precisely what the bios does when you turn the system on, it looks for what hardware is attached, then looks for instruction as to what it should do with that hardware. Without the installed software relating to the "connected" hardware, the bios finds no instructions...so, the bios has instructions to give you notice of this discrepancy. That's why you'll get the found new hardware notice on reboot.

Rebooting does the same (scans for hardware changes so-to-speak) only it allows Windows to make a copy of the registry for safe keeping. It stores it for use with the "Last Known Good Configuration that Worked" feature. I would prefer that you reboot but you can also, without rebooting, scan for new hardware and achieve the same result. If that's what does it for you then please remember to reboot immediately after so Windows can save the changes to the hard disk and copy the registry configuration for safe keeping. Might get you out of a jam at some point in the future.

Do you have the cables that were supplied with your router such as the USB, Cat5 Cable, Power and what not? If so you may need to connect the router to the computer using the RJ45 cable the one with the big phone jack looking things into the router. Reboot the computer and it should connect that way.

Can you also go to start then run type in cmd hit enter. In the big black box that pops up type in "ipconfig /all" without the quotes and post the results here. That will tell us if there is a wired network card there output should be similiar to this:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\cryptodan>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : alphacentari
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0E-0C-9F-F2-25
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 71.252.0.12
71.242.0.12
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

C:\Users\cryptodan>

The bold will be your LAN Connection.

Also when you are on your laptop do you see LAN Activity lights on your network port, and do the lights on the router light up on the router when you use a cable?

thrillhouse, on Sep 16 2010, 11:23 AM, said:

I never did get the wizard. I followed your instructions and unfortunately no change.

dc3, on Sep 16 2010, 11:35 AM, said:

Thanks. I haven't downloaded this yet but I will soon.

cryptodan, on Sep 16 2010, 01:16 PM, said:

I have all the cables that came with my router (it's brand new) Yes I get activity lights when I plug in the ethernet cable.

I dunno guys. I've done just about everything in this thread except for reinstall XP as I do not have a copy. I did plan on junking this laptop sometime next month. I've been at this 24 hours now and cannot get anything to work. I may have to keep my internet connection insecure until next month sometime until I can get a new laptop. I'm not happy about it but I don't know what else to do at this point.

Can you perform this:

Publish a Snapshot using Speccy

NM.

This post has been edited by Queen-Evie: 16 September 2010 - 09:14 PM

Have you tried disabling your wireless adapter in device manager? and then rebooting?

Of course if your rj45 port for ethernet is bad then you might have to use another computer to set up the router.

<<I may have to keep my internet connection insecure until next month...>>

I question the validity of the reasoning behind that comment. You have expressed questions about the validity of your O/S and unknown seeming O/S or hardware problems...that's not going to be solved by just pretending that malware doesn't run rampant on the Internet.

When a user has a computer situation that seemingly defies analysis...a clean install is a good basis from which to begin, IMO.

Louis

hamluis, on Sep 17 2010, 07:50 AM, said:

Yes I think an install would be the best thing at this point but I do not want to purchase a new OS when I really, really need to replace this laptop. I was trying to eek out another month or so with this thing but with all the problems (not to mention the cosmetic issues) it looks like I'll just have to junk it. I'll bite the bullet and pick up another laptop over the weekend. Thanks again everyone for all of your help.

WHERE did the icon disappear from? WHAT was your friend doing when he/she accidentally deleted it? Were you having any problems that led your friend to "help"? Did you have any thunderstorms recently? Have you checked in BIOS to make sure the onboard NIC is enabled?

Did you get a disk with the router? If you did, put it in your cd tray, when it opens explore the disk. You may be able to set up the security using the disk. More than anything else, securing your connection is the most important thing.

I bought a new D-Link router in July. I popped in the disk, and was able to set up the network name, password and security type using the disk. Took me less than 1 minute. I had been prepared to do it all from the web based set-up page.

Of course I did go to the page for some tweaking.

This post has been edited by Queen-Evie: 17 September 2010 - 08:48 AM