BleepingComputer.com: missing icon

Hello,

Today my computer shut down and when i turn it back on i was unable to connect to the internet i clicked on my network >view network the folder was empty the connection icon is gone..
i tried to create new one wont let me, i did system restore it didn't fix it.
My desktop was full of viruses and apps that i don't even need so i did system recovery i installed all drivers and everything and icon still didn't show up. When i tried to create new one it keep saying that there is a connection already made but like i said icon is gone missing..only thing i can think about right now is Ethernet chip...but before i open it and start messing with it i want to know if there is anything i can do to fix this problem..

oh and i have Emachine W3115 windows xp media center edition.

This post has been edited by MDay: 06 January 2011 - 09:44 PM

Go to Control Panel/Network Connections...what data is reflected on large sccreen?

Louis

i don't really get it but if you want to know if there is any icons when i click "network connection" then its all gone...

EDIT: i just checked device manager and there is no modem or network adapter..does that mean my network card stopped working?

This post has been edited by MDay: 06 January 2011 - 01:46 PM

First, I hear that you have many viruses like you said. I recommend putting a antivirus installer such as AVG on a Jump Drive and then running the installer on the infected computer. Scan, remove any viruses or problems it finds. Reboot. And then do some research on your network card to see if you have the most recent drivers for it. You might have system restored so back in your computer's history that your network driver isn't up to date. Also, what service pack do you have at the moment for XP?

denako, on 06 January 2011 - 06:04 PM, said:

ill try and explain what happened and give more details..
@ the city where i live we had bad thunder and lightning this morning, yeah my computer had viruses but was working just fine i was able to connect to the internet and everything then it shut down due to losing electricity in the neighborhood when i turn it back on i tired to use internet but wont let me.
i clicked on Google then i saw message saying that its not connected to the internet i tried to find local internet in my network but all icons were gone i clicked on my computer> device manager and modem\network adapters were gone too.
so then i decided to run "system recovery" with CD that came with my computer and hopefully that will fix my problem and also get rid of everything after its done i installed all drivers for my pc but that still didn't fix the problem at all...modem and network is not under device manager...
i did system recovery before and i know the driver installer work just fine...i turned off/on modem but pc can't detect it..i'm guessing my network card stopped working...?

if i'm wrong then can someone help me out please and if i'm right then what do i have to do? open up desktop take it out then put it back in??

and thank you

oh my computer is Emachine w3115

If Device Manager reflects no network device...then you need to try to reinstall the approriate drivers for same.

If that appears to happen successfully but device still doesn't work...I'd say that it's dead. Either way, installing a PCI NIC is one attempt to overcome.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fv2UwX8G-dQJ:www.emachines.com/products/products.html%3Fprod%3DW3115+Emachine+w3115&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Louis

I tried to install drivers but didn't work and i clicked on one of the options under my network by accident and i got message saying "can't create connection cuz computer can't detect hardware". i was hoping i could fix this by myself but i guess i have no other choice but to take it to a shop and get it fixed anyway..thank you all for the help.

FWIW: If it is a hardware failure...simply buying a cheap network PCI card and installing it on your system...should take care of it. That's going to be cheaper than taking the system to a computer repair shop.

Louis

hamluis, on 08 January 2011 - 11:16 AM, said:

yeah i know how to install one but to tell you the truth i don't know much about computers and i'm not 100% sure if its network card or something else i was just guessing after reading that message "unable to detect hardware"...and only thing that can cause problem like this is network card right?
is there any kind of test or something that i can do to just make sure...?
and can you please provide a download link for network drivers i just want to make sure the one i downloaded from e machine website works or not...and thanks again

This post has been edited by MDay: 08 January 2011 - 09:42 PM