# [SOLVED] ?Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter?



## hairwaytosteven

*[SOLVED] “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

I have a very stable, stock Dell XPS running Windows 7.

This morning I got up to find that I could no longer connect to the internet. There was a red cross in the little network icon in the taskbar.

If I click that icon, it says “No connections available”

If I click troubleshoot, it says “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”

Very strange because it’s been working fine for a year and I changed nothing.

If I look in the device manager, there is no entry for “Network Adapters” at all.

If I look in BIOS the integrated NIC is there and ON. But Windows can no longer find it.

Reboot, swapping ethernet cables, restarting router etc... does nothing.

If I rollback to an earlier restore point, it doesn’t help.

Since my computer was asleep last night, I’m uneducated guessing two things: 

- Windows did an auto update that is causing a problem

- There was a power surge that somehow damaged my hardware. The weather was pretty bad last night.

Any help greatly appreciated!


----------



## 2xg

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

Hello and Welcome to TSF!

Perhaps here's the issue.


> There was a power surge that somehow damaged my hardware. The weather was pretty bad last night.


Have you tried reinstalling the network driver from Device Manager?


----------



## hairwaytosteven

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*



2xg said:


> Have you tried reinstalling the network driver from Device Manager?


Thanks for the welcome!

In Device Manager there is no mention of the network driver. That whole 'branch' has vanished.

Yes, I'm in NYC and there was that pretty violent storm last night. Could that travel up the ethernet cable?


----------



## 2xg

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

If the network adapter have vanished from Device Manager, might have gone bad bec. of bad storm. How about your wireless adapter? Is it gone too.

What happens if you try to Scan for any hardware changes, does it detect the hardware?

If it won't install, I'd probaly just buy a USB network adapter, they are pretty reasonable.


----------



## johnwill

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

It's not uncommon for a storm to take out a wired NIC, they're connected to other things and power surges get to them first.


----------



## hairwaytosteven

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*



2xg said:


> If the network adapter have vanished from Device Manager, might have gone bad bec. of bad storm. How about your wireless adapter? Is it gone too.
> 
> What happens if you try to Scan for any hardware changes, does it detect the hardware?
> 
> If it won't install, I'd probaly just buy a USB network adapter, they are pretty reasonable.


2xg: Scan for Hardware did nothing and I don't have a wireless adapter.

Thanks both for the quick replies. Saved me hours of stress! I'll go to radio shack tomorrow and get a new network adapter. I'll let you know if it works.

ray:


----------



## hairwaytosteven

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

Oh dear, I need more help.

So I bought a E-102 Dynex PCI NIC and installed it. "Windows 7 compatible"

http://www.dynexproducts.com/products/computers/DX-E102.html

I went into BIOS and turned off the integrated NIC and made sure the new PCI one was there. It was.

I installed the drivers from the above site. Rebooted.

It still doesn't work! ARG.

In DEVICE MANAGER, under Network Adapters it is there, but there is a "!" icon.

"this device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the correct drivers (Code 31)"

Disable/Enable does not help. These are the latest drivers from the manufacturer.

Any advice?


----------



## 2xg

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

Sorry to hear about that. Windows 7 has issue on driver compatibility. Let's see if we resolve that. From Device Manager, right click on the ! symbol, choose uninstall, then reinstall it. To reinstall the driver, from the bottom of this page click on Support/Download to download the latest driver for your device.

Please post an update.


----------



## hairwaytosteven

*Re: “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*



2xg said:


> Sorry to hear about that. Windows 7 has issue on driver compatibility. Let's see if we resolve that. From Device Manager, right click on the ! symbol, choose uninstall, then reinstall it. To reinstall the driver, from the bottom of this page click on Support/Download to download the latest driver for your device.
> 
> Please post an update.


Thank you my friend. I had disabled and reenabled the driver but NOT uninstalled and reinstalled. So I did as you said and it worked.

Have a great weekend :smile:


----------



## 2xg

*Re: [SOLVED] “Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter”*

Glad to hear that.

You're quite Welcome!


----------

