[Art Vandalay]

Ok, so quick backstory. The laptop in question is a Dell Inspiron 1545 that's about a year old. It runs Windows Vista 64 bit.

Lately, it's been running like crap. The whole computer would freeze in the middle of just simply browsing the internet for no apparent reason. This has been going on for a few months now.

Well, last night, it happened again. Except this time, when I rebooted, the computer would just sorta sit on the initial screen where Vista was loading. No matter how many times I restarted, it would not get past this point. I was tired of the computer running like crap, so, I decided to pop in the Windows Vista installation disc that came with the laptop and install a clean copy.

Now, I can't connect to the internet. It's not recognizing my router, or any other internet connection available for that matter. I've scoured some internet help forums and the explanations just go over my head. People with similar problems were told they needed to "reinstall the drivers." That's all well and good, I just don't know how exactly to do that.

When I try to connect to the internet, it tells me "Windows cannot detect any networking hardware."

Can some kind soul explain to me in a dumbed-down way, what I need to do to get online? I'll buy you dinner if we ever run into each other in real life

Edited by Art Vandalay, 05 June 2010 - 11:36 AM.

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Do you use wired, or wireless connection?
If wireless, did you try wire your laptop to the router?
Are there any other computers connected to the same router? Do they connect fine?
Do you have any errors in Device Manager?

[Broni]

Do you use wired, or wireless connection?
If wireless, did you try wire your laptop to the router?
Are there any other computers connected to the same router? Do they connect fine?
Do you have any errors in Device Manager?

[Art Vandalay]

I'm wireless.
I connected the laptop directly to my main modem and it still detected nothing. Connected it to my router and also nothing.

There are other computers connected to the same router, two. They both connect fine. This laptop connected fine as well before I reinstalled windows.

I did have errors in device manager, but I uninstalled those per a suggestion in another thread.

When I do Windows Network Diagnostics it tells me "This computer does not have a wireless network adapter installed and configured."

So I guess I have to do that, but I don't know where to start.

Edited by Art Vandalay, 05 June 2010 - 12:39 PM.

[Broni]

Travel to Dell's site, enter your service tag number and download wireless adapter driver. Install it.

I did have errors in device manager, but I uninstalled those per a suggestion in another thread.

Which thread would that be and what was uninstalled?