[BobLewiston]

The following is something I posted at Major Geeks on June 19th, but I haven’t gotten any help there yet.

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My friend has two Windows user accounts: one with limited privileges, for going online, and one with administrative level privileges, for administrative tasks such as installing software, updating security program databases, etc.

This morning, a connectivity problem suddenly arose: now, in order for his wireless network connection to be connected to the Internet, two conditions must be met:

• He must be in his administrative level account, and
• He must not have logged on to his limited account since booting up.

I notice that even when both of the above conditions are met and he is connected to the Internet, no list of available wireless networks is displayed in Windows’ Wireless Network Connection window (in which you select a wireless network). Instead, it says “Windows cannot configure this wireless connection. If you have another program to configure this wireless connection, use that software.”

My friend does have NetGear wireless adapter software installed on his computer, but I don’t believe that that is the program by which he can configure his wireless connection, because that is for NetGear’s wireless adapter (which is a USB device), but my friend’s wireless connection is made by an onboard wireless connection mini-card. At any rate, I don’t have his computer in front of me at the moment, so I can’t look into that right now, but if anyone can suggest how I might see if there is a program installed that would enable me to configure his wireless connection, that would be a big help. Incidentally, NetGear’s wireless adapter software has been installed on his computer for a long time and hadn’t caused any connectivity problems before.

Just for the record, my friend is running:

• Windows XP Home Edition
• two different browsers: IE8 and Firefox
• avast! Antivirus
• SUPERAntiSpyware
• Malmarebytes’ Anti-Malware
• PC Tools Firewall Plus
• Spyware Blaster

All software and security databases are up to date, and no malware can be found on the computer, even by Combofix, MGtools, etc.

Any help that anyone can give would be most appreciated.

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Again just for the record, I don’t have the same problem on my computer. I have the same security software running on my computer. I’m also running IE8, but not Firefox, and I’m also running Windows XP, but the Professional Edition rather than the Home Edition. And because I have a desktop, I’m using a NetGear USB wireless adapter (with its own “Smart Wizard” software), but my friend has a laptop, which has an onboard wireless connection mini-card (presumably with its own driver).