Network error?

[angelindisguise]

Hi all Tech people, im in need of some advice in regards to yet another computer issue... My partner has just recently acquired a desktop computer from work which he was hoping to use at home instead of his teeny weeny little netbook... anyway, he was advised to purchase a Wireless Network adapter to get the internet running on the desktop (landlord lives upstairs with the modem, partner lives in a self contained flat under...).

He has installed the said PCI adapter to try and get the internet and ever since the desktop has and still is throwing a really big hissy fit!

It goes on the internet ok but fuck anything else... no desktop, no contacts, no nothing... everytime he tries to do anything it has a "Network Error" prompt and does the whole blue screen of death thing...

As far as I know, he told me he's deleted something from the old network the computer was using whilst running at work, so I was thinking maybe that may be the issue...

Was wondering if a whole complete windows system re-install might be needed - the desktop as XP on it and my partner doesn't want to loose it...

Any advice would be much appreciated - many thanks

[Akzle]

sounds like windows.

1) reinstall and wait for the problems to reoccur in a year.

2) install linux like a badass and win all over the place.

[Gremlin]

Ignore the green font (I think everyone else does).

Blue screen is normally driver/hardware related. If it was starting up fine previously, then he's recently done something to royally "fix" it (and not in a good way).

From what you've said, two likely scenarios
- Whatever he removed he shouldn't have - fixing this depends on what he's removed
- Whatever he's added isn't good. This is likely to be the drivers for the wireless adapter. Did he install the correct ones? Can you boot into safe mode to remove the new hardware (and does stability return).

If the icons on the desktop etc are not showing (not sure how you get onto the Internet then) it's likely the explorer.exe process is unstable. Sometimes just starting it (and killing the process if it's already running) can fix it, but it's more of a temporary fix to get some functionality to fix the real causes. As for it crashing, ... uh... lot of reasons. The last time I saw a computer with an unstable explorer.exe process it was either some software I uninstalled, or services failing to start properly.

It's likely it can be fixed (depending on the scenario about removing stuff), but that isn't something you can guess your way through and likely it will be easier to re-install - provided it's not going to leave you worse off than before.

I'd go Safe Mode first (F8 while computer starts) and see if it will at least do that without crashing.

[p.dath]

I'd go with the wipe and re-install option as well. Especially since it used to be someone else's computer.

[angelindisguise]

Thanks for all the advice, computer is up and running - unsure what he did but its working now... all we have to do now is to try and bypass the administrators blocks to install the printer - it wont let us... have tried everything to get into the administrators access panel but so far fail... have a mate coming over sometime to try and help... cheers everyone :D

[Gremlin]

If you don't have the administrator password (which you can then reset other passwords etc), and you likely don't have, after being a business machine...

... then yes, you're going to need an Linux type disc that will boot from itself and allow you to access the Windows installation and reset passwords without knowing them. Something like ERD commander or similar. Think Ultimate Boot CD might work as well?

[angelindisguise]

Gremlin, can you give me a ring when possible - phone is on 24/7 - need to wipe and re-install...

[Akzle]

linux wins. Refer first reply.