Connection problems please can you help

Browntoa

try using system restore

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx

to go back to a point on thursday when it worked or earlier

none of your data is lost but it will change ALL your settings back to how they were when it last worked

aliEnRIK

If the dongles not lighting up, id guess either its knackered (Dont suppose its such a simple thing as an 'on/off' switch is it?)
OR the USB bus drivers have become corrupted
Clearly the router works as the laptops fine

Do you have any other USB powered things plugged in? Do they work fine?
Does the dongle 'light up' when plugged into the laptop?

katies_mum

Browntoa, I tried to restore it earlier but didn`t sort the problem.

aliEnRIK the dongle doesn`t work in the laptop so something must have happened to it yesterday when I was away! what I can`t work out is why the desk top won`t work with the router if the laptop is working! am I missing something just thought the booster thingie was to help the signal be better.

The message on the big screen is adapter is inactive, no association with access point.

Will I need a man to come and mend it?? as need it for work etc

Thanks its much appreciated.

GunJack

katies mum - your wireless usb adapter ("booster") sounds like either the driver has corrupted or it's just plain broken...they do sometimes unfortunately...

first off, try this...

go to start, control panel, system, hardware tab, device manager, and see if your dongle is listed there under network adapters.
If it is, highlight it, right-click, properties, driver tab, and roll back the driver. If this doesn't work, do you have the cd that came with the dongle still?? if so, you could re-install the driver from the cd and see if that fixes it..

if none of the above work, the dongle's probably packed up and you'll need a new one...they start from around a tenner...something like this ??

http://www.memorybits.co.uk/shop/bluetooth-dongles/wireless-11g-usb-adapter-/4920

...amd memorybits do 10% quidco cashback too

aliEnRIK

As Gunjack said. The dongles knackered. The 'laptop' works as it has an inbuilt wireless card. The PC can ONLY use the USB dongle for it to work wirelessly.
So the options are to buy another USB wireless dongle
OR
a PCI wireless card (Similar to whats in your laptop)

katies_mum

Good morning,

Thanks for all the advice it is really appreciated, but think the dongle is the least of my worries today as the desk top won`t even switch on (I have been next door and borrowed their connection bit to see if it was that) I have a ligh behind the on/off switch that is flashing orange but when I press the button nothing happens and it won`t switch on (why did I turn it off last night!! grr) not sure what to do now.. also very angry with myself as I have loads of work on my documents that havn`t been copied to anything - will I loose all this stuff??

Anyone fancy a day out to sunny Southport!! I make nice coffee..

All suggestions will be tried as I am now desperate.. any ideas?

Desk top is a dell dimention 5150 think I need a new one (last computer I had was repaired!! well written off by a so called computer mender! he charged me a fortune made a bigger mess of it than what was actually wrong and I had to take to to the tip and I lost all my work) You`d think I`d have learnt my lessson and copied my stuff - but not really sure how to do it..

aliEnRIK

Even if the computers dead (And im not saying it is), theres no need to panic
You can buy gizmos to plug the hard drive into your laptops us to access all the information on it (Unless the drive itself is dead)

Sorry, I live about 20 miles from you, but at work all today

aliEnRIK

Im kinda guessing now. But as the dongle is possibly 'fried', and the desktop no longer powers up
Its quite possible that the motherboards had its day (Possibly a power surge which knocked out the USB wireless adaptor too)
I know this ISNT what you want to hear, but its my initial thoughts on whats happened.

katies_mum

Assuming the worst - I`m trying not to panic today - think I got too stressed yesterday.... do you think I will be able to get the info I have on my docs / pictures if it is the motherboard!! not really knowing what one of them is.. how would I know if it is the motherboard or hard drive? sorry I just don`t understand computers well. I have also got a work programme on the desktop that was installed by floppy disc! oops know that is something from a past life! got dell to put me one in when I got the computer. Any ideas how to get this programme from floppy to disc!! These things are sent to try us.. think all computers should come with a large bottle of vallium for these stressful times.
I`m not really sure what to do next, don`t want to get is repaired at silly ££`s if it could go again in a few months - would rather just get a more upto date better one which I don`t think will be hard. (also these so called people that go round repairing them in my area cost me megga bucks last time and they ended up causing me lots of money for a job which should have been really simple)
I appreciate your time and trouble and know its hard for you to guess what could be the problem just wondering what I should do next to try to get my info onto the laptop.
If I need to get new computer then so be it.. at least I have Katies laptop to play on for the time being just need to connect the printer to it..... will
I just plug that in to it?
With grateful thanks, Helen

Browntoa

yes, the hard disk can be removed and connected to another PC or Laptop using a cable like this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-2-0-to-IDE-SATA-Cable-Adapter-2-5-3-5-Hard-Drive_W0QQitemZ260311694010QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260311694010&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1300%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

just plugs into a USB port and looks like an external drive