Member Avatar for genoknave

Hiya, I recently had to reformat my computer, after doing that its telling me the wizard cannot find your network hardware. I'm running windows xp on both computers. The one computer runs perfectly fine, the other computer won't even detect the connection when i have it directly connected. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by chrisbliss18

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Brief expert note: the "wizard cannot find your network hardware" message after a reformat most often means Windows lacks a driver or the NIC is disabled/not linked. was right to point at driver reinstall; noted the original driver disc is missing. The following triage sequence isolates hardware vs driver vs link issues and shows how to install a driver without the OEM CD.

Start with basic link checks: confirm the NIC link/activity LEDs when the Ethernet cable is plugged in; swap the cable and use a known-good port on the router/switch. When a PC is connected directly to a cable/DSL modem, power-cycle the modem after switching systems (some ISPs bind to the MAC address). Check BIOS/CMOS to make sure onboard LAN is enabled if the adapter is integrated.

Identify the device in Windows and collect its IDs: open Device Manager (run devmgmt.msc) and look for Network adapters or an Unknown device with a yellow mark. From that device’s Properties → Details → Hardware Ids, copy the first VEN_XXXX&DEV_XXXX string — that string is the reliable key for finding the correct driver on the NIC, motherboard, or chipset vendor support pages. If the adapter never appears, test the card in another machine or try a USB/PCI NIC to rule out a dead onboard controller.

Common install workflow (use a working PC to download files, transfer by USB):

  • Install chipset drivers first (if NIC is onboard).
  • Run the NIC vendor’s Setup.exe, or in Device Manager choose Update Driver → Browse my computer → Let me pick → Have Disk and point to the folder with the INF.
  • Reboot after installation.

Useful quick commands:

devmgmt.msc
ncpa.cpl
ipconfig /all
netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt

If problems persist: reseat/remove any PCI card, try the NIC in a different PC, or temporarily add a low-cost USB Ethernet adapter. Only download drivers from the motherboard/NIC vendor or major vendors (Intel, Realtek, Broadcom, Atheros); avoid random driver-aggregator sites. If the NIC fails in multiple machines, replacement is the likely next step.

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Member Avatar for chrisbliss18

Did you try reinstalling the drivers for the network adapter?

Member Avatar for genoknave

Did you try reinstalling the drivers for the network adapter?

Eh, dont exactly know how to do that, I don't have the original drivers rand utilities disc that came with it though :(

Member Avatar for chrisbliss18

If you don't have access to the drivers on a disk, then you need to find out what your network device is and download the appropriate driver for it. You can find out information about your hardware by using Everest Home. Install that program on the system you need to identify the network device on and look at the hardware view. You should be able to find your device listed there. If the network adapter is a stand-alone card, look for the identity of that card. If your network adapter is built into the motherboard, you will need to identify the motherboard (you will get the driver from the motherboard manufacturer's site).

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