No LAN - it has disappeared!

[Fernando Vaz]

Hi

I've had my laptop 6 months using Vista Home Basic and have connected
through a wired LAN connection everyday. This week, it didn't automatically
connect and when I went to the "Network and sharing centre", selected "Full
map" and selected "Local area network", it doesn't show anything at all. It's
as if the connection (or the icon) has just disapeared.

I'm not very technically minded, but was advised by Acer (who I bought the
laptop from) to "Restore factory settings", but I have loads of programs,
pictures and music and am worried I will loose it all or will have to re-load
everything (which ideally I don't want to do).

I was also advised so look at what updates windows has done, I did and found
that the date when it was last updated is about the same time I had these
problems. I went and uninstalled thsee updates and re-started the laptop but
still no LAN.

Any help would be appreciated - please bear in mind though that I'm not very
technical.

Thanks

 

[BurrWalnut]

Try this:
Right-click Computer > Properties > Device Manager in the left pane. Expand
Network Adapters, right-click the adapter and select Uninstall. Restart the
computer and Windows should reinstall it.

 

[Fernando Vaz]

Tried this and uninstalled the 802.11g adaptor, re-started, but still no
connection. Wireless is fine, but not LAN. When I go to the control panel,
then network and internet, then the network and sharing centre, it doesn't
even have the LAN icon, (normally it would have the iceon and say either
connected or disconnected. Any other thoughts?