Converted from Vista to XP, now I can't get online?

Analog Dreams

Solid State Member
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Hello all...I"m having a problem with one of my computers that is driving me nuts. I started off with a fully functional Compaq SR5518F desktop running Vista, and installed XP Service Pack 2 on it. As far as I can tell, the install went great, except for one problem; no internet. We can rule out the network adapter being defective, as I had just been online with the computer prior to conversion. Under Device Manager, this is what I see;

? Other devices
! Ethernet Controller
! PCI Device
! PCI Simple Communications Controller
! SM Bus Controller
! Video Controller (my video works fine)

Question mark and exclamation points highlighted in yellow instead of green. Do I just need a driver? And if so, will a Vista driver work with XP?

Thanks for any help you can provide!
 
Thanks for the link. The only thing I see there is an update for Lightscribe, though. Am I in trouble here by installing XP on a machine that never came with it? Someone told me that if I can't find the ethernet driver that I need that I may need to find a chipset driver...but wouldn't an XP chipset be different from the one used on this Vista machine?

I'm getting confused :(
 
Vista systems aren't made for XP. You'll need to go back to Vista on an OEM system (at the very least) or install Windows 7. What prompted you to downgrade in the first place? XP is... pretty much dead. Microsoft won't even be supporting it for much longer.
 
I was afraid of that...guess I"ll have to go with Windows 7.

I find Vista to be incredibly user-unfriendly compared with XP. I also find it to run slower, and browsers seem to crash alot compared to XP.

But what's this I hear about an XP emulator for Windows 7? Does it only work on business programs?

The machine I'm using now is only a couple of weeks old...it's Windows 7.
 
It's an OEM system, OEM built PCs almost ALWAYS have issues in the OS (the crashes, browser issues, etc) it's not uncommon at all. Compaqs especially for some reason. :(

If you install 7 on it, it'll be a hell of a lot better than it was with Vista.

Windows 7 had something called "XP Mode" which was just a gimmicky virtualized install of XP that comes with certain editions of Windows 7. You're not missing out on much, and to be honest, you'll get a far better experience by downloading VirtualBox and running Windows XP inside of a virtual machine that way.
 
Thanks for the tips, og.

But I do have another question; what do you think about me installing the latest version of Linux? I have zero experience with that o/s, but I notice that I can get the installation cd on ebay for only $5. Would it be hard to find drivers for? Thanks for your patience.
 
Even $5 is a waste of money considering you can download it for free. Just pick a distro and go for it. You can use Virtualbox to test Linux flavors out as well before you actually make the jump. Linux is a totally different animal from Windows, as long as you're open to it, it's a valid alternative if you don't want to spend money on another OS. But keep in mind, there's virtually no support for in on the phone - you'll have to read forums or Email folks for assistance on most of the major distros (the phone support comes in paid subscriptions, among other options)

The most popular, at least within my circle, is Ubuntu Linux
 
I've made up my mind; I"m going to go the Linux route. Who knows, maybe I'll like it so much that it will be my future o/s of choice?

Thanks again for the help!
 
I am frequently upgrading and fixing computers and as you are experiencing drivers are a big issue for me. I got a program called driver genius for $10 at office depot. The licence was good for 10 uses. I know that you can get the drivers for free online but this saves me hours and at $1 per computer ive found it really inexpensive. Thats what I would reccomend
 
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