It is not an April 1st Fools Day joke!

How to install a driver for network adapter in new installation of Windows 7 on desktop PC.

I just re installed the Windows 7 Home Premium w/SP1 and...something probably went wrong.

My PC cannot connect to the Internet (True ADSL). My modem/router (TP-Link) is working properly. My laptop is connected via WiFi.

A network diagnostic window indicates that "Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter. If you have a network adapter, you will need to re-install the driver."

I tried to go to: Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections and it is empty.

Furthermore, there is no Network Adapter entry in my Device Manager, instead there is Other Devices (and they are expended, i.e. having problems):

- Ethernet Controller

- PCI Simple Communications Controller

- SM Bus Controller

- Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller

- Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller {twice}

- Unknown device

Please advise what to do!

Do you have the CD that came with your main board / wireless adapter (if it's separate)? The drivers will be on there.

Otherwise go to the manufacturers website and download same. Bung them on a memory stick and install.

PC or mainboard should have come w/ an installation disc with all the drivers on it. Install from there.

No disc, go to the PC or mainboard manufacturer's website, put in your model number, find the LAN driver to download and install. Looks like you need some other drivers as well.

Dunno what mainboard you have? Then download, install, and run a utility like HWinfo to find out: http://www.hwinfo.com/download32.html

Of course you can only go to the manufacturers site if you have a working network adaptor unless you have a second PC!

The Ethernet Controller is your network adaptor - if you don't have a second PC I suggest you right click the Ethernet Adaptor and uninstal, then reboot - if you're lucky on restart it will find some driver to make it work - I'd be surprised with Win7 if it didn't function at all.

Failing this you will have to find a second PC to download the driver.

Of course you can only go to the manufacturers site if you have a working network adaptor unless you have a second PC!

. . .

Failing this you will have to find a second PC to download the driver.

"My laptop is connected via WiFi"

Of course you can only go to the manufacturers site if you have a working network adaptor unless you have a second PC!

. . .

Failing this you will have to find a second PC to download the driver.

"My laptop is connected via WiFi"

Which means you have access to the Internet. Go to the PC manufacturers website and download the correct driver and install it.

You could also try right clicking the - Ethernet Controller listed on the Device Manager and clicking update driver.

Of course you can only go to the manufacturers site if you have a working network adaptor unless you have a second PC!

. . .

Failing this you will have to find a second PC to download the driver.

"My laptop is connected via WiFi"

Which means you have access to the Internet. Go to the PC manufacturers website and download the correct driver and install it.

You could also try right clicking the - Ethernet Controller listed on the Device Manager and clicking update driver.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630069-how-to-install-a-driver-for-network-adapter-in-new-installation-of-windows-7/#entry6260696