Never throw anything away

[avevale_intelligencer]

So the laptop downstairs still isn't doing the wireless network thing. It's still sticking on "Acquiring network address." Plus the "Network Connections" dialogue on my machine here wasn't working. So intrepid Zander decides to update the driver on his nVidia nForce networking controller. *acknowledges gasps of admiration, tries to ignore the synchronised smacking sound as every techie within earshot facepalms in unison*

Tricky assignment. The nVidia website doesn't know about drivers for networking controllers. It only knows about graphics drivers and motherboard drivers, and I don't have an nVidia motherboard. But I found a compatible-looking driver on Cnet, and I downloaded it, and I installed it.

And poof, there went the Internet.

I couldn't "roll back" the driver. The "system restore point" the installer was supposed to have created didn't exist, or at least didn't affect the thing it was installing. And obviously I couldn't get online to find another driver that might work better. Classically frodded.

At one point I went next door and borrowed the neighbours' internet to see if I could find a solution. All I found were the same useless links I'd found before. Starting, ever so slightly, to panic, I called vaurien, who did his best but is more of a Big Damn Computer guy, none of your fiddling PCs. However, the reassuring effect of his voice helped to unfreeze my brain, and I realised something useful.

I have replaced the system drive in this machine, but the original one is still there. I've thought hundreds of times about replacing, reformatting, or simply uninstalling it, but I've never quite had the nerve. (I'm still psyching myself up to replacing the CMOS battery, good grief.) It doesn't work all the time, but it was working today. And on it, gentle friends, was the original network adapter driver.

It was the work of a moment to point the driver updater at the F drive, and seconds later I had the net back. I've even managed to get the "Network Connections" dialogue working.

I've still got the original problem, no nearer solving that, but some days you just have to be grateful that you haven't irrevocably wrecked everything quite yet.

And thank you vaurien for bringing me within arm's reach of the answer.

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it does just take someone listening to free the brain to actually make connections (the number of times I've gone to ask someone about a problem, and halfway through telling them about it realise what the answer is). Especially if it's someone you expect to understand, and who may ask just the right question to jog the brain.

And well done ye for actually doing that sort of thing! We'll make a techie of you yet...

*hugs*