Dear Windows 7 Guru's :)

[Nukem]

I'm about stumped and I have done LOTS of research, but nothing has worked.

I have Windows 7 PRO (32-bit) installed on 3 of 4 desktops in the house. Same CD, just different keys to activate, and not one of them will take a wireless NIC or wireless USB stick. All 3 install and accept the hardware, but one won't let me enable it it no matter what I do.

I have tried multiple companies and types of cards (I.E. Netgear/PCI and USB, Linksys/PCI, TP-Link/PCIe 1x, Rosewill/PCI, Trendnet/PCI and USB) and none of them will see a network, once it's installed. THAT is the big problem. It's installs, but won't either; A. see a network once installed, or B. load the wireless config program. and/or C. Windows will not see a wireless card and try to config on it's own.

I want to say I'm pretty handy considering my back ground, and experience, but this one has me stumped, and I am at the point my only other choice is going to be a clean install and hope for the best.

Oh and these machines are all different builds.
1. Socket 939 x2 build
2. Socket 1156 i3 build
3. Socket 775 C2D build

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[S0ULphIRE]

What do you mean they won't let you enable the hardware? If you delete the drivers then run windows update, are any drivers listed in the 'optional' downloads area? Tried just updating win7 itself?

Does device manager show the wireless card/usb-stick as properly installed?

 

[Nukem]

I have updated all drivers via windows update and the website itself for each card; and yes the device manager shows them all working properly and zero driver issues, but yet (expect the one that won't let me enable it) when I run a diagnostic on the card. (from the change adapter settings) It tell me that it's a driver issue. I'm about ready to call MS, but I know I'd be on hold for EVER and I deploy in May! LOL

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Got any security or av programs running that could be hindering anything? You're right, this is a weird one lol

 

[Nukem]

I run Avast and Zone alarm free. I uninstalled avast on mine and switched to AVG just to see if it would work... of course not.

 

[MindoverMaster]

Could it be Zone Alarm that's the problem?

 

[PP Mguire]

Disable Zone Alarm and see if that helps. I stopped using Zone Alarm because it blocks way to much that you actually need.

 

[Nukem]

Nope... That didn't do it either... Re-started a machine, and shut ZA down as soon as it came up. Then tried to load the wireless again, and nothing.

I'm so very confused.

 

[PP Mguire]

Is it enabled under My Network in the adapters section?

 

[-RockMan-]

Shut your down the wep key or wpa2 keyh for now.
Save your settings in the router, swing on back to the desktop, hit the start button, type cmd, ipconfig/all.
Now please tell me what ip address is showing up ? if your router is giving ip addresses from your ISP it will be normal DHCP if it is locked down to a few ip addresses that is static and won't ever expire not unless you flsuh it out completely.

Test each pc to make sure you can go straigiht to internet, once you have done so, try a normal wep key and sett rhe pass yourself.
Test each computer to make sure it sees your router and network and enter the password.

wait for it, and reboot the machince once to make sure it will lock it in properly.