Odd tech support question

Underscore

OK, this one's got me stumped. I've installed a Linksys WMP11 wireless networking PCI card in my PC. However, when I try to install the drivers for the card, it says 'An error occured during the installation of this device. The data is invalid.' I've tried every set of XP drivers I can get my hands on from both the installation CD and the Linksys website, but it still won't work. I'm sure it's not a problem with the card because I'm running windows 98 on this computer as well and when I boot to windows 98 it works fine. Also, the driver files don't seem to be corrupt or anything. I've tried selecting the card in device manager (it comes up as 'network controller' in other devices, and has a yellow exclamation mark by its icon), and uninstalling it, but it just comes back straight away. Does anybody have any idea what the problem is here?

feylya

Perhaps your XP install is corrupted?

Underscore

I was wondering about that, but I haven't noticed any other problems at all with windows XP that could be caused by corruption, and usually when you've got a corrupt install, you're getting BSODs and random reboots and error messages all the time, right?

maxheadroom

try running system file checker on the XP installation.

[EDIT] Open a command prompt (start=> Run => cmd <enter>) and type "sfc /scannow" [/EDIT]

Yrthilian

this is a knowen issue on the microsoft web site.

It is the XP wireless software that is causeing the problem.
i dont know the full detail but it has something to do with the wireless service running on XP.

Microsoft explaion how to turn it off and that will then let you install the wireless hardware or if you want goto the www.irishwan.org site they can tell you how to fix the problem.

Thanks
Yrth

Underscore

OK, I'll ask on IrishWAN.

Underscore

Update: This might not be a problem with XP's wireless networking after all. I tried testing it by removing my wireless card and inserting a regular network card, and then when I tried to install the drivers for it, it gave me the same 'the data is invalid' error. However, I have no problems installing any other kinds of drivers, except for network-related ones, and what's more, if I go to add hardware in the control panel, then tell it 'Yes, I have already installed the hardware', then go to network adapters and pick have disk, and then install the drivers like that for the card, they install fine. Of course, the card doesn't work when I do that, but it shows that XP can install the drivers, it just has some kind of problem with installing them where they're actually needed. Does anybody have any ideas about what could be causing this?

Capt'n Midnight

'cos if it is not then it can get very upset with lots of WiFi stuff.

Next question Home or PRO ?

Underscore

Pro. And I'm using SP1, with all the other windows update thingies that it asks me to download. But I don't think it's specifically a wireless problem, since I got the same thing with a regular 3com ethernet card.

maxheadroom

did you try system file checker, or a "therapeutic" repair installation of WinXP?