Installed Windows XP onto a Dell laptop but "wireless" option doesn't show up un

[wolfman]

I had the post earlier of the laptop I found, a Dell XPS M1210, that would require a new OS installation. I had a disk for Windows XP Home Edition 2002 Service Pack 1, with the key number. I tried to boot it up and it said it couldn't because the version of XP on the laptop was newer. It said I could but would lose all data and programs, I figured that was OK. So I went and installed it, but "wireless" doesn't show up when you right click on Network connections. And to make things worse, I'm no longer able to connect to the internet through the Ethernet cable I had hooked up and was using previously. I figured maybe I did need a newer version of XP, so since I don't have an internet connection anymore, I burned the program Autopatcher 2007 to a disk and ran it on the laptop. But it still shows the same thing under Network Connections. And even though it was suppose to include service pack 2 or 3, on the laptop under system info it still says service pack 1. How do I get the wireless option on Windows XP? And I have a feeling the wireless reader I think Dell had on their computers, Intel wireless, I may have deleted with the new OS installation? Also, to boot the first version of XP, I had to change the boot order to go to disk first. It is still asking me this in a black screen but can't remember how t oswitch it to not go there first, if that will make a difference. I hope this makes sense and isn't too confusing. Anybody have the answer, and hopefully you can dummy it down enough that I can progress and give updates where I'm at. Thanks 

[DaveLembke]

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/Product/xps-M1210 Drivers for XP... burn them to a CD or DVD if you have DVD ROM, or copy them to a USB stick since USB should be functional under universal driver  and then you can manually install the network drivers and anything else that is missing or running generic drivers to replace with correct ones for better performance.

[wolfman]

I assume this will fix the wireless issue, I also forgot to mention that on the desktop, the only icon that showed up was the Recycle Bin. Is this a different issue? I guess I will do it tomm. and find out. Thanks

[SkinnyKing]

Your network drivers are missing.  The link that Dave has given you will allow you to download them (obviously from another computer) and install them. 

Desktop - right click on the desktop and choose properties.  Then either choose the windows classic theme to get all your icons or instead choose the desktop tab then press the desktop button and check the boxes for the icons you want to see.

[Chrisxs5]

You need to make sure you have all the proper drivers from his link as well. On Dell laptops sometimes the radio turns off during a reload so you need to check that as well. But most likely its the drivers. But just in case here a link.

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/KCS/KcsArticles/ArticleView?docid=429969

[wolfman]

I was able to find some of the drivers and was able to install them on the laptop, except for the Audio and Video drivers because they said the device wasn't there. (I must have deleted that also with the clean XP installation) I was able to get wireless internet access, so I don't know how to update XP, I thought I'd run Dell diagnostics online, the complete version and find out what else was missing. An early part of the scan is Dell System Detect. It warns you that if your computer doesn't have it, you may have to download it, and a link appears. It came up for me but when I clicked open, it said windows couldn't find a program to open it, and I didn't know where to save it. Any ideas how to get this downloaded, I think the Dell checks online will help a lot. I tried to download it from another site also but got an error, I can't recall.

[Chrisxs5]

What was the extension of the program it tried to download?

[wolfman]

I'm not sure it just called it dellsystemselect[1]