Changed hard drives, no signal

[Janis]

A D Link router was installed on computer one.   A D Link USB adapter was installed on computer two.  No signal problems  Computer two was only a P3.   we replaced it with a newer but not new P4.  All  computers running XP Pro.  We removed the hard drive from the P3 as it was larger and it had programs we wanted to access but MS won't accept the activation request. We installed that hard drive in the newer P4.   After installing the needed drivers,  the computer is working just fine.   However now what is computer two can not pick up a wireless signal. Dlink driver installed  As a test I installed a wireless card.  That also installs with no problem but scans and sees no signal. Is there a change in windows itself that I have to make in order for this to work?  There is an icon in control panel for wireless but not sure if there are changes I need to make there. 

[Geek-9pm]

MS won't accept the activation request

How did you resolve this issue?  The old P3 was also a different motherboard and has a different chip set, - Right?

[Janis]

The activation by MS is a non problem using the current hard drive (removed from the P3)  It was a problem when I attempted to install it in the P4 machine using the MS Office cd.

The hard drive is the same one that "WAS" working with the wireless while in the P3 pc.   Somehow transferring it into the P4 pc has lost its ability to pick up a signal.

[Geek-9pm]

The hard drive is the same one that "WAS" working with the wireless while in the P3 pc.   Somehow transferring it into the P4 pc has lost its ability to pick up a signal.

Your P3 machine works on wireless. The P4 does not.
The hard drive did not change,
Windows XP did not change,
The wireless device did not change.
The CPU changed.
The motherboard changed.
Windows Networking is not hardware independent.

Examples:
1. A change in a Video card can stop a network card.
2. A change in motherboard chip set can stop  USB service.
3. A change in chip set  stops the audio.
4. A change in CPU will cause drivers to not work right.

The wireless drives can not work right if the chip set is not right. The device manager may not even show yellow flags.

The best choice is to put it back the way it was. Unless you are doing an in-depth study of how to modify a working system.

However, It is possible to make it work. And not hard. Just time-consuming.. But before anyone can help you with that, you need to explain how you got the XP system to work on a different motherboard. Did you do a new, clean install of XP on the drive? Or did you do a repair install of XP? Which XP  SP2? SP3? OEM? Retail? Did you get the updates?

[Janis]

The P3 was an old IBM running XP PRO SP3.   I retrieved the hard drive from the IBM and installed it into the Dell P4.    I left the OS the same having updated the OS the day before.  After the install,  I added the necessary drivers for the Dell to function (video, sound, ethernet).   Computer boots normally and functions correctly except for the wireless which can no longer pick up a signal.  The router is connected to the main computer on an upper floor.  I had to switch hard drives between the Dell and IBM  to retain the installed software.   I did contact D Link and they said that their wireless routers are universal and will work with any system.  All the more confusing.