Date: 03/27/05 (Computer Help)    Keywords: software

We recently installed a new network card. Our computer has been crashing, and then on restarting bringing up the Add New Hardware Wizard because it says that a PCI Ethernet Controller has been detected. On searching for drivers, none can be found on the system, nor on the cd that came with the network card. Clicking on Next or Cancel so Windows can load and reinstalling the software on the cd has no effect. We tracked down the problem to the Ethernet Adapter in Device Manager (Sitecom PCI Fast 10/100 Ethernet Adapter LN-020). When the computer is working fine, it's there under network adapters. When it is not, it has "vanished" and sometimes there is also an exclamation mark in a yellow circle flag under Other Devices in Device Manager. Presumably the drivers are still there, but Windows 98 just can't "see" them. This is really frustrating because we can't connect to the internet while it's gone. Oddly, if we switch off the computer and leave it overnight, Windows loads fine, no new hardware is detected, and the Adapter has magically reappeared in Device Manager.

So what's happening, and how can we stop it from happening again?

Thank you for any help you can give us!

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/computer_help/363324.html