wireless radio turned off WHY

Operating system is Windows XP Professional version 5.1.2600  

 

Computer is an xps M1210

Is the green WIFI indicator lit over the keyboard (just below the display)?  If pressing Fn-F2 will not illuminate it, the minicard is probably turned off in BIOS.  Restart and press F2 at the boot screen and find it in the BIOS menu options.  If it says it is "on" in BIOS, try turning it off, saving, turn on, save again and exit.  If it still doesn't work, call tech support as you might have a bad mini card.

Sorry, but I missed that part about your function keys not working.  Did you uninstall or install any software recently?  It is possible you broke the Dell system software.  You can download the latest from support.dell.com.

check if your wlan card is disabled from control panel / system / device manager

if this is the case , then just enable it.

Thanks for your help.  I left a message with dell help/support, took the computer to a local shop where they had a go at fixing it, then was trying to work out how to take the battery out, and noticed a switch on the side underneath the fan vent things.  aparently THIS IS THE WIRELESS ON OFF SWITCH!

 

Its so strange that I couldn't find this the other day when I looked for it numerous times.    It was right there all the time.

 

so its all working.  

 

The function keys still dont work though.  (well some do,  but the "standby, hibernate and battery buttons dont work, niether does the media direct button or the little camera button")

 

 

for the media direct button , maybe you made a repartitioning to your hdd, that's why the MD partition is gone or at least the partition order has been changed , if this is the case , i guess you will have to boot with the MediaDirect cd and repartition your hdd , then install the OS , and after the OS is up and running you insert the MD cd again and install it from windows , restart and the button should be working ok .

 

for the camera button i guess you just need to install the full package of software for the logitech cam .

 

hope this is useful for you.

Go to support.dell.com and navigate to the Drivers and Downloads for your machine and operating system.  Download the Dell System Software package and install it.  That should re-enable the Function keys.  As for the MediaDirect, reinstalling the System Software will not help if the partition is damaged or missing.  But, since none of the F-keys work, I think you might just have a software problem.

 

By the way, excuse this simple question, but you are pressing the "Fn" key when trying to use the Function keys, right?