Wireless card not working on Latitude D610 after fresh XP Install

Finding the cause of a code 10 can be excruciatingly painful as there isn't a single cause we can point to.  For Microsoft's take on this, take a look here:  Microsoft KB 943104, Code 10 Error.

Since the card was working before you reinstalled, I would suspect you have a conflict in one of the drivers.  If this were mine I would begin over, making sure I deleted the existing Windows partition and starting completely fresh.  Once you have Windows installed you should install your drivers in the following order:  Notebook System Software (found in System Utilities on the support page), Intel Chipset Driver, Display Adapter Driver, Network Interface Adapter Driver (for the Ethernet port), Sound Adapter Driver, and if you have a driver for your pointing device, install that.  Now you can install your wireless driver.  Before going further, see if you can now connect.  Don't leave it connected long since you have no anti-virus at this point, just long enough to see if it works.  If so, try installing Service Pack 3 and check again.  Service Pack 3 is not compatible with all wireless cards, which is the reason I'm suggesting the particular order I've given you.  See this:  Things to Check Before Installing Service Pack 3.

If your quick check of the card shows that it works after you have installed Service Pack 3, you can assume all is fine and install your anti-virus and other applications.

Thanks so much, I'll give it a try!

I followed these instructions for installing the drivers, but it did not fix the problem.  

Any other suggestions?  

Should I be installing the Texas Instruments chipset driver?  I did not do it when following the instructions here, but tried it before to no avail.

I have also installed the drivers in three other different orders as per the instructions at the links below,  but none of these worked either (each time I deleted and recreated the partition, fully formatted the drive and did a fresh XP install):

Dell USA site: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/document?c=us&cs=08W&docid=1A0C0937D62A8739E0401E0A55174744&l=en&s=bsdv

Dell Europe Site:

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/topics/topic.aspx/emea/shared/support/downloads/en/driver_install_order?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~lt=print

Another Post on this Dell User forum:

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/new-to-community/w/tutorials/latitude-d610-install-instructions-xp.aspx

Hi:

Did you ever get your wireless card working? I re-loaded Vista on my machine and it looks like it doesn't recogize the wireless. card.

Thanks

Roy

Hi: Did you ever get your wireless card working? I re-loaded Vista on my machine and it looks like it doesn't recogize the wireless. card. Thanks Roy

No luck, let me know if you find a fix.

Thanks

Ryan

Sorry if I'm asking a silly question, but are you fellows certain you have the Intel wireless?  I figure you know that but it helps to be sure.  Another thing you can try is to see what system setup has to say about your wireless adapter.  Not all laptops have it, but many have an item in the system setup (F2 during the self test following a restart of the machine) that switches the card on or off.  Make sure it hasn't been set to disabled.

Would you mind letting me know which driver file you are trying to use?  There are two files pertaining to the Intel wireless, one being a driver and the second being an update to the channel settings of the card for Japan.  You need to be sure you are using the driver and not the update.

With regard to the TI chipset driver, that one is generally for the memory card reader and would need to be installed just before the wireless adapter driver at the end of everything else.  I don't think it should have any effect on the wireless card itself.

Sorry if I'm asking a silly question, but are you fellows certain you have the Intel wireless?  I figure you know that but it helps to be sure.  Another thing you can try is to see what system setup has to say about your wireless adapter.  Not all laptops have it, but many have an item in the system setup (F2 during the self test following a restart of the machine) that switches the card on or off.  Make sure it hasn't been set to disabled. Would you mind letting me know which driver file you are trying to use?  There are two files pertaining to the Intel wireless, one being a driver and the second being an update to the channel settings of the card for Japan.  You need to be sure you are using the driver and not the update. With regard to the TI chipset driver, that one is generally for the memory card reader and would need to be installed just before the wireless adapter driver at the end of everything else.  I don't think it should have any effect on the wireless card itself.

Thanks so much for responding. To answer your questions:

1.  Yes, I am sure the wireless card is an Intel 2915 ABG. I visually confirmed the part # on the card and have re-seated it. It's an internal miniPCICard that's accessed by removing the keyboard.

2.  I have verified the wireless was turned on by going into system setup when booting up. It was set so that the wireless can be turned on & off by either the function key (Fn-F2) or an application. However, when I try to toggle the wireless off & on by hitting Fn-F2 the WIFI status light above the keyboard does not come off & on, only the Bluetooth status light above the keyboard toggles off & on.

3.  The Intel 2915 ABG wireless driver I am using has been downloaded from the Dell website link below. It's the only Intel wireless driver that is offered up  when I type in my service tag number or model number. The website says it's a driver, not a patch. I have not tried older versions of this driver, but I read a Dell post about  the same problem and the older drivers did not make a difference.
The driver I installed has a number of different version numbers depending where you look:

• FLWSP0064D, A18; release date 2/5/2010  (from Dell link below)
• 12.4.4.5 (from the "Description" section in Dell link below)
•  Intel 9.0.4.39, Driver date: 12/19/2007   (read from Device Manager properties after driver install)

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=08W&l=en&s=bsdv&releaseid=R257684&SystemID=LAT_PNT_PM_D610&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=5896&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=8&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=0&libid=5&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&source=-1&fileid=378629

Also, the above driver is the same version as the latest Intel 2915 ABG driver available at the Intel website.

Finally, I got the same error messages (Device Manager it says: “This device cannot start [code 10]”, If I go to the “Advanced” tab in the Device Manager is says: “Adapter state not in registry”.) when I tried to install a NetGear WPN511 wireless card in the external PCMCIA slot. The Netgear card works fine on an Inspiron 5150 laptop.

Thanks!

Ryan

<ADMIN NOTE : Service tag removed per privacy policy>

Yes, if you know where to point the "change driver" feature you can use that to install the driver.  Since this was successful for you I am wondering if you remembered in the beginning to run the driver installation as an administrator.  This is something I'm always forgetting about Vista and can cause troubles getting a driver installed.

Hey Ryan:

I was able to get mine working. I guess that I didnt understand what I was seeing.

When I opened the device menu, I notice that there were a couple of items with question marks. Vista knew that there was some kind of hardware there hooked up, bu tit didn't know what they were or how (more specifically WHERE) to load drivers for them. There was one that said something about networking. I clicked on it, and got to the part that asked about loading drivers. I had done that the other day, but I let the machine look for the drivers on its own. I remembered that there is a file on the c: drive called "drivers". I forced it to go and look in that folder and it found the right driver and was finally able to configure my wireless card. I did the same with the other 2 items that had question marks. They wer other things like an SD card input slot.

I don't know if this would work on your machine in your situation.

Good luck

Roy

I have no idea what you mean. I used my installation disk and re-installed windows. The installation picked its own drivers. There weren't any selections for running a driver installation. My system seems to be running normally now.Since my disk is about 2 years old, there were a lot of updates to install. There were over 100 updates.

OK, I think I misunderstood you.  Normally I use the driver installation files directly; download them to a folder, double click on them to expand, and then click on OK when the installer window pops up.  With Vista you need to use administrator mode to allow the file to execute.  I've never looked at the directory structure in Vista, but with Windows XP the driver files are placed in the C:\Dell\Drivers folder.  If you point whatever wizard you are using to that area, and the driver exists there, it should be found and installed.

Another path is by using the Device Manager.  If the device giving you trouble is the only one in the list with the Yellow exclamation point it is easy to double click the unknown device and use the Update Driver button to bring up the installation wizard, which you then point to the driver directory I mentioned above.  This is only helpful, however, if you know the driver exists in the directory and you can find the unknown device that represents the hardware you are trying to make work.

I have no idea what you mean. I used my installation disk and re-installed windows. The installation picked its own drivers. There weren't any selections for running a driver installation. My system seems to be running normally now.Since my disk is about 2 years old, there were a lot of updates to install. There were over 100 updates.

The wireless card did not work after doing an XP reinstall using the factory Dell installation disk (XP with service pack 2). Installing service pack 3 and all the updates did not fix the problem. When you have a hardware device that is not working after an operating system reinstall Microsoft recommends that you download and install the latest driver(s) from the hardware manufacturer's site. This is because the operating system install software may not contain the latest drivers available. Dell also recommends that you install all the latest drivers from their site after doing an operating system reinstall. See:

Dell USA site: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/document?c=us&cs=08W&docid=1A0C0937D62A8739E0401E0A55174744&l=en&s=bsdv

Thanks

Ryan

I think my  problem with the Intel 2915 wireless card not working may be related to the Texas Instruments PCI 6515 Cardbus that comes standard with Latitude D-610 machines. The driver for this is under the Dell drivers chipset category, but does not show up anywhere in the Device Manager listing after it's installed. When installing the Dell drivers as per the Dell instructions (see link below) I get two "Generic Cardbus Controllers" showing up under PCMCIA Apapeters category in the Device Manager listing (after the video driver is installed). These Generic Cardbus Controllers later disapper from the Device Manager listing when all the other drivers are installed. 

Could a problem with the  Texas Instruments PCI 6515 Cardbus effect the internal Intel wireless Mini-PCI card and/or the external PCMCIA slot functionality?

Should the Texas Instruments PCI 6515 Cardbus driver show up in the Device Manager listing?

Link to Dell Drivers install instructions:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/document?c=us&cs=08W&docid=1A0C0937D62A8739E0401E0A55174744&l=en&s=bsdv

Thanks

Ryan

I am glad that I could help. It has been frustrating re-loading windows. My computer is up and running, but it just isn't the same.

Roy