Unable to disable any network adapters

Question

Received a new Inspiron 6000 and I am unable to disable any of the Network adapters by right clicking on the adapter icon in XP Network Connections screen.
I get message ERROR DISABLING ADAPTER:
'It is not possible to disable at this time. The connection may be using one or more protocols that do not support plug and play or it may have been initiated by another user or system account.'
I am communicating with Dell Support, but they only tell me other ways to disable the adapters. They are not fixing the problem.

Pterminiator · Answer

You can disable it in the device manager.

VoiS2 · Answer

Since you are able to navigate to the icon for Network Connections ...
First make sure any peripherals you might have stuck into any external port of the Inspiron.

Go into either the Advanced or Properties Advanced *for the connection* which XP has tagged as your active or most recently used Network.

Deselect TCP/IP and/or Plug and Play QoS, and perhaps anything else selected there.

Then try to Disable the Network Drivers by using the Device Manager available by right clicking on the My Computer icon.

dolrg27 · Answer

Thanks for the input, but I am aware I can disable the adapters in the Device Manager.
However that doesn't fix my problem. I can't disable any network adapter using the drop down from the adapter ICON. Because of this I can't use the repair option. My friend has an Inspiron 6000, purchased one month after mine and his works OK. I have checked the properties the services/protocol list is the same on both machines.

dolrg27 · Answer

I have now checked my machine against a working Inspiron and all TC/ip Adapter properties ar the same. Still get the error when trying to disable.

dolrg27 · Answer

Problem resolved. Problem was caused by a USB attached SAGEM 800 DSL modem. Uninstalled the modem software, problem gone. Works ok with a Speedtouch modem.

Windows General

Unable to disable any network adapters

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