Sandy, unfortunately I would suggest to you this issue is not one that will be troubleshot easily via a message board.  There are many, many factors involved in getting your WiFi device recognized by the system, the drivers loaded correctly into memory and the network detected.  I would suggest to find a local computer person with experience in this area and ask them to evaluate the issue (both the operating system and the WiFi device) and give a recommendation on what needs to be done.

 

If the updated driver you downloaded installed itself incorrectly or was not for the EXACT model of WiFi card you own, then there could be a problem.  If your Microsoft Windows Operating System (O.S.) "Registry" has a corrupted setting, then it might need more in-depth troubleshooting.

 

Windows XP has something called an "Event Viewer" that logs error messages in the form of Informational, Cautionary or Warning notices and that is something that can be examined for clues as to what is going wrong with the WiFi card (or the system).  However, the messages it captures are not easy to interpret.

 

Finally, it is possible the card is damaged and this could occur through static electricity, so if possible you can try installing the device in the laptop of a friend or neighbor and seeing if it works that way.  Of course this means installing the "original" driver that came with the device or downloading one you are absolutely sure is correct and taking it with you (for testing on that other laptop).

 

I hope these pointers illustrate the value of having a trusted working relationship with someone locally that has computer experience and a good reputation.

 

~

Is all else fails, reinstalling Windows should fix the problem. :smileywink:

Sandy, first suggestion is to use System Restore to a time when it worked.

 

Second suggestion is to download and install this version 10.5.1 of Intel ProSet Wireless. Version 11 had problems with staying connected so I switched back to 10.5.1