Windows 7 message popped up..."local area connection adaptor is not working properly. Experiencing driver or hardware related problems" What the heck does that mean and what the heck can I do?

Hi

Try to Un-install and Re-Install the Network adapter Drivers.

Get the latest drivers of the card from the support page of the  manufacturer.

Download the drivers and unpack them to a folder of your choice.

In the Device manger, right click on the adapter.

Click on Update Drivers, and choose the Browse my computer for drivers,

Choose let me pick from a list, Click on  Have a Disk and point to the folder with the Drivers.

Computer's network Health.

Check the Device Manager for valid Wire card entry.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/net_dm.jpg

If there is No valid entry, delete any Bogus Entry, and re-install the Wire card's Drivers.

Check the Network connections to make sure that you have a Local Area Connection Icon/Entry, and that the Properties of the Icon (right click on the Icon) are correctly configured with TCP/IPv4 protocol in the Network Connections Properties.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/net_connection_tcp.jpg

Log to the Router's menu from a working computer and make sure that the DHCP is On and it is configured to assign IPs that can cover the number of computer that are connected (few more will be even better).

Switch Off the computer and the Router, Reboot the Router, and the computer.

Right click on the Wire card Network Connection, choose Status, Details, and see if it got an IP and the rest of the settings.

On IP status.

TCP/IP and its variables typically look like this.

Right click on the Wire card Network Connection, choose Status, Details, and see if it got an IP and the rest of the settings.

Typical TCP/IP status looks like this.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/status-nic.jpg

Description is the card manufacturing data.

Physical address is the card's MAC number.

The xx should be a number from 0 to 255 (all xx same number).

yy should be from 0 to 255

zz should be from 0 to 255 (all zz the same number.

The lease date should be valid to the current time.

*Note 1. IP that starts with 169.xxx.xxx.xxx is not valid functional IP.

*Note 2. There might be an IPv6 entries too. However, they are not functional for Internet traffic or LAN. They are needed for Win 7 special HomeGroup configuration.

Also Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party Firewall instructions

General example,  http://www.ezlan.net/faq.html#trusted

Please Note that some 3rd party Software Firewalls keep blocking aspects of Local Traffic even it they are turned Off (disabled). If possible configure the Firewall correctly, or totally uninstall it to allow clean flow of local network traffic. If the 3rd party software is uninstalled or disables, make sure that Windows native Firewall is On .

Jack-MVP Windows Networking. WWW.EZLAN.NET