Vista - Windows cannot find any networks.

Hi. I'm having a problem with my laptop, Dell Inpirion 1420. Before, as always, when I turn my laptop on it automatic links up to a wireless connection that I applied to previously. But now, my laptop is not able to find any wireless connection from any router near by; at all. This never happened before. I search Dell Support forum and was unable to find the answer. I checked. The wireless card is properly installed. I do not know what to do. My laptop simply "cannot find networks." PLEASE HELP! ANYONE!

Has you laptop ever seen more than one network where you usually use it? If not, it may be a problem with your network, not your computer. Check to make sure you can get your internet on another computer. If you can, then the problem is indeed on your laptop.

It could be that your network card in your laptop died. You can check this by using a third party adapter for a laptop. Let us know if you can find networks using this method.

~Lordbob

Yes, my laptop have seen more than one network before. I have a router in my house on the 1st floor and that is the primary source for all wireless connection in my house. My computer desktop is able to connect with the router but not the laptop. When I try to connect it to my network it just says: Window cannot any networks" which is odd because there is a lot of network connections nearby. I do not have a third party adapter though. What should I do in this case.

Yes, my laptop have seen more than one network before. I have a router in my house on the 1st floor and that is the primary source for all wireless connection in my house. My computer desktop is able to connect with the router but not the laptop. When I try to connect it to my network it just says: Window cannot any networks" which is odd because there is a lot of network connections nearby. I do not have a third party adapter though. What should I do in this case.

Ok, so yeah. Try the third party adapter. You could go buy a cheap one, and ask if you can return it if it doesn't work out. They may let you, I don't know.

Ok, so your desktop can sense your network, but your laptop cannot. So we now know this is a problem with your laptop, not router. Narrowing it down. Now, before you try the third party adapter, try plugging in your laptop to the router by a hard wire. (or LAN cable or ethernet cable. all the same) If you can get internet then, we will know for absolute sure that it is your laptop wireless.

Let us know how that works. If you CAN get internet that way, then buying a third party adapter should fix your problem. If it doesnt, then i cant help you anymore.

Hope it works,
~Lordbob

This issue does ring a bell to me, as I got once the same with my Inspiron 1720

My problem was that the tiny wireless switch located at the bottom left on my laptop was, for any unknown reason, switched off, thus no wireless was ever activated, until I figured this out by chance...

When you go into your network connections or in the device manager, is your wireless card enabled and active?

vicber

edit: just realize your post is dated two days ago, you might already have fixed your problem

Not yet we haven't.

But that is a realistic possibility, and people have done stupider things than that. (Me too) Might want to check if it is on, as well as enabled.

~Lordbob

maybe driverrelated, try to reinstall, rollback or update