PC wont connect to internet anymore

[xxsilk109xx]

I worked on this Compaq SR5433WM (maybe a year or two old) and I the customer had tried to download a different version of windows and of course it would not activate with the key that they have on the computer.

So I installed Vista Home Premium which is what they have the key for.

I then downloaded a bunch of programs like ccleaner etc. And I also did all of the windows updates. The computer was working just fine in all aspects.

Well I gave the guy the computer back (like thursday of last week) and he took it home and just came back in today and said he cant get it to connect to the internet. It does not have a wireless card but of course it has a LAN port built into the motherboard.

Well I thought it was just that guys internet so, i plugged it in and sure enough it wont connect to the internet, the lights on the port come on and so what I did was uninstalled the drivers and downloaded the one straight off of the compaq (hp) support site.

When I install these drivers it says it does everything and I restart the computer and I have a Code 31 in device manager, it says that it cant load the drivers. So I went to the Realtek site and downloaded the drivers for this model and when I install them, it installs fine but it is doing the exact same thing.

So my next step was to use my USB wireless dongle to try to get it to connect wirelessly. But when I try to find my network it just finds the store next doors internet and not mine.

This issue is happening in safe mode as well.

Any suggestions as to what it could be??

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Before assuming it was drivers did you check to see what the customer may have done since you gave it back, like install some AV or firewall that may be causing problems? How about a system restore to take it back to the date of when the computer was working?

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Good idea, I will try a system restore. I am looking at it now and the only software that is on there is software that i installed myself.

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Well I did a system restore and it worked. It looks like the only thing that guy did was try to install a wireless usb card and then uninstalled it. It looks like this process was done 4 or 5 times.

I did a restore to the day he got it and it works fine. But I wonder what caused the problem in the first place and why the wireless card wont see my network but all others in the area is beyond me..