(I apologize in advance for the length of this message - I just wanted to include as much info as possible)I clean-installed Windows XP SP1 (from an OEM disk) onto a new hard disk yesterday, and immediately upgraded from SP1 directly to SP3.I have a cable internet connection through a Netgear router. Modem connects to the router input, computers connect to the router outputs. Other computers are connected to the router and they're working fine so I know the router or connection aren't causing this problem.I can switch back to my old hard drive with the original installation of Windows XP SP2 and the internet works fine, exactly as before, so I know the cables are functioning and the PCI card is seated correctly.It has to be something inside the new Windows installation that's causing this problem, I just don't know what or where to look.Once the XP installation and update to SP3 finished on the new drive, I installed drivers for my sound card and then installed Zonealarm firewall (although I hadn't connected the ethernet cable yet).I didn't install any of the drivers for the motherboard or chipset. I don't know if that matters? XP would be using the default ones it already has, right? All of the other components connected to the motherboard that I tested seem to be working (integrated USB hub on the front of the case, Sound Blaster Audigy soundcard and its front hub work fine after installing the drivers). I'm trying to duplicate my old setup as closley as possible and I'm not sure the chipset/motherboard drivers were ever actually loaded - is there any way to check?There are two ethernet ports on my system - one on the motherboard, the other a PCI card.In Device Manager, the ethernet port on the motherboard is VIA PCI 10/100mb Fast Ethernet Adapter.The addon is D-Link DGE-530T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.I have always used the D-Link port. I can't remember why the people who built my computer added the D-Link card, but someone told me the VIA ethernet/audio driver has been known not to work well and that's probably why they did it.Both ethernet ports show up as Local Area Connections under "LAN or High Speed Internet" in "Network Connections".I'd rather use the D-Link adapter versus the integrated VIA one since I've used up till now and know it works.However, when I connect the ethernet cable to the D-Link port when booted onto the new HD with XP SP3, it lights up but Windows says "A network cable is unplugged". I updated the D-Link driver to the latest version, but that didn't fix it. (Also, the driver on the old HDD with the original XP installation, which I'm actually using to post this message, has the same older driver (v. 6.23) that the new installation had before I updated it, so it should have worked fine without needing an update.)When Windows prompted for the disk to install the original D-Link drivers, it said the adapter had "failed Windows logo testing". Does that matter? I know it works with Windows XP - I've been using it for years (under SP1 and SP2, not SP3). (The same thing happened when I installed the Sound Blaster Audigy drivers, but again, I've been using the SB for years, and it seems to work fine on the new installation regardlessl.)There are diagnostic tests in the Properties of the D-Link; it can successfully test the cable it's connected to, but Windows still says a cable is unplugged. (The cable test also says there's a short in two of the "cable pairs" - what does that mean? I know the cable works though.) I can also run the tool that tests the linkup and it makes the light on the port flash, so I know the computer can access the port.The same thing happens when I plug the cable from the modem (which normally goes into the router) directly into the D-Link port--it says a cable is unplugged, but the diagnostic tool is still able to test the cable. (However, in this case it says there's an "impedance mismatch" in one of the cable pairs along with the two shorts. Again, I know the cable is functioning - I'm using it to post this message.)I'd rather not attempt to install any drivers from the CDs that came with my motherboard because it's an 8-year-old board and I don't want to mess it up? I suspect they aren't installed on the old HDD I'm using now either (under Device Manager "System board" says "No drivers are installed for this device" - is that the motherboard?)Does anyone have any advice on why the D-Link would be reporting a cable is unplugged when no cables are unplugged? Are there any specific devices in Device Manager I should be looking at? I don't see any yellow exclamation points. Should I try uninstalling SP3 and go back to SP1 and see if it makes a difference?When I set up the new XP installation I gave the computer a different name from what it's called on the old HD. Should that make a difference? Should I have used the same name?As for the integrated VIA Ethernet port on the motherboard, it does something different. When I plug in the cable, it takes a long time but eventually says it's successful at acquiring a Network Address. At that point, in Network Connections it says it's connected (at 100mb/s), but I can't get on the internet. Do I have to do something else to make to work? Set up an Internet Connection? Would I need to restart for it to even work? (I didn't) Or should it just work?Also, the VIA port is set to acquire network address automatically (just like the D-Link is on the old installation). On the old installation, the IP address the D-Link acquires is a local one (192.168.1.5). On the new one, the VIA port it gets an address I've never seen before, which is also different from the static IP address of my modem.My primary concern is getting the D-Link working, but if I can get the VIA one working at least I might be able to use the internet on the new HDD and not have to switch back and forth between the old and new drives (I'm afraid of damaging the IDE cable by repeated plugging and unplugging it).Please let me know if there's any other information I need to post. And again, I'm sorry this message is so long!1 person needs an answerI do too

I'm so sorry but you've gone through a lot of troubleshooting work for nothing. After you install an operating system you must then install drivers for all your hardware. This includes the motherboard (chipset), network adapters, video, audio. Normally you start with the chipset. The problems you are experiencing are because you haven't installed the drivers. There may be a few basic drivers for your hardware that are included in XP but not always. As you have found out.Since you apparently don't have a branded OEM machine (Dell, HP, etc.) you would need to go to the motherboard mftr.'s website and download/install the latest drivers for that particular motherboard. You would not use the ones on the CD since they are quite old UNLESS there are no current drivers available for your very old board. In that case you WOULD need to install the drivers from CD.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

>> After you install an operating system you must then install drivers for all your hardware. This includes the motherboard (chipset), network adapters, video, audio. Normally you start with the chipset. The problems you are experiencing are because you haven't installed the drivers.Is there any way I can see if the chipset drivers are installed on my old installation? I think they may not be (hence my questions) - under Device Manager > System devices, many of the entries say "No drivers are installed for this device", including "System Board". My old installation works fine so I was trying to duplicate it as closely as possible.>> Since you apparently don't have a branded OEM machine (Dell, HP, etc.) you would need to go to the motherboard mftr.'s website and download/install the latest drivers for that particular motherboard. You would not use the ones on the CD since they are quite old UNLESS there are no current drivers available for your very old board. In that case you WOULD need to install the drivers from CD.Unfortunately the company that made my board (Chaintech) doesn't make motherboards anymore and removed the section for them from their website several years ago.

If you are having difficulties with your hardware, it's most probably because you don't have drivers. The only way to see if you have drivers installed on the other hard drive is to boot into Windows from it. Or it might just be that your 8-year-old motherboard, which gave you valiant service for many years, is ready for replacement. :-(BTW, the "failed logo testing" isn't really important. It just means that the drivers are very old and/or weren't submitted to Microsoft to be certified. This doesn't matter in a 32-bit OS like what you have, only in 64-bit OSes.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

If you are having difficulties with your hardware, it's most probably because you don't have drivers. The only way to see if you have drivers installed on the other hard drive is to boot into Windows from it. Or it might just be that your 8-year-old motherboard, which gave you valiant service for many years, is ready for replacement. :-(BTW, the "failed logo testing" isn't really important. It just means that the drivers are very old and/or weren't submitted to Microsoft to be certified. This doesn't matter in a 32-bit OS like what you have, only in 64-bit OSes.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!I can use my old HD with old XP installation just fine, it behaves exactly as it always has (internet connection and all). There's no indication anything is wrong with the CPU or Motherboard. I am almost positive the chipset drivers were never installed on the old HD's XP installation and it has worked fine for five years.However, on the new HD with the new XP installation, I went ahead and uninstalled the the sound card drivers and D-Link drivers I had previously installed. On restart, XP sees the D-Link card and prompts to install drivers. I canceled that and installed the "VIA Service Pack" that came with my motherboard, which includes the VIA 4-in1 Driver package. (I assume that's the "chipset drivers"?) Then I installed the D-Link drivers again.The icon that says "A network cable is unplugged" shows up in the system tray, but when I plug the cable in nothing happens. Exactly as before, it still says "A network cable is unplugged" even after I plug the cable in. I can test the cable and it sees the first two cable pairs (I'm not sure what that means?), and the light on the post is lit up.Again, in my old HD installation the D-Link port works perfectly and I can get on the internet with no trouble. I can literally swap the Molex and IDE cables onto the old hard drive, turn on the computer and it works perfectly. So I know for a fact all the cables are working and the card is seated correctly. I can switch back and forth between the new and old hard drives, and the D-Link continues to function on the old one, but not on the new one.I forgot something - when I install the d-link drivers, after it completes it says:"D-Link Network Installation Package has been successfully installed."The installation started an asynchronous "Scan for new hardware" operation by the Plug and Play manager to bind new drivers to currently removed adapters, i.e. adapters not bound to a driver."This operation doesn't run under the control of the installation program. You can exit the installation program while the operation is still in progress."Click finish to exit this installation."Is there anything else I can try?

If you are having difficulties with your hardware, it's most probably because you don't have drivers. The only way to see if you have drivers installed on the other hard drive is to boot into Windows from it. Or it might just be that your 8-year-old motherboard, which gave you valiant service for many years, is ready for replacement. :-(BTW, the "failed logo testing" isn't really important. It just means that the drivers are very old and/or weren't submitted to Microsoft to be certified. This doesn't matter in a 32-bit OS like what you have, only in 64-bit OSes.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!I can use my old HD with old XP installation just fine, it behaves exactly as it always has (internet connection and all). There's no indication anything is wrong with the CPU or Motherboard. I am almost positive the chipset drivers were never installed on the old HD's XP installation and it has worked fine for five years.However, on the new HD with the new XP installation, I went ahead and uninstalled the the sound card drivers and D-Link drivers I had previously installed. On restart, XP sees the D-Link card and prompts to install drivers. I canceled that and installed the "VIA Service Pack" that came with my motherboard, which includes the VIA 4-in1 Driver package. (I assume that's the "chipset drivers"?) Then I installed the D-Link drivers again.The icon that says "A network cable is unplugged" shows up in the system tray, but when I plug the cable in nothing happens. Exactly as before, it still says "A network cable is unplugged" even after I plug the cable in. I can test the cable and it sees the first two cable pairs (I'm not sure what that means?), and the light on the post is lit up.Again, in my old HD installation the D-Link port works perfectly and I can get on the internet with no trouble. I can literally swap the Molex and IDE cables onto the old hard drive, turn on the computer and it works perfectly. So I know for a fact all the cables are working and the card is seated correctly. I can switch back and forth between the new and old hard drives, and the D-Link continues to function on the old one, but not on the new one.I forgot something - when I install the d-link drivers, after it completes it says:"D-Link Network Installation Package has been successfully installed."The installation started an asynchronous "Scan for new hardware" operation by the Plug and Play manager to bind new drivers to currently removed adapters, i.e. adapters not bound to a driver."This operation doesn't run under the control of the installation program. You can exit the installation program while the operation is still in progress."Click finish to exit this installation."Is there anything else I can try?Hi minivama,You simply forgot to disabled the Onboard Via Ethernet Port Adapter, in the new operating system's installation. That's why you get a Cable is unplugged, but you are still online. You are always going to get that message, until you disable the Ethernet Port in either the Computer Bios or Device Manager.You are using D-Link Ethernet Adapter, are you not, for Internet access? thecreator

>> You simply forgot to disabled the Onboard Via Ethernet Port Adapter, in the new operating system's installation. That's why you get a Cable is unplugged, but you are still online. You are always going to get that message, until you disable the Ethernet Port in either the Computer Bios or Device Manager.I was never online in the new installation. There were two "Network cable is unplugged" warnings in the system tray, one for the VIA port and one for the D-Link. When I plugged the cable into the D-Link port, there were still two "cable is unplugged" warnings.After I installed the D-Link drivers like I said in my last post, I restarted the computer and was then able to get on the internet through the D-Link. However, when I installed the drivers for my Sound Blaster Audigy PCI sound card and restarted the computer, the sound card worked by the "network cable is unplugged" error returned and once again I wasn't able to get on the internet. I disabled the B Audigy and restarted the computer, and the D-Link internet connection worked again. So I couldn't have both the sound and the D-Link working at the same time. I assume it's a driver incompatibility problem, but I don't know where to look?Also, at some point (either right before or right after installing the SB Audigy drivers, I'm not sure) Windows said "found new hardware" and prompted me to let it install the drivers for a PCI controller or something (I can't remember the exact name) and I let it.I don't know if it's because of that or because of the Audigy but now the USB ports don't work. There are six, two in back and four on an mobo-integrated hub in front. When I plug a card reader or external drive into one of the ports, it says "unknown hardware", that it "malfunctioned", and it doesn't work.This is extremely frustarting, because, again, I can switch back to my old hard drive and everything still works perfectly.

Sorry but I don't know. If it were me and I'd just installed the OS, I think I'd do another clean install and then immediately afterward install the drivers. Maybe someone else will have the solution for you. I'm sorry I was unable to help.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Hi minivama, Try this:Switch back to your old Hard Drive.Install the BelArc Advisor 8.1m and do a printout of its output. Switch back to your new Hard Drive, unless you have room and the connections to operate with two Hard Drives. You can use BootIt NG to boot between both Hard Drives.Do a printout from the new Hard Drive and compare both.Also, it may not be a conflict, but a conflict in Interrupts assigned by the operating system or Computer Bios. Go into Computer Bios and check the Interrupt Assignments. You can also disable the OnBoard Ethernet LAN Adapter which may help. thecreator

I'm having the same problem. Keep getting, "network cable is unplugged". I installed a new nic with drivers thinking this would be the cure. Imagine my surprise when the same error message kept popping up. I went through ALL the steps and nothing cured this problem so I reformatted the drive,(clean install), and this hasn't worked either. OS = XP Connected through router, modem combo, DSL. Late one night recently thought I read something about it might be malware\adware on the device. hope someone can help. Connection really sucks when it's only on fer a few secounds at a time.