Do you have any problem with your Device Manager?

right click My Computer then click Manage then Device Manager

Yes I do, the Wireless Network isn't appearing on that either. Also I noticed whenever I connect my camera onto my laptop it doesn't recognise it's there at all.

Here are three possible solutions

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1)

Go to start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs

Click Add/Remove Windows Components (on the left side menu)

Is there a check next to Networking Services?

If so highlight Networking Services then click Details

If UPnP User Interface is checked uncheck it

If unchecked check it

Restart the computer.

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2)

Disable and re-enable Plug and Play services:

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1. Click "Start"->"Run", type "services.msc" (without quotation marks) in the open box and click "OK".

2. Double click the service "Plug and Play".

3. Click on the "General" tab; make sure the "Startup Type" is "Automatic".

4.

-If the service is started, please click Stop to disable it and restart the computer. Then, re-start the Plug and Play service using the same method. Restart the computer again.

- If the service is stopped, please click Start and restart the computer to check the result.


5. Repeat the above for the Service: Universal Plug and Play Device Host

The exception here is the Startup Type: set to Manual



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3)

Check network related files and services

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1. Click Start and then Run.

2. Type in "regsvr32 netman.dll" without quotations and then click OK.



3. Check if the connection appears or not, if not, let’s continue performing the following steps:



4. Click Start and then Run. Type in "services.msc" without quotations and then click OK.

5. Double click the Network Connections service to open it. Select the Startup Type to Disable.

6. Restart the computer.

7. Change the Startup Type to Manual

8. Repeat the steps above to start Wireless Zero Configuration service and restart the computer.

8. Check if the services have been started correctly. If not, start the service.

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Please note the original configuration of these services so you can reset if they do not solve your issues.

Click on the start button
Connect to
Show all connections
Right click you wireless icon and then Properties
Right click show icon in notification area

Hope this helps

At work at the moment Jephree, but thank you so much for the three solutions and I will try them when I get home.

Okay, a little problem to do with the Plug and Play solution. I get to clicking the General tab and making sure it's on Automatic which is fine, but it won't let me stop the service? It's greyed out and even on the main 'services' window, it doesn't let me stop the service there. If it wasn't for this I'd have done it and it'd all be okay.

Thanks again for trying to help me with this.

Did you try the first solution?

The 'greyed out' issue is another pointer that this is your problem. Plug and Play.

This service affects not only USB 'hot plugging' but also the Network Connections interface as well as aspects of the Device Manager.

Is this XP Home or XP Pro?

Is this the only account you have?

Do you know if this is the 'built-in' administrator account?

If solution 1 had no affect I would suggest trying a new account or preferably the 'built-in' Admin account if you are not already using it.

Another solution would be to install SP3 but I'd rather not do that with existing problems.

However there is always a chance that it might resolve the problem and it is always removable.

I am using XP Home and yes, I did try the first solution.
It's the only account on this laptop and it is the built-in administrator account.

I will try making a new account.

The built-in admin account in XP Home is not visible except in Safe Mode.

This account in principle is only for troubleshooting. Therefore it is "hidden".

If your new account doesn't resolve the issue try the built-in account via Safe Mode.

Safe Mode
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Can you get into Safe Mode?


If you can create a new working account you can transfer you old account as follows:

How to copy data from a corrupted user profile to a new profile in Windows XP