Wireless PCMCIA card installation problem

I have a PCMCIA 802.11g card that won't install in a Gateway Solo 9300
laptop running Windows 2000. I went back to the shop and we tried
several cards of different brands with the same results, so it appears
to be something to do with Windows 2000, or the computer, and not the
card. They would have refunded me, but I elected to keep the card (US
Robotics) in the hope that there will be a way of solving the problem.

Some of the software has to be installed first, as per instructions,
then the card inserted, plug-and-play detects it and tries to install
more software, at which point it gets stuck in an endless loop whatever
I try. There is a panel that asks "Do you wish to install the
software?", and I can select yes or no.

Selecting "yes" gives another panel that says "An error occurred during
the installation of the device. The system cannot find the file
specified", with no specified file and no means to browse to look for
one. The only active button is "Finish" which clears the panel, but
then plug-and-play detects the card again and into an endless loop from
which there is no escape but to unplug the card.

Selecting "no" gives the same panel with the error note, but this time
additionally with "The form specified for the subject is not one
supported or known by the specified trust provider", whatever that
means. Again the only active button takes me into the same endless
loop.

I've tried disabling all the usual things, e.g. Norton Firewall, and
using a program called "Enditall" that kills all background processes
except those necessary for the system, but nothing makes any
difference. I can't find anything useful on any of the relevant
websites.

Can anybody offer any (sensible) suggestions?

Rod.

Roderick Stewart <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a PCMCIA 802.11g card that won't install in a Gateway Solo 9300
>laptop running Windows 2000. I went back to the shop and we tried
>several cards of different brands with the same results, so it appears
>to be something to do with Windows 2000, or the computer, and not the
>card. They would have refunded me, but I elected to keep the card (US
>Robotics) in the hope that there will be a way of solving the problem.
>
>Some of the software has to be installed first, as per instructions,
>then the card inserted, plug-and-play detects it and tries to install
>more software, at which point it gets stuck in an endless loop whatever
>I try. There is a panel that asks "Do you wish to install the
>software?", and I can select yes or no.
>
>Selecting "yes" gives another panel that says "An error occurred during
>the installation of the device. The system cannot find the file
>specified", with no specified file and no means to browse to look for
>one. The only active button is "Finish" which clears the panel, but
>then plug-and-play detects the card again and into an endless loop from
>which there is no escape but to unplug the card.
>
>Selecting "no" gives the same panel with the error note, but this time
>additionally with "The form specified for the subject is not one
>supported or known by the specified trust provider", whatever that
>means. Again the only active button takes me into the same endless
>loop.
>
>I've tried disabling all the usual things, e.g. Norton Firewall, and
>using a program called "Enditall" that kills all background processes
>except those necessary for the system, but nothing makes any
>difference. I can't find anything useful on any of the relevant
>websites.
>
>Can anybody offer any (sensible) suggestions?
>
>Rod.
Try installing it in safe mode. With the newest drivers from their website.
Also make sure you have uninstalled everything completely before trying again
and remove the .inf file which may be corrupt.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Sded wrote:
> Try installing it in safe mode. With the newest drivers from their website.
> Also make sure you have uninstalled everything completely before trying again
> and remove the .inf file which may be corrupt.
>
Good suggestion, but unfortunately it results in exactly the same error messages
as before. Thanks for trying to help anyway.

Rod.

Hi Roderick;

All the info on the Solo 9300 seems to indicate it has PCMCIA (16 bit)
slots, most wireless g cards are the newer cardbus (32 bit). They are not
backwards compatible.

HTH;
TomA

"Roderick Stewart" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a PCMCIA 802.11g card that won't install in a Gateway Solo 9300
> laptop running Windows 2000. I went back to the shop and we tried
> several cards of different brands with the same results, so it appears
> to be something to do with Windows 2000, or the computer, and not the
> card. They would have refunded me, but I elected to keep the card (US
> Robotics) in the hope that there will be a way of solving the problem.
>
> Some of the software has to be installed first, as per instructions,
> then the card inserted, plug-and-play detects it and tries to install
> more software, at which point it gets stuck in an endless loop whatever
> I try. There is a panel that asks "Do you wish to install the
> software?", and I can select yes or no.
>
> Selecting "yes" gives another panel that says "An error occurred during
> the installation of the device. The system cannot find the file
> specified", with no specified file and no means to browse to look for
> one. The only active button is "Finish" which clears the panel, but
> then plug-and-play detects the card again and into an endless loop from
> which there is no escape but to unplug the card.
>
> Selecting "no" gives the same panel with the error note, but this time
> additionally with "The form specified for the subject is not one
> supported or known by the specified trust provider", whatever that
> means. Again the only active button takes me into the same endless
> loop.
>
> I've tried disabling all the usual things, e.g. Norton Firewall, and
> using a program called "Enditall" that kills all background processes
> except those necessary for the system, but nothing makes any
> difference. I can't find anything useful on any of the relevant
> websites.
>
> Can anybody offer any (sensible) suggestions?
>
> Rod.
>

Tom A <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Hi Roderick;
>
> All the info on the Solo 9300 seems to indicate it has PCMCIA (16 bit)
> slots, most wireless g cards are the newer cardbus (32 bit). They are not
> backwards compatible.
>

<snip quoted message incorrectly placed at bottom>

Cardbus came in sometime between P100 and P233.
Essentially all P233 and later (certainly P700) laptops have
Cardbus.

In article <Pl1Eb.250506$(E-Mail Removed) >, Tom A wrote:
> All the info on the Solo 9300 seems to indicate it has PCMCIA (16 bit)
> slots, most wireless g cards are the newer cardbus (32 bit). They are not
> backwards compatible.

Thanks for the thought, but to quote from p44 of the manual "Your notebook's
PC Card slots (also known as PCMCIA card slots) are located behind the PC
Card doors. These slots accept PC Card 16, PC Card 32 (Cardbus) or Zoomed
Video cards". I think that means they should work.

Just noticed another bit that says Type III cards should be put in the lower
slot, but I think that's just to do with the physical size, isn't it?

Rod.

Roderick Stewart <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> In article <Pl1Eb.250506$(E-Mail Removed) >, Tom A wrote:
>> All the info on the Solo 9300 seems to indicate it has PCMCIA (16 bit)
>> slots, most wireless g cards are the newer cardbus (32 bit). They are not
>> backwards compatible.
>
> Thanks for the thought, but to quote from p44 of the manual "Your notebook's
> PC Card slots (also known as PCMCIA card slots) are located behind the PC
> Card doors. These slots accept PC Card 16, PC Card 32 (Cardbus) or Zoomed
> Video cards". I think that means they should work.
>
> Just noticed another bit that says Type III cards should be put in the lower
> slot, but I think that's just to do with the physical size, isn't it?

Type III indeed does refer to size.
The common arrangement is a double slot that can take two type II cards, or
one type III (in the lower slot).

In article <PKgEb.2294$(E-Mail Removed)>, Ian Stirling wrote:
> Type III indeed does refer to size.
> The common arrangement is a double slot that can take two type II cards, or
> one type III (in the lower slot).
>
As I thought. In other words, the wireless ethernet card should be compatible
with the cardslots in my computer, and Windows 2000 should be able to deal
with it. Unfortunately I still have the problem that the installation routine
is apparently unable to find some file or other and doesn't tell me which one
it is. Is there a way of installing a device manually and telling Windows not
to detect it as a new device thereafter? This seems to be the only way, and
when I get time I'll wade through the 2" thick manual and see if I can find if
it's possible, unless anyone already knows...

Rod.