Acer Extensa 4420 Wireless and Wired internet problems

So i got an Extensa 4420, and after hearing everyone say vista is out, I installed XP.

Im new to PC's [been a mac user for years] and this is confusing me.
The laptop has 2 partitions - C: and D:
Vista is on C: so i installed xp on D:

It appears that i can now only access XP and cannot ever boot into vista off C: is that true?

Also, when running XP i have no internet via the ethernet cable nor the wireless card that comes with this laptop. Can someone explain what drivers i need to install to make those work?

I got the Extensa_4200 driver folder off the website, but i am clueless as to which need to be installed - as im new to PC.
Any advice is much appreciated.

I have successfully figured out the audio and video drivers [thank god] but now i need the internet and wireless to work.

 

Try click Start > Type in msconfig > Go to the Boot tab. Check if you can see both OS's listed there.

You probably just need to fix the bootloader.

This is more of a Acer driver issue so im moving this to the Acer forums.

 

To fix your Vista bootloader you need EasyBCD(it's freeware). Go to this page for how-to guide and to this page to download EasyBCD.

Once you have the bootloader recovered, go to Vista, find the device manager, then find your ethernet & wireless device. Search for Atheros/Broadcom/Intel devices. Write down their model names and drivers then post the info here.

www.atheros.cz - Atheros Wireless Drivers all models/all OS
http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/?source=top - Broadcom Ethernet
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/ - Intel Wireless

 

Ok i followed these instructions

Once in Windows XP, download and install the Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework.
Download and install the latest version of EasyBCD.
Once in EasyBCD, go to the "Manage Bootloader" page, and select "Reinstall the Vista Bootloader" then "Write MBR" to get the Vista bootloader back.
Once that's done, head on to the "Add/Remove Entries" page and select "Windows NT/2k/XP/2003" from the drop-down list, give it a name, then press "Add Entry" to finish.
Reboot.

When i went to add the entry for Windows NT/2k/XP/2003 i got an error and EasyBCD crashed.

If i reopen EasyBCD i get "no valid enteries"
any suggestions.

 

This is really weird..

 

let me ask you this... if i get this to work, it will then boot into vista correct?

if thats the case, how do i then get back to it booting into xp?

Is there no way to have it prompt me into which OS do i want at startup?

Just wondering...

 

The point of all this is to let you CHOOSE on startup what OS you want to start with. A menu will appear every time your computer (re)starts and will ask you which OS you want to run i.e. you'll have both OS available.

That's what we're trying to do with EasyBCD.

 

fantastic!
It worked, im in vista now. Device manager shows it as a broadcoam 802.11g network adaptor, if i get driver details it shows me 4 files and where they are loacated.

the problem is i did install the broadcoam driver provided by the acer driver page and i still get an unknown network adaptor hardware prompt when i restart into xp.

can i somehow copy these 4 files it shows me in vista to my xp system folder?

any suggestions

 

Great!

No, the drivers from Vista won't work with XP. Give me 5 minutes I'll try to find Broadcom Wireless drivers for you. Stay online.

By the way you have your ethernet driver installed under XP? If no look at Vista's drivers and tell me model/model number.

 

Try this or this..

 

Yes i found some :marvel: driver that makes the ethernet port work for cat5 cable from my modem.

The broadcom driver i installed allows the front wireless card switch to make a message appear on the screen in green letters saying

Wireless LAN enabled
Wilreless LAN disabled

but thats all it seems to do.

Restarting back to XP to try the ones you posted.
Thanks so much for your help!
ill keep you posted!

 

No problem.

Do me a favor, go to XP's device manager and tell me what model your ethernet device is. Maybe you've installed some generic driver and it's better to install the proper one.

 

Hey I had the same problem on my 4420.
this is what I did
forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=268615&highlight=4420+wireless

 

Ok i installed the boadcom bcm-43xx and i was not prompted with anything other than an install progress. so i restarted, nothing seems to be working other than i have some boradcom wireless utility app in my start menu.

Opening that does nothing, literally it opens nothing.

So i installed the other one you had a link to.
This one said that the installation was complete but not finished and to use the hardware manager.
So i restarted, hardware manager said i have new hardware called "network controller"

i am not sure how to direct it to these drivers, because if you just use the recommended options of checking for the driver it says none found.

any suggestions.

ps my ethernet info you asked for is as follows:
under Network Adapters i have
1. 1394 Net Adapter
this one doesnt appear to work. Driver details say
Network adapters
microsoft
on OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller

2. Marvell Yukon 88e8071 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
this is the one that lets me connect via ethernet cable
driver details say
Netowrk adapters
Marvell
PCI slot 6 [pci buss 2, device 0, function 0]

still no go with the card in XP. In vista it works

 

1394 Net Adapter <--- This should be the wireless device.

Double-click on it go to "Driver" -> "Update Driver". DO NOT LET Windows to search Internet or to search Automatically anything! Whenever this is suggested click "NO". At some point you'll be asked to choose a device from the list, choose "Network Adapter". On the next screen choose "Have Disk". Then browse to where the drivers are extracted(the one I gave you). You're looking for INF file. Double-click on it. Then it's all "Next". "Accept", "Finish" etc.

Your ethernet device is installed properly.


EDIT: THERE ARE XP DRIVERS FOR YOUR LAPTOP ON ACER SITE

http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/notebook/ex_4420.html

IGNORE THE ABOVE AND DOWNLOAD THE WIRELESS BROADCOM DRIVER FOR XP FROM THE XP DROP-DOWN MENU, THEN INSTALL.

 

Ok i did what you said.
I got as far as choosing the file from "have disk"
I click Browse when it says install from disk
it pops up a window that automatically says filename bcmwl5.inf
i searched for the system32/driver and its sitting right there, so i choose that one.
Click open, and then OK
And the message is

The specified location does not contain information about your hardware.

this is using the wireless broadcom driver as supplied by acer.

 

You're trying to use a Windows driver. You have to find where you've extracted the drivers you've downloaded and search from the INF there.

Example:

You've downloaded Wireless Broadcom v.4.100.15.5.zip(If you didn't download this one click here) from ACER's website on your Desktop. You extract the archive on the desktop in a just created folder Wireless. When you click on Have Disk you have to browse throw the directories, go to the Desktop then Wireless and chose the INF.

Check the screenshots. I use Vista but it's the same for XP.



The filename is as you said - bcmwl5.inf BUT not from System32. Hope this works.

 

I did that, still same response.

 

Hmmm...You sure you choose "Network Adapter" from this list?

 

If nothing of the above works:

Download this and check this thread(thanks to @Gado) for instructions.

 

I never got that option while going through the hardware update wizard
I click UPDARE DRIVER
it asks me to connect to windows update - i choose no, not at this time
next it says what do you want the wizard to do - i choose install from a list or specific location [it says this wizard helps you install software for 1394 net Adapter]
then it says search for best, or dont search i will choose, i choose the latter
then it says select network adapter - the only thing in the list is 1394 net adaptor, i click HAVE DISK
it asks to browse, i browse for desktop/wireless/bcmwl5.inf
and i get the same error.

Will try the other things you posted now

 

ok i tried those last two you posted. R174291 and it extracted and ran a setup.exe but says that the hardware is not found and the setup will exit now.

?????

 

When asked "Search for the best or don't search" you have to select "Don't search. I'll choose the driver to install". Then you'll see that list and you can select "Network Adapter".

It's really weird that the Dell drivers don't work for you...I'm downloading them now will try to check them out.

By the way, although Dell drivers setup can't find compatible hardware, the extracted content in C:\dell\drivers\R174291\DRIVER contains an INF file...Try to "update" with this one with the "Have disk" method....

 

I got that far, but my window looks nothing like yours - i only have the 1394 net adapter as an option.

Per the dell drivers...
i thought the same thing... did that and same reply as when i tried the broadcom drivers - so no go on doing that.

worst case i can boot into vista to use the wireless, but still find it hard to imagine i cant get xp to recognize that card!

 

Grrr this is really confusing. I have no idea what else to suggest.........

Try to uninstall all first then try again with the Dell driver. Go to Add/Remove Programs, uninstall the Broadcom application from there(if any). Then go to device manager rightclick on the 1394 adapter and uninstall it. Then try to install the Dell driver. DO NOT RESTART BEFORE YOU INSTALL THE DELL DRIVER otherwise Windows will once again install the 1934 Net Adapter.....

 

GENIUS!
That was it! Thank you so much!

 

Great, finally!

Glad we solved this out.

 

Hi to all.....and HELP!!!
I just got the Acer 4420-5910.
I removed Vista and installed my WIN XP Pro.
I removed the 1394 Network Adapter.
Downloaded the Broadcom adapter from Acer-Euro (as suggested here)
Installed the ZIP into my Program Files Directory under Broadcam.
At the network adapter drive installation, I go to the DRIVER folder inthe Broadcom directory and choose the bcmwI5.inf
OK
Driver installs but then I get a message:
"There was a problem installing this hardware:
Broadcom 802.11 Multiband Network Adapter
THIS DEVICE CANNOT START (code 10)

 

You need to get the dell drivers mentioned here.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4092491&postcount=13
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3812170&postcount=8

 

My pronblem is solved...not sure wuite how, but here is what I did...
After i loaded XP, I then, finally, realized that I was not running SP2, so I got SP2 on a disk and installed it.

Then, no mattter what I tried, I could not get the wireless or the hardwire to connect. The computer showed the harwire as CONNECTED, but there was no line connected.

The Broadcom was installed but I was getting the message: Problem with the hardware...
Without removing the 1394 or the broadcom, I installed the
Marvel Yukon ethernet driver and Voila! Suddenlu everything popped right in.
The Marvel created a new connection for the hardwire. Then, I re-installed the broadcom and the wireless kcked right in. Not sure why as this is very over my head technically, but now I am connected to the outside world.
Thanks for the reply.

 

i am having trouble looking for my broadcom wireless 94xxmcg after recovering from cd on acer 4420, device manager>network doesnt show anything? where can i find the driver for it?

 

Thank you. I have been running using the dell hack for wifi on my xp backgrade but wasn't really happy with it. Now downloading those drivers.

 

I finally got the original boardcom drivers from the european acer website to work. You have to install the LAN Boardcom drivers and then the Wireless Boardcom drivers....

Tom