STRANGE network card problem!

i just got an asus UL20A notebook and every time i reboot, it says that the ethernet network driver failed to install. every reboot, it tries to install but unsuccessful, then that number goes up (i circled that number in red). i think every time the number goes up, windows sees this as a new hardware change, so now my win7 is no longer genuine and it says i have to buy a new product key. i already used the image recovery on the HD to format back to factory shipped, but same thing happens.

strange thing is when i plug in an ethernet cable to test of the controller still works, i get internet and it works fine. any ideas why this happens or how to fix it? i hate getting this error every time i boot, and i want my windows7 to be genuine again

 

make sure its connected properly, win 7 is having problems with ethernet drivers, call microsoft and detail the problem for a new key. They should give it for free.
Good Luck

 

that's a good idea and they probably will give a new key, but i can't call for a new key after every reboot! windows sees it as a hardware change and will always invalidate my preinstalled win7.

 

The number that keeps going up is a counter because each reboot, Windows thinks it is looking at a new network card with the same name. It has nothing to do with Windows activation.

 

new network card makes windows think it's new hardware no? it's my understanding that each windows key is tied to a certain specific hardware configuration to prevent using it multiple machines

 

A new network card is not a criteria for a major hardware change. Typically components like a motherboard will fall in that category.

 

maybe it's not considered major hardware, but after windows thinks it's been changed a few times, that's enough to invalidate windows. i just called microsoft to activate my notebook's key and it's genuine again. so after a few reboots after the ethernet controller number goes up again, what do you know... windows is now invalidated again. this proves it's that network card/driver. that number is still going up and now at 16. this is getting fking ridiculous now:

 

At some point you gotta start thing about getting a different card.

 

how am i going to get a different card when it's integrated on the motherboard? i wish it was as easy as just changing it out.

 

Previously, I thought that was a wireless controller. I'm crosstalking my threads.

I think this is the end of the road, gotta call up Sony.