This T41 + XP = crap!

[thinkpad1]

I don't know what to do except for re-installing. But, I shouldn't have to! I have things to do yet I'm supposed to waste time installing an old OS on an OLD computer?!?

My T41 sucks. I constantly lose my wireless connection in XP now. It shows it's connected....BUT, IT'S NOT! WTH? How does anyone use a Thinkpad in XP?!? It's insane. At least, my Linux partition is still working or I would have to bring the laptop someplace where I can use a wired connection in order to post!

What can I do?

Do I have to reinstall? I don't know what else to do. I know it's not a hardware problem because, obviously, the wifi card, 2200bg is working in Linux.

I am wondering if something got corrupted. Why would XP report that I'm connected and all the green bars are showing and everything indicates that there is a connection but when you try to use a browser, it won't go anywhere? Is this a common thing with wifi/XP/Thinkpads? I can't compare it to anything else so I am going with blaming XP mostly. This machine is too slow for Windows 7, imho, or I would upgrade. This is not the first time I had this problem but it's rearing it's ugly head again. I am wondering if it is A) virus - that would be possible since it's OS-related B) a bug or corruption - I don't know of any bug that results in XP reporting a wifi connection but you really don't have one, though and C) unknown or something else - what could it be, then?

If I can't solve it, I guess I will have to re-install XP....AGAIN! :-/

[Harryc]

In XP, run the following command from a command prompt and post the results here. Also, describe your router and security. Are you running WPA?

ipconfig /all

[craigmontHunter]

Try updating the driver with the one from the intel site. I had a problem like that, and it seems to have fixed it. Otherwise, right click the connection icon on the "notification area", and select repair connection.

Good luck

[RealBlackStuff]

Try and install XP on a sort-of-comparable Dell laptop with the same age.
You'd have a very hard time to even find a Dell of that age that is still working!
Then you'll find out what is crap!

Then answer the questions about your wifi setup. Without that info it's nearly impossible to help...
Is Windows managing connections, or Access Conn?
Is your firewall preventing the connection?

[goofyGAguy]

Why would XP report that I'm connected and all the green bars are showing and everything indicates that there is a connection but when you try to use a browser, it won't go anywhere?

Are you using the ZoneAlarm firewall by any chance? I had very similar problems as you're having that were causing me to rip my hair out. Found out it was a setting in ZoneAlarm causing the problem.

[thinkpad1]

Please read this.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=466070

I'm not the only one.

I'm using a linksys router and WPA encryption.

Btw, the problem I described happened before and I couldn't figure out the problem. Then, mysteriously, I suddenly had internet after some time of troubleshooting through no doing of my own as far as I know. Since, I didn't know of any solution, I currently have the same situation. The internet doesn't work, there is NO connection even though Wireless Network connections shows an internet connection. I have the green bars and the data (either 11 or 54 MB/s) but in reality, there isn't a connection. This is in XP. If I fire up my Linux OS partition, I can connect as normal.

I don't know whether I should spend more time on it trying to figure it out or reinstall XP. I guess I could try a few more things but it's so odd!

[thinkpad1]

P.S. After I try a few more things, if I don't get anywhere, I'll try to answer the posts directly and carry out the suggestions.

(I booted up Linux so I gave the troubleshooting a rest).

I don't think it's a firewall issue, btw.

[RealBlackStuff]

It's only a small thing, but take the wifi card out, and clean its gold contacts on both sides with a pencil eraser.
Remove the eraser debris before you put it back in.
Put in/remove it a few times, just in case, to remove any corrosion on the contacts in the wifi slot.

[T400plus]

Your classification into the class crap! obviously refers to the os that follows the + sign.
Use windows 7 (however it might cost you more than the market value of the hardware you are
happy with linux).
My wireless woks fine and so does the graphics card.
Reading your mail I am going to try linux , followed by OSX.

[Nick Y]

I had a lot of problems with XP and the SP3 on the T41p until I upgraded the memory from 512M to 1.5GB. (Probably should have gone to 2GB, but 1.5 seems much better.)

[T400plus]

yes, My T41 also has only 1.5 GB of memory but works great.Before windows 7 i had XP sp3.
VS2008(native c++) works nicely on both the OS.

[AIX]

Did you try to set the wireless card to maximum performance not to maximum power savings? Device manager > wireless card > adavanced > power management - or if you use Access Connections > edit profile > wireless settings > advanced configuration > power save mode.

[lukee]

Sorry for opening quiet old thread now, but I want to share my solution with you. I've had similar problems as thinkpad1 user has - sporadic disconnections etc... I just removed the Intel wireless card and inserted a Atheros 802.11abg from T42p into my T43p and it works very well with any OS (tested in Linux, XP, 7) so far.