| Re: Reboot-loop problem with D-Link DWA-542 n-protocol wireless-card drivers |
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Group: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage · Group Profile
Author: John John (MVP)John John (MVP) Date: Sep 6, 2008 07:18
Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
> wrote in message
> news:71662164-89a1-49fd-a22e-e0755e582167@25g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
> About four months ago I purchased a D-Link DWA-542 n-protocol wireless
> card for use with a legacy desktop whose motherboard I had just
> replaced with an identical “new” (sealed in original package) Intel
> D845GEBV2 replacement motherboard that I bought on eBay for a
> reasonable price. The motherboard works fine but I have had no end of
> difficulty with wireless card.
>
> Various problems, including the one that I am about to describe, led D-
> Link support to recommend that I exchange the originally purchased
> wireless card for an identical replacement which I did on July 22.
> With the latest D-Link driver available for that card at the time,
> this card worked well for about six weeks and then I began having the
> same problem that I've had with the original card, namely a continuous
> “reboot loop” starting just before the logon-authentication screen
> appears (i.e., after the XP splash screen and momentary blue-screen
> that follows it just before authentication). The only way to reboot
> once the DWA-542 driver is installed is to boot in safe mode and
> remove the driver. When I reinstall the latest D-Link drivers in
> normal mode the card works perfectly but I can't reboot. On the
> advice of D-Link technicians I have tried the DWA-542 in all of the
> available PCI slots and removed the only other PCI card. Changing
> slots makes no difference so this is obviously not some exotic IRQ
> problem. Furthermore, the reboot problem persists until the driver is
> removed whether or not the card is physically present.
>
> D-Link is now insisting that the problem lies in my BIOS settings. I
> have checked all potentially relevant BIOS settings and do not believe
> that to be the case. Specifically, all PCI slots are set to allow
> automatic IRQ allocation. Furthermore, this explanation overlooks the
> fact that the replacement card worked just fine for about six weeks.
>
> Here is what I have tried so far:
>
> 1. rotate the wireless card through all PCI slots and remove the only
> other PCI card in the machine;
> 2. completely remove antivirus software from machine, reinstall
> driver, and test for reboot loop—still there;
> 3. enable boot logging and examine boot log for clear indication of
> what is failing to install—all of the D-Link drivers are failing to
> load but so are a great many other things;
> 4. check the system display under event viewer for system events
> associated with failed boot-ups with D-Link drivers installed—the only
> promising system-error event was the failure of a PC-Cillin (my anti-
> virus software) driver to load which is why I removed PC-Cillin
> completely to see if the problem would go away but it didn't; the only
> other system error associated sometimes (only sometimes!) with the
> failed bootup is the following, about which I could find no useful
> information anywhere:
>
> Plug & Play service not ready. EFS server will not try to detect
> interrupted encryption/decryption operation(s).
>
> My next step will probably be to use msconfig to try to figure out by
> a process of elimination what is interfering with boot up when the
> wireless-card software is present but that could be a long and painful
> process—and may well take far more time than I have available to give
> to it. I'm really hoping someone has a better idea!
>
> I am leaning toward some sort of hardware (highly unlikely since
> physically removing the card makes no difference to the “reboot-loop”
> problem) or software conflict as an explanation but so far I just
> can't seem to get to the bottom of the problem and would welcome any
> suggestions to help me do so.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>
> ===============
>
> Seeing that wireless adapters don't cost much, why not try a different
> brand? Your time is money too!
Yes, indeed! Being that D-Link themselves can't seem to resolve the
problem that is probably the easiest solution.
John
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