Error on all driver installs after clean install

service tag 2c17nm1
service code 5081195593

I don't know where to find the 7100-XXXX part I don't see 7100 anywhere on my case.

Did you plug in by ethernet cable as it says in the tutorial to increase the chances it would start up ready to connect? Go ahead and do that now and enable auto-hardware updating to see if it loads the ethernet driver and connects.

I didn't do the ethernet cable thing yet because I have no idea where that actually is in the house and I will probably have to move my whole setup. But I will try as I am running out of ideas! Just reboot with ethernet connected or reinstall win 7 again with it connected?

Oh I should also mention the last time I tried I took out all the memory but a 1gb stick because I read somewhere that having more than 2gb could be a problem (6gb normally on this system).

Did you install 64 bit? Why take out RAM if there were not yet any installation issues? They are rarely caused by RAM any longer.

You don't need to reinstall, just plug in the ethernet cable and enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3), watch if driver loads in system tray, connect.

If not try both the Atheros and the Broadcom network drivers. Product Support | Dell US

After the files unzip to C:/Dell/Drivers if the installer doesn't start automatically browse to that location, open each driver's folder, rightclick the Setup .exe to Run as Admin.

Thanks again for your help. I did install 64bit confirmed with cpu z after install. I will try that broadcom driver and then reinstall while connected to lan. That broadcom driving is way bigger! So I am wondering maybe that is the one for the mobo or something.

You don't need to reinstall, just enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3), plug in Ethernet, and then see if it loads its driver in the bottom right System Tray, connects to network.

The Broadcom is a network driver, not mobo. You probably don't need mobo or display drivers once Windows Updates delivers them. Wait until all Updates are done to see, once you get connected.

Shoot. Well I am reinstalling win 7 now anyways as the broadcom driver seemed to install fine but then I still didn't have any network adapter even after restart. Now I am following your steps fully as if it was the first time :). But it is also past my bedtime now so if this one doesn't work with your tips I will be sometime later this weekend for any further efforts. I am wondering if the hard disk isn't the original that came with the computer and that is screwing things up (even though that seems impossible to me unless it is a hardware failure issue).

There is a wireless card that was hooked up to the motherboard which I have also removed currently. I think that is the atheros driver.

By mobo driver I mean the network adapter on the motherboard not the actual motherboard driver. I should put more effort into my wording.

Why did you take the wireless card out? Please put it back in so the installer has a chance to provide its driver as well as the ethernet driver.

Nothing has worked and I have tried everything you have said. Next shot I will try searching for older versions of the drivers. I know that helps sometimes. I will also try to confirm the specific network adapters I have correlated to the driver online. This is crazy, it should just work!!

I took the wireless card out because in the past I have had problems with xp mixing up which adapter is which when you are trying to set them up. Basically try everything until something works!