Drivers are files that enable software to communicate with hardware components.
The network card in your Dell computer allows you to connect to the Internet, share data or access network devices through your local area network (LAN). A network driver allows your computer's operating system to communicate with your physical network card, and controls the flow of data to and from the card. Your operating system must have the correct driver installed for your network card to function properly. Fortunately, the correct drivers can be found on the Dell Resource/Drivers CD that came with your Dell computer.
Instructions
1. Turn on your Dell computer and wait until the operating system has completed its start-up process.
2. Insert the Dell Resource CD into your computer's optical disc drive. If the disc does not play automatically, click on the "Start" button in the bottom left corner of the screen and choose "My Computer" from the menu to open the My Computer window. Double-click the optical disc drive listed under the "Removable Storage" heading in which you have inserted the Dell Resource CD. The Resource CD installation will start up.
3. Click the "Next" button to install the Dell Resource CD program on your computer. After a few minutes of installation, the InstallShield Wizard complete screen will appear.
4. Eject the Dell Resource CD from the optical disc drive and click the "Finish" button to restart the computer.
5. Reinsert the Dell Resource CD into the optical disc drive once the operating system has finished loading.
6. Click on the "Next" button at the Welcome Dell System Owner screen. A message will pop up that says that the Dell Resource CD will now auto-detect the hardware in your Dell computer. The next screen will display the hardware devices in your computer.
7. Select your network card from the listed hardware components and click the "Install" button. After the driver has installed, the computer will display a screen telling you that it must be restarted to finish installing the hardware.
8. Remove the Dell Resource CD from the optical disc drive. Make sure the "Restart Now" option has been selected in the dialog box and click the "Finish" button. The computer will restart.
9. Click the "Start" button in the bottom left corner of the screen, right-click on the "My Computer" option, and then left-click on the "Properties" option. This will open the System Properties window. Click on the "Hardware" tab at the top, then click on the "Device Manager" button.
10. Double-click on the "Network Adapters" option in the Device Manager window. If the network card is listed without a yellow or red mark next to it, then it has been installed correctly and is ready to use.
Tags: Dell Resource, disc drive, network card, optical disc, optical disc drive, Dell computer, operating system