Ethernet Connection

I am trying to free up my last USB connection by using an Ethernet Connection to my Cable Modem.

I powered everything off and disconected the USB and plugged in the new cable.

I powered up the modem and waited for the lights to come on and then started my pc.

On the tool bar I am getting a Local Area Connection icon but it has a red cross over it. When I hover the mouse over the icon it says "a network cable is unplugged".

I know the cable is ok as I use it with my laptop on a different connection.

If it helps the network card is showing as a Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC #2.

Any body got any ideas?

Windows XP update 819696

According to the update history found via the link on the Windows XP update site I have, over a period of a couple of months, updated my PC with this particular "improvement" 11 times.

Can someone advise if this is normal?

Or if it isn't has anybody else experienced this and what have you done to your pc to prevent it from happening again?

Thanks very much.



Martin

Hello, Good Evening and ...

I did a search on google for sites related to PC Problems and found myself here.

It's nice to find a site where people like me, who know very little about PC's can get honest help and advice without feeling like a complete fool.

Thanks

Martin

System Re-booting

Hi,

I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before but, I have gone back through about 15 pages looking before I posted this. I would also like to apologise for my complete lack of knowledge of computers.

My PC has recently started re-booting itself.

I know others have had similar problems but I have noticed that on my PC this is normally triggered by the automatic opening of 'CALCULATOR'. I have the blaster and Welch fixes and have reun the symantec checks and they find nothing.

Also about the same time as this started I noticed that my sound is often being muted. I would start up and then have to un-mute it.

Has anybody come across this before and if so how did you cure it?

If this info helps I'm using:

Pentium 4 3.06GHZ HT
512mb DDR
Geforce 4 MX 440SE
80GB Hard Drive

Here's hoping!


Martin