"Star Wars" On The Network

Problems started for my wireless network the day two weeks ago when I installed a WD wireless network hard drive called My Cloud. Despite of it all I should be glad everything works on it. My host computer is Windows 7 64-Bit while my remote computer, already registered here, is Windows XP-Professional. Western Digital probably didn't cause the problem; but I suspect that this new equipment overrides some internal components. There is also a color laser all-in-one hardwired on this system and Roku 2, though I don't think that device causes any problem. From my online searches most people gave up an ignored the problem; but my Device Manager shows a yellow "!" and Code 31 error for RAS Async Adapter, which I believe Microsoft calls Active Sync. Thinking the problem might also be an unnecessary modem, I deleted that; but it is back. So, to explain the adverse changes to my XP since this HD installation, 1) I discovered the corrupt Network Adapter in Device Manager; 2) Believing that I had to allow it in Windows Firewall, I discovered in Control Panel that it is on. That is unusual because I have a third party firewall and never used Windows Firewall. I cannot bring up the Firewall settings because, according to the error message, Windows cannot connect with Internet Connection Sharing. Command prompt procedures to reset the Firewall do not seem to work and I do not trust their results; and 3) Out of three Microsoft Updates issued this week, KB2719985 and KB2757638 downloaded but did not install. Only KB2909921 for IE8 did first. I went through the Command Prompt instructions for disabling, stopping, enabling and starting the update service. The last two kept downloading but failing to install. On Microsoft's Answers site I did not start a threat because my recent experience has been bad there, causing me to suspect that even they don't want to support XP. I believe the first problem in Device Manager is behind it all; but I might have done harm to fix it on my own in trying to restore that driver. I have not been able to replace the driver or find a newer one that installs. What should I do about that driver?

 

Hi troothteller, You are not showing any System Details under your Profile! I would suspect you are having conflicts and would suggest you try and see if it works in Safe Mode.
Why not also use Windows Firewall as I've never had any problems with WF in over 10 years use. Neil.

 

This all started July 12; so I have been in Safe Mode where none of this works. Besides, wouldn't it bother you if you couldn't change settings when you wanted to? The problem suggests something drastically wrong in the OS. As for my profile, I only had problems on my XP at the time I started it, but nothing like this.

 

Well, I have one less problem for the moderators of this thread. My updates are all downloaded and installed. Some duplicated updates already installed; so I had to go into Safe Mode to uninstall and reinstall the manual downloads. Every time I uninstalled and reinstalled one, another became available to install. Now, Windows Updates shows everything current. However, Windows still cannot start Internet Connection Sharing to bring up Firewall settings. The corrupt RAS driver in Device Manager is still there.

 

Have you tried uninstalling the Driver in Device Manager - Shut down - Re-Boot and see if MS installs the Driver correctly. Neil.

 

Yes, it does not uninstall or update. Others have the same problem with this driver and they live with it. I thought I covered this when I started the thread. My concern is that the corrupt driver might take up system resources. Up until now I did not find a solution; however, right now my XP in Safe Mode is trying to reinstall SP3, which contains that driver. Let's see if this works. My solution to Windows Update was to download the updates separately to my computer. Then in Safe Mode uninstall the older versions and reinstall the newer ones. There is nothing more to update. Forgive me for failing to mention that the RAS Adapter, according to the error message, is essential to booting; therefore, it will not uninstall even in Safe Mode.

 

Have you seen this: Missing RAS Async adapter drivers

Apparently this guy is a happy chappie. Neil.

 

retiredlearner, the only new thing from that link was simultaneously doing the Device Manager update and Windows Update at the same time. The Device Manager procedures do not work here as I stated before. There is also a serial device under Non Plug 'n Play that has a yellow "!" and keeps reinstalling. Maybe this RAS is not needed because of the network being wireless. Maybe the solution lies in getting it off. Also, on both computers I could not figure out how to activate Internet Connection Sharing. I will have to see if Windows Firewall settings come up on my Windows 7. Back to my Windows XP, I just reinstalled SP3, believing that the RAS driver was included in it. After doing it in Safe Mode, that did not fix anything. I will have to go back into Safe Mode because I have to reinstall one of those troublesome Windows updates. Thank you for researching this; but you've come up with steps that failed not only for me but for many others. Either this OS is really damaged, or the SP3 download caused some too. One update that I previously installed, KB2757638 will not install.

 

As I posted the last message, KB2757638 installed; but that is just another aspect that is still messed up. Windows Update did not give me any options in how I wanted to install. Usually I do a Custom installation. Now, I had to download them separately from the individual Knowledge Base articles. Then I had to remove their older versions in Safe Mode and run their separate installation programs. In the case of this last one, it did not download in an .exe file; but it extracted into .cab files. When Windows Update detected them, I had to use Express installation, sometimes from the yellow shield in the system tray. As long as everything works on this network, maybe I should back everything up onto the WD HD and do a clean install. This problem is so multi-faceted that I forgot to mention another suspicious characteristic. In Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services ICS does not show. Also in that box I cannot start Windows Firewall.

 

Your idea of a fresh install may be the answer but all I can say at this point is Best of Luck.
I would move on from XP personally as you well know there is no help from MS even after a complete new install. Neil.

 

Right now the XP is doing the System File Checker. Moving on to another OS means keeping XP but also installing something Linux based. That computer cannot upgrade above XP, regardless of what "Big Brother" Microsoft may say, though it is still a good machine. After I get some real work done with it, I will use my WD HD to back up text files, pictures, music and emails, and then do the clean install. Intel is another party I wish I could avoid concerning computer use. Since XP, Microsoft has not impressed even with this Windows 7 I am on now. This 64-Bit setup is quirky. Even this machine will not upgrade to Windows 8. Now they want to stick us with 10! I will not even consider it. Just now, before editing this post, I neglected to mention two things to help get over this: 1) I have a Registry Backup file to which I have exported settings regularly for three years which may provide some means of repair; and 2) Having forgotten to describe my wireless network, besides the host computer, the Windows 7 through which the XP connects, there are two devices that are inconsequential, my Ooma Telo and Roku 2. Besides the WD HD, there is a color laser all-in-one, a cable modem, a firewall and a wireless router. Given all this, is this Internet Connection Sharing business necessary? If so, then we should be able to either disable or delete it.