WARNING - If you have no interest in IT don’t even bother reading this. This post has a classification of G: Suitable for those that are IT literate, contains exceptionally geeky comments and references to wireless networks.
What part of uninstall do you not understand?
Hmm? When I uninstall an application, I want it gone. Is that a hard concept to grasp?
To explain, I was installing BtBroadband for a client and I made the mistake of thinking that the standard wireless router would be ok. I also made the mistake of using the install CD to configure the router. Boys and Girls, if you remember one thing from what I’m saying, remember this: You do NOT need a CD to install a router or broadband if it’s via a network.
Having got the client’s network up and running, I uninstalled the application. Or so I thought… Two months later I try to connect to a newly created wireless network for my Mum. But every time I went to wireless settings, I got an error directing me to MS KB article 871122. As it explained, the Microsoft Zero Configuration service had stopped (and so XP couldn’t manage the connection), so I started it expecting all to be well. Not in this case - it just kept stopping. I even saw in the event log that it was being told to stop. But by what?
Searching the web gave numerous accounts of turning it off, but I wanted it on. I like it. It does what it says (most of the time) and requires no extra software. Some forums told of how they’d uninstalled the software that came with their wireless card to get it working. I didn’t have any software so I carried on searching. And searching… And searching… And searching…
Tried changing the wireless router settings, updating the wireless driver even deleting the wireless device. All to no avail.
Then I looked at the Wireless Zero Configuration service one more time and saw another service - Wireless Adapter Configurator. And it was started and set to automatic. As soon as I opened up the properties of it, I saw “C:\Program Files\BT Business Hub\Wireless Configuration\WirelessDaemon.exe” and it all clicked. This service was installed by BT, but never removed. Even worse it was left on. Windows always thought there was an application managing the wireless card, but that app had been uninstalled with the rest of the BT suite.
Stopped that service and my wireless network card is happily singing to my tune.
I’ve been struggling with this same problem for 3 days, Both Windows and Toshiba ‘Configfree’ state that another service is controlling the wireless card but neither tell you what this ‘other service’ is … Grrrrrrr. I assumed that I had uninstalled the BT stuff but I evidently had not. Leaving a service installed and running automatically after a full uninstall is verging on criminal negligence on BT’s part. All now working fine thanks to your article. Thanks again.
Fun evening then, mate?