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February 26th, 2025 07:38
Network card doesn't work on Dell Latitude C500
I have a Dell Latitude C500 laptop. When I got it, it had Windows XP on it. I removed it and installed Windows 2000. The system installed fine, only one problem - the network card does not work. I tried different drivers, both from the Dell site and from the Dell Resource CD, none of them worked. Moreover, in the Device Manager there is no unknown device that could be a network card. It seems that it is disabled on the BIOS level, but I did not find such an item in the BIOS. The previous owner said that the card worked on Windows XP. I did not expect such problems and did not check it. Then I thought, maybe the reason is in the version of Windows and installed XP on another partition. But it also does not see the card and there are no unknown devices in the Device Manager. The previous owner said that he found all the drivers using the Driver Booster 12 app, but it does not start on any of the systems. When I plug in the cable, the lights near the socket don't light up. What can I do about this?
ann_droid
2 Intern
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508 Posts
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February 27th, 2025 13:15
Hi
Have you considered a 32 bit Linux, that may offer some differing information?
Debian
Devuan
Mint Debian
petermuss
2 Intern
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210 Posts
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February 27th, 2025 13:46
this is the correct driver (W2K): -> I post the link because you stated: " However, I don't know how to turn it on and what driver is needed."
https://dl.dell.com/network/Z59UUK07.exe
When you run the installer, the NIC will be detected. If not - NIC is dead. Grab a pcmcia card like Xircom or 3Com
Better go for another laptop - save time and money!
petermuss
2 Intern
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210 Posts
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February 26th, 2025 10:49
im not sure if you are joking - but here are all infos about your network card for C500
drivers can still be found here: (select Windows 2000)
https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/latitude-c500/drivers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Latitude
C500 - from Year 2000 - a 25 year old laptop - even if you get the NIC up and running, internet will be a problem with W2K or XP.
NestorTe
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February 26th, 2025 10:56
Thank you very much for your answer, but you didn't read what I wrote carefully. I installed all the drivers for this model that were on the Dell website and those that were on the driver CD - none of them worked. In addition, no unknown devices are displayed in the Device Manager, it seems that even the BIOS doesn't see the card.
petermuss
2 Intern
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210 Posts
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February 26th, 2025 11:12
I read all and everything very carefully.
If device manager and BIOS does not show any nic - nic is dead.
Did you try "Load BIOS defaults"?
Try to grab another nic for your pcmcia slot.
NestorTe
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February 26th, 2025 12:36
Thanks for the answer. My C500 has a bit of a strange BIOS because there is no mention of the NIC (except for the boot device order) and there is no Load Defaults item, but there are mentions of diskette devices A: and B: which are not in this laptop. But the network port socket is there, I'm attaching a photo. However, I don't know how to turn it on and what driver is needed. And yes, the BIOS is the latest version, I just updated it, but nothing has changed, the items have remained the same.
NestorTe
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March 4th, 2025 16:27
So, the summary.
I tried to boot from the Linux CD, but this OS also did not see the network card. So the previous owner deceived me and the card is not working. Thanks ann_droid for the tip.
Thanks petermuss for trying to help. I appreciate it.
As a result, I took a PCMCIA network card and the network worked.
As for buying a new laptop, I have one. I take this Dell solely for the nostalgia of working on my old system 20 years ago. A kind of trip to the past )