Question

How do I remove the Netgear NIC (FA311) and drivers, and reinstalling because of possible conflict with another device? (IRQ Conflicts)(Windows 95/98/ME)

Answer

Here are the steps to remove and reinstall:

1.       It is recommended but not absolutely necessary that you start your machine in safe mode.

2.       Go to the start button and left-click it, then left-click shutdown and then select the restart and left-click OK. Once you do that wait for the black Dos Screen to pop up and then start clicking the F8 or the shift Key continuously until you come to the set up screen with the option to get into the(Safe Mode). Highlight the Safe Mode and then click the Enter Key. When asked (if you want to go into the safe mode), click OK.

3.       Once you are on your desktop in safe mode, there you will go to My Computer Icon and then right-click. Then go to properties and left-click. Then you will select the Device Manager Tab on top of this window and left-click it.

4.       Now you can left-click the Plus sign (+), next to the Network Adapters to open it. Now left-click on the NetGear Adapter to highlight it and remove it by left-clicking on the remove button at the bottom of the window.

5.       When asked that you are about to remove this device from your computer and do you want to remove it, left-click OK.

6.       Now…. Do Not Restart.

7.       Go to the start button and left-click it, then left-click shutdown and then select the shutdown option and left-click shutdown to shutdown the computer and turn it off completely.

8.       Remove the power cord from the back of the computer and the blue NetGear cable from your NetGear card.

9.       Now remove the metal case from your computer.

10.    Now touch the metal frame of your computer with your hand to ground yourself and then remove any screws attaching the NetGear card to the machine. Now grasp the NetGear card by the sides being careful to not touch the processor chips on the card and remove it.

11.    Now plug the power cord back into the computer and turn the computer back on and bring it up to the windows desktop.

12.    Once at the desktop right-click on the My Computer icon then left-click on explorer. Then at the top on the menu bars left-click on view and in the drop down menu left-click options if this is a Windows 95 operating system, and left-click on folder options if this is a Windows 98 operating system. Then left-click on the view tab and make sure that hidden files is set to show all files. Then left-click on the o.k. button at the bottom and close the explorer window. If this is Windows ME do not left-click view, but at the top in explorer on the menu bar, left-click on tools then left-click on folder options, then leftclick on the view tab. Now in the view tab make sure that hidden files and folders is set to show hidden files and folders then left-click on the o.k. button at the bottom then close the explorer window.

13.    Once at the desktop, go to start, find, files and folders if this is a Windows 95/98 operating system and go to start search files and folders if this is Windows ME and do a search for three files in the C drive one by one; they are FA311 , DRVDATA.BIN and DRVIDX.BIN . Once found, delete files that are found. Now shutdown computer and wait a couple of minutes and then restart computer twice then shutdown again.

14.    Take a clean regular pencil eraser and lightly clean the gold contacts on both sides of the NetGear card (the part that goes in the PCI slot), with the eraser being careful not to scratch the contacts.

15.    Now reinstall the NetGear card in a different PCI slot making sure to seat the NetGear card all the way down in the PCI slot. Replace the screw or screws that were removed as per the #10 instructions on this page and replace the blue cable back in the NetGear card.

16.    Now make sure that the power cord to your computer is plugged back in and replace the metal cover to your computer.

17.    Follow the install instructions.

Doc ID:    N100212.asp