Question : I need to restore networking to a laptop at my company.

One of our employees came to me yesterday reporting that they are unable to connect to programs and folders on our network.

I've been looking into this matter this morning and pinpointed two signs of the problem.  One being that "Microsoft WIndows Network" is no longer an option under Network Places, and the other indicator is that when you go into the Properties of the hard drive, the Computer Name tab has an error at the bottom that states "- Networking is not installed or is not properly configured."

The system can connect to the internet and acquire and IP address from our network, but cannot communicate with the server.

I desperately need to get this resolved for this user and appreciate any help anyone can offer me.

Answer : I need to restore networking to a laptop at my company.

The error text I posted in the original post is exactly how I found the solution on Google.  It hadn't occurred to me to punch that text in as I was racing frantically to resolve the matter, I just searched the broader problem, but I was facing reloading the entire Windows XP OS to fix the matter so I took a long shot this morning before going that drastic route and it panned out.

This is the solution I ultimately followed.  I didn't follow it exactly but it lead me to the solution.

Navigate to the Windows Control Panel.


If the computer runs Windows 2000, Windows XP or newer, locate and right click "My Network Places" in the Start Menu and choose Properties from the menu that appears. A new window titled "Network Connections" opens. In this window, open the "Local Area Connection" item.


If the computer runs any older version of Windows, like Windows 95 or Windows 98, locate and right-click on Network Neighborhood, then choose "Properties" from the menu that appears. Alternatively, navigate to Control Panel and open the "Network" item.


If the computer runs Windows 2000, Windows XP or newer, view the General tab and verify the checkbox next to Client for Microsoft Windows is unchecked. This confirms the component has not already been installed. If the network is currently active, you may not see any checkboxes in the window. In this case, click the "Properties" button one more time to reach the full General tab.


If the computer runs any older version of Windows, view the Configuration tab and verify the Client for Microsoft Windows does not appear in this list. This confirms the component has not already been installed.


If the computer runs Windows 2000, Windows XP or newer, first click the checkbox next to Client for Microsoft Windows, then click the "Install..." button to begin the process of installing this component.


If the computer runs any older version of Windows, simply click the "Add..." to begin the process of installing Client for Microsoft Windows.


For all versions of Windows, select "Client" as the type of component from the list in the new window that appears. Click the "Add..." button to continue.


For all versions of Windows, next choose "Microsoft" from the list of manufacturers shown on the left of the active window. Then, choose "Client for Microsoft Windows" from the list of Network Clients on the right side of the window. Click the "OK" button to continue.


Complete the installation by clicking the "OK" button to close the window, then proceed to reboot the computer. After the computer has restarted, Client for Microsoft Windows will be installed.