I was recently hit by a number or viruses including the fake win32/adware.virtumonde virus.
They deleted all my system restore points, including the local area connection icon in my network connections.
I took care of all the viruses, but now I still cannot connect to the internet, and the local area connection icon is gone. My network connections folder is blank whenever I open it. I do not know how to fix it, and I do not have the disc for my router.
Ok, I’ve been searching around google and I stumbled on a guide
Heres a segment which I followed:
"General troubleshooting
Method 1: Let Windows automatically detect and install network adapters
Windows can automatically detect and install the correct network adapters for you. It will also correct any corrupted registry entries on the network adapter.
To direct Windows to automatically detect and install network adapters for you, follow these steps:1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
3. To see a list of installed network adapters, expand Network adapter(s). Click to locate the network adapter, and then click Uninstall.
4. Restart the computer, and then let the system automatically detect and install the network adapter drivers.
Check to see whether your networking icons appear. If this method worked for you, you are finished with this article. However, you might want to read the “Prevention tips” section to learn how you can avoid this problem in the future."
I’m not sure if this will work but you can try it…
Uninstall the network card drivers.
Reinstall the Network stack. Go to “Start,”—>“Control Panel,”—>“Add/Remove Programs,”—>“Windows Components,”—>untick Networking—>next—>REBOOT—>go back and retick all the networking boxes.
This is from an article I found on the internet dealing with the 720 error for internet connections (No PPP protocols configured) but this may help your situation. You may need your Windows XP CD to do this successfully.