Can not disable network adapter

[Joko]

Does anyone have any idea why I can not disable the network card - but get this message:

The connection could not be disconnected
You can not disable the connection at the moment. This connection maybe using one or more protocols that do not support Plug and Play, or may have been initiated by another user or system account

Is it software problems? Malware or other crap?

[Snake08]

What protocols are installed for the connection?
Are you a (local) administrator on the computer?

[racer]

You may have to reinstall the drivers. BTW look on the hard drive for a folder called Drivers, copy it to a cdr and save it and put it in a safe place. These are the drivers for your specific machine. It makes it so easy to reinstall everything. The drivers are all unzipped. Windows XP may not have all of them, it has some of them. Like I upgraded to xp pro on my inspiron 1100, it didn't have the video drivers, so when xp was finished installing I put the driver disk in the cd rom drive. I then went to device manager, open the display adapters and told it to upgrade the drivers. Pointed it at the driver disk and bang, the video was back.

[Joko]

If I only knew I was watching these protocols - help a novice.

It has so far been the only one who "manage" in this case - but I know some programs have a tendency to ask for even that.

Have XP Pro SP3 - Zyxel P-355 router on cable - plugged into the same router and the NIC can be disabled as it should with a mouse click.

I scribbled a lot of different programs on remaining where it can be. Last found AVG pro installation that was not legal, so I have removed it with Absolute Uninstaller. Has also cleared the registry of Comodo System Cleaner. And now finally I installed Outpost Security Suite Pro 2009. Must see if it can stay where I think my computer is slower now.

But I was watching the minutes?

[RedZot]

If it's not a big deal that you disable the NIC in Windows, you could always look at disabling the NIC at the BIOS level.

[Joko]

Yes, it was possible to disable the card through the device - but not by the icon in the notification area at the bottom right.

Ok - solved, however myself.
Of a "event" I decided to reformat the machine again. After there was this phenomenon remains - the NIC seemed to be occupied by "something else" - as I interpreted it. The same message came up even after formatting and clean installation of XP.

So I interpreted it that the card itself taken a blow. Probably for me this round of formatting (by type five years) and the installation has REALLY taken me time to examine and test with all possible programs and settings, front and back. Sometimes it became hectic errors and had to format again. Sometimes I used my System Restore.
And that is where I think the problem was.

Some time earlier, I discovered that on Win Update was a hardware update - the NIC so I downloaded it at home. But after this download, I have done since the System and now, I learned that the thing's were not for me - it just makes it! Probably was something left from the update, but the rest disappeared ... related problems after formatting.

Can it be so?
Now when I finally found an update that was to implement as it works to disable the network card with High-click on the icon.

[Milton.J]

Assuming you have both an Ethernet port and a built in Wi-Fi adaptor of some sort, under Network Connections, it will list the different ways your computer can connect to the internet.

These are usually "Local Area Network" for a Wired connection and "Wireless Network Connection" for a wireless connection. If you want to disable an adaptor, just disable the respective connection. It disables the connection by disabling the adaptor.

[Joko]

If it's not a big deal that you disable the NIC in Windows, you could always look at disabling the NIC at the BIOS level.

Thanks. The BIOS approach wouldn't be very practical, as I'd have to reboot to enable/disable. I updated my drivers and installed Intel ProNet, and that resolved the issue.