Can't install Wireless adapter component and it's causing problems

Combust

Commendable
Mar 24, 2016
15
0
1,510
I upgraded my PC with new parts and long story short, my motherboard doesn't have a slot for my Tenda wireless adapter card.

Now that isn't the issue because before, after I upgraded my Mobo, GPU, and CPU I could still connect to the internet via Ethernet cable without having the adapter on my motherboard(which is perfect because I'm right next to my router).

Recently my hard drive was corrupted so I found a spare laying around.

Now the Issue
I switched em out, and reset the "new" one (Which is on windows 7. The "old" one was on windows 8.1) but now I can't use Ethernet. It says I don't have my wireless adapter drives installed, and to do that I need to run the Tenda disk but when I do THAT it says I can't because the adapter isn't installed on my motherboard.

My Question
Is there a way I can use an Ethernet cable without installing the wireless adapter drivers or installing the adapter itself (Remember there is no slot on my mobo)?
 
Solution
I'm not 100% what you want to do, but your motherboard should have separate drivers to run its own ethernet port, completely separate from your wireless card drivers. Check on the driver cd that came with your board. swapping drives is not recommended for this very reason. Else pull out or gpu or other card to temporarily install the wireless card and install the drivers again?

Vnxc

Distinguished
Feb 21, 2014
114
0
18,710
I'm not 100% what you want to do, but your motherboard should have separate drivers to run its own ethernet port, completely separate from your wireless card drivers. Check on the driver cd that came with your board. swapping drives is not recommended for this very reason. Else pull out or gpu or other card to temporarily install the wireless card and install the drivers again?
 
Solution